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Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

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Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#161

Post by FpUser »

andi999 wrote: post #156
FpUser wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BS. Either is stealing and your attempt at rationalization does not make it something else. We just tolerate some things and level of tolerance varies greatly. There are bosses who would nail you to the wall should you take a pen with you and I also know bosses who would tolerate that $500 cake taken by PA.

Don't forget electricity theft by charging personal mobile phone. And time theft by posting to a forum during work.

In case you did not know in some places employers install monitoring software and cameras and you can get your ass nailed just for that - stealing time. They call it different but one still gets fucked.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#162

Post by vasco »

krapp wrote: post #112
totony wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>No one's livelihood should depend on having to read the room like a geisha. Why not? Isn't that most jobs? Seems to me a lot of jobs require you to "read the room" in one way or another. If some work doesn't need that, then a machine should just do it since that's what human excel at.

>Why not? Isn't that most jobs? No. In most jobs, employees know specifically what their employers' requirements are, they have specific tasks and itineraries and boundaries. "Know what I want before I want it" isn't an appropriate expectation to have of any assistant.

Most jobs like you described are super low paid. The more agency you're supposed to use in your job to take decisions, generally the higher paid you'll be. It's like you want everyone to be a drone or else they're being exploited.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#163

Post by ivan_gammel »

Johnny555 wrote: post #155
jacquesm wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EAs on a mission for their boss are a major pain in the behind, they tend to act as though their boss is the most important person in the universe, which inside the company they work for may well be the case, but they tend to project that well outside the company as well. They also tend to consume a disproportionate amount of time in others to save their precious boss a few minutes. The main function of EAs for peopl…

I'll have my EA contact your EA to set up a date for a five minute phone call I’m not even an executive but this is a big time suck with someone outside your organization so you can’t see their calendar. I wish I could outsource this to an EA

Calendly is a much cheaper option. Managing my calendar would be the last thing I delegate to PA.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#164

Post by piaste »

Closi wrote: post #160
rewgs wrote: post #138

Throughout my 20s (in my 30s now) I worked as a film composer in Hollywood, land of personal assistants. One thing I took to heart was that the best personal assistants weren't looking to use the opportunity get elsewhere. What you want is someone who wants to stay in that role, because as a lot of other comments here point out, it takes a lot of time for the person to learn enough about you to become truly useful ra…

> I.e. you want someone who just wants "a job" and doesn't necessarily want to move on from it. > Meaning: you must pay them quite well, and not work them too terribly hard. Remember that this is someone who works to live. Give them firm boundaries and time off. This is counterintuitive but such good advice.

Why do you find it counterintuitive? "Pay them well to encourage them to stick around" seems intuitive to me.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#165

Post by onion2k »

rewgs wrote: post #138

Throughout my 20s (in my 30s now) I worked as a film composer in Hollywood, land of personal assistants. One thing I took to heart was that the best personal assistants weren't looking to use the opportunity get elsewhere. What you want is someone who wants to stay in that role, because as a lot of other comments here point out, it takes a lot of time for the person to learn enough about you to become truly useful ra…

Throughout my 20s (in my 30s now) I worked as a film composer in Hollywood

The diverse nature of HN readership never ceases to amaze me. That's really cool.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#166

Post by yc-kraln »

ivan_gammel wrote: post #163
Johnny555 wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll have my EA contact your EA to set up a date for a five minute phone call I’m not even an executive but this is a big time suck with someone outside your organization so you can’t see their calendar. I wish I could outsource this to an EA

Calendly is a much cheaper option. Managing my calendar would be the last thing I delegate to PA.

I find calendly depersonalizing and extremely insulting. I.e. the shift of power when someone says "Hey, let's find a time to chat" and the answer is "Here is my calendly link, good luck". I usually break off the conversation there.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#167

Post by jwr »

rewgs wrote: post #138

Throughout my 20s (in my 30s now) I worked as a film composer in Hollywood, land of personal assistants. One thing I took to heart was that the best personal assistants weren't looking to use the opportunity get elsewhere. What you want is someone who wants to stay in that role, because as a lot of other comments here point out, it takes a lot of time for the person to learn enough about you to become truly useful ra…

Ah, based on my experiences with assistants, that is exactly the problem. You either get someone who is under-qualified and does not fulfill expectations, or someone who is great, but wants to pursue a career.

It is extremely difficult to find a "stable" assistant.

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#168

Post by Yiin »

yc-kraln wrote: post #166
ivan_gammel wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calendly is a much cheaper option. Managing my calendar would be the last thing I delegate to PA.

I find calendly depersonalizing and extremely insulting. I.e. the shift of power when someone says "Hey, let's find a time to chat" and the answer is "Here is my calendly link, good luck". I usually break off the conversation there.

I am slightly confused, why is saving time for both parties considered insulting?

Re: Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

#169

Post by n1c »

piaste wrote: post #164
Closi wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I.e. you want someone who just wants "a job" and doesn't necessarily want to move on from it. > Meaning: you must pay them quite well, and not work them too terribly hard. Remember that this is someone who works to live. Give them firm boundaries and time off. This is counterintuitive but such good advice.

Why do you find it counterintuitive? "Pay them well to encourage them to stick around" seems intuitive to me.

I think they're saying it's counterintuitive to want someone who isn't driven to try climb some ladder.
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