Are you sick of having a revolving door of new Executive Assistants? Are you starting to wonder if you are the problem and if you will ever find an assistant who will last?

The solution lies in hiring for long-term collaborative fit.

CEOs who hire for long-term fit have a clear idea of their company’s vision and values and who they need to help them get where they are going. 

They know what kind of team they need beside them to scale quickly, and know themselves well enough to know what kind of executive support they need to succeed. 

A CEO who hires for fit does not see herself as a “boss” and her EA as an “employee.” Rather, she is a “leader” and her EA is a “team member.” 

This distinction implies a healthy working relationship founded on respect and equality.  

In this dynamic, no one person is above another, and management is not top-down. Feedback is mutual between each person.  

CEOs and EAs who operate in an equal partnership are more likely to achieve long-term fit.  

Long-term collaborative fit also speaks to the CEO and EA’s mutual investment in the other. 

In this partnership, the EA’s ideas are respected as they serve as a protective umbrella to the CEO and the CEO’s time.  

In turn, the CEO works with the EA collaboratively — not as a “boss” passing work down to an “employee.” 

Hiring and Culture 

CEOs should always strive to hire an EA with the potential for long-term fit. Doing so, however, requires you to gain clarity on your vision and values.  

When you have clearly documented vision and values, you know how a hired EA should fit into your organization’s culture.  

You also understand the purpose they will fulfill in their role.  

Many CEOs fall into the trap of hiring based on interest, affordability and availability. 

They want somebody to take work off their plate, but don’t pay much attention to their passion for the work or cultural alignment with their organization.  

Rushed and desperate hiring decisions (in an effort to get help — fast!) impact your business’ ability to scale.  

The better you can attract talent based on your company culture and character criteria, the better chance you have for long-term collaborative fit with an EA.  

To uphold this standard, create a hiring process to ensure every candidate is vetted and given due diligence before joining your team in haste.

Unique Roles 

For you and your EA to each thrive in your respective role, there must be mutual trust and understanding. 

Your EA should understand that their primary role is to serve as an extension of you. They must put in the effort to learn your business and to learn the activities that only you can do.  

As a Leader, your time is best spent working in your “zone of genius” as often as possible.  

Your genius work are the activities that only you can do — the things that move the needle in your business. 

Your mission is to offload the work that you don’t like to do, don’t have time to do, or don’t know how to do to your EA. 

The work you delegate is likely your EA’s genius work, which is why delegating fuels your relationship with your EA and fulfills their unique role. 

The more you delegate and your EA executes on your behalf, the more trust is built.  

All leaders need a team beside them that they can trust, but it all starts with hiring for long-term collaborative fit.