Need some help with your Personal Assistant recruitment process? You are not alone. The role is not an easy one to fill, despite whether you think it should be. In fact it is one of the more difficult roles to fill. Why do we hear you ask!? Because it is not just about the skill set, it’s about the fit.
And this is why the assistance of a specialist Personal Assistant recruitment service could be highly beneficial. They have great networks and long standing relationships with individuals across the office support network. They are able to gain real insight into how an individual operates, what motivates them and what type of environment or manager they work best with. And if the information is not sourced through their network, they are experts at extracting it in interviews.
So besides, fit which is very individual to each Manager and organisation what are the main qualities that make a great Personal Assistant?
- Care Factor, somebody who is genuinely looking to make a difference in their role rather than just tick boxes once tasks are complete. Someone who ‘reads the play’ and is proactive rather than reactive. Someone who learns about the impact their role has on others and how they can improve it to make things flow better for themselves and those they support.
- Organisational skills and the ability to prioritise successfully, if a PA cant excel in this area they won’t have the time to be proactive or improve their role and its function. And let’s face it we need our support staff these days in modern business to be able to continuously improve and add more value.
- Confident communication & relationship building skills, will allow a Personal Assistant to be resourceful and gain trust with both internal and external stakeholders. When people trust a PA, they are more likely to go to them with issues that can be resolved before they even get to a Manager or Executive, clearing their time for more pressing matters. These skills will also allow a Personal Assistant to become more knowledgeable about the business they work within as they will be more engaged and committed with strong relationships.
If you speak with a Personal Assistant recruitment service you will learn that one of the biggest complaints from Personal Assistants looking to leave their jobs, is that they feel unengaged and valued in their role. Communication from their boss or the management team is lacking.
- Problem solving and being agile, are 2 of the most important capabilities you want in a PA. Do you want a PA who comes to you and says “We have a problem what shall we do? “or do you want a PA who comes and says to you “We have a problem, but I have 2 potential solutions for you!” I think it’s pretty much a no brainer here, everybody wants someone who comes with a solution not a problem. Being agile is a part of this too – the definition is to move quickly and easily and that’s what you want from your PA when they are problem solving or dealing with their traditional day to day responsibilities.
The Personal Assistant recruitment in Sydney is very competitive. Particularly now its post Covid and there are so many more opportunities available for professional Personal Assistant’s to consider. So it’s important to remember that interviews are 2 way streets. Yes you want to find the best possible person for your role and you want them to be a high performer and be able to prove that they have all of the qualities listed above. But the individual is also interviewing the organisation and wants them to explain why it’s a great place to work and what opportunities are present for growth and work satisfaction. Strong performers who have care factor, good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise, confident communication and relationship building skills and the ability to problem solve and be agile will be looking for a high quality job.
A Personal Assistant recruitment service can help you to prepare your pitch to candidates, so you are securing the right people once you have found them.
