Depending on your business, an Executive, Administrative, or Office Assistant can wear many hats. They can be the right-hand person to one or more of a company’s executives, or they can assist the entire office. Finding someone who can multitask, communicate across departments, and complete a variety of tasks required can be a challenge. We’re here to discuss the benefits of hiring temporary Workers as Executive Assistants, Administrative Assistants, or Office Admins, and how to find a good one.
Why hire temporary Workers?
Hiring temporary Workers not only allows you to save money on the miscellaneous expenses associated with hiring a full-time employee (benefits, payroll, equipment, etc.), but it also provides you with the opportunity to hire Workers with specific skill sets for the various aspects of the job on an as-needed basis.
Instead of hiring someone to work on a full or part-time basis, you can leverage temporary Workers once a week, once a month, or even once a quarter. And depending on your type of business, there may be busier times when specific tasks pile up, and you need extra hands. Consider the times and types of jobs that could be outsourced and try hiring a skilled temporary Worker instead.
How to manage temporary Workers?
Managing temporary Workers can seem intimidating. When you’ve only been using full-time employees, it can be challenging to transition job training, expectation setting, and management in relation to temporary Workers. This is something you must discuss and decide upon before hiring temporary Workers.
Treating temporary Workers the same as your full-time employees in all aspects will help build alignment between the two, and it will make sure that you are getting the most out of your temporary Workers.
Training
Fully onboarding your temporary Executive Assistants or Office Administrators will give them the background of your business they need to be successful. Without a full understanding of your company and its goals, they will not be able to complete tasks effectively. While not full-time employees, they may still have valuable insights and be able to add input that they wouldn’t have thought of without proper training.
Expectations
Making your expectations of temporary Workers clear from the beginning is vital. Unlike full-time employees, they may not have performance reviews or weekly one-on-ones with their manager. Set your temporary Administrative and Executive Assistants up for success by clearly outlining their job duties. This will help them feel comfortable within their role, and will also allow other employees to understand what they should and should not ask them for assistance with.
Discipline
For the same reasons, it’s essential to make your temporary Executive Assistants aware of their expectations; it’s important to advise them of what the consequences will be should they not meet those expectations. It’s an unfortunate situation for everyone when discipline comes as a surprise, so it’s important to make sure you are transparent and aligned on the expectations and correlating disciplinary actions to prevent an uncomfortable situation that could negatively impact the workplace.
What other jobs can Executive Assistants do?
What other jobs can Executive Assistants do?One of the primary reasons Executive Assistants and Office Administrators are such an excellent fit for the temporary Worker model is because of the vast array of tasks they may be asked to do. From my experience at a non-profit, our Executive Assistant handled everything from data entry to marketing assistance to volunteer management. Other responsibilities include:
- General office management including restocking supplies and organizing files
- Make travel and accommodation arrangements
- Manage executive calendars and scheduling
- Prepare expense reports for executives or other employees
- Take notes during important meetings to distribute to the company
Where can you find temporary Executive Assistants?
Finding a qualified Administrative Assistant when you needed one used to be the hardest part, but with GigSmart, you can have someone on-site in less than an hour! Need someone later in the week or even next month? You can schedule a temporary office Worker up to 30 days in advance. All of our Workers are insured through the app at no additional cost to you, and you can even require Workers who have passed a background check as a requirement to working your Gig! If you’re ready to solve your staffing challenges by hiring a temporary Worker, create your first free Gig posting here!