Working with an assistant. How to Hire the Right Person and Build a Collaborative Process
Elena, the Founder of EvoTalents, is in touch! I am often asked: how to hire an assistant, what tasks to delegate, and how to optimize work with them. Having a third assistant, I structured the process in such a way that my previous assistant completely hired the new one, transferring all tasks to her. I just conducted the final interview. Already three people who attended my consultations successfully implemented this scheme for themselves.
Getting Started: Defining Tasks for the Assistant
The first thing you need to do is understand which tasks to delegate. People often ask other entrepreneurs what tasks they delegate to their assistants. I recommend first writing down all your tasks and noting what exactly you want to transfer to the new person and how much time it will take to complete these tasks, as well as writing down the tasks that you do not have time to do, but they are also important. My table will help you with this. This way, you'll determine what kind of person you need, what tasks you want to delegate, and whether you need a full-time or part-time assistant.
Hiring an assistant
Based on the previous step, you can understand what candidate profile you need and create a job description.
My strategy for finding an assistant includes the following steps:
- Maximum distribution of job descriptions [job boards, social networks, professional chats];
- Filling out the application form by candidates;
- First interview with 3-5 most relevant candidates;
- Performing a test task;
- Final interview and an offer.
Thus, a minimum amount of time is spent on hiring a candidate.
Assistant adaptation and work organization
Adaptation of a new person begins even before his arrival with the formation of a job description. This instruction should describe:
- the purpose of the position;
- expected Result;
- responsibilities [through actions and results];
- regular tasks [daily, weekly, monthly];
- successful actions and common mistakes;
- necessary accesses and contacts;
- links to other instructions/documents.
The first step in onboarding an assistant is to study and discuss this description. This will help avoid misunderstandings and ensure we understand what tasks and when need to be completed, and what kind of performance we expect from the new person.
Also, for irregular tasks, my assistant and I use a Trello board. There I mark the priority of the task, I can indicate the time by which it is important to complete the task, I note for which project it should be completed.
I usually write down small tasks instantly in Telegram or dictate them by voice messages.
Also, every evening the assistant sends me a report via Telegram with information: what she did today, what her plans are for the next day and questions/comments.
Thus, during the day, the assistant writes to me only if there are urgent questions. Everything else is added to the report. At the end of the day I check my completed tasks in Trello.
Feedback and optimization
It is important to give feedback and make adjustments to the process, especially at the beginning of work. If problems arise, talk about it in the moment and, if necessary, create instructions to avoid similar situations in the future.
For example, I had problems with an excessive number of calls per day. I created instructions for managing my calendar, where I indicated:
- that I must have a lunch break;
- calls must last at least 45 minutes;
- I make a maximum of 6 calls a day.
Thus, we have established the process for the future.
Conclusion
Optimizing your assistant experience takes time and effort initially, but the process will work for you over time. It is important to correctly define tasks, hire a person, organize adaptation and constantly optimize work processes. This will help you manage your business effectively and achieve your goals.
