The CEOs assistant provides high-level, one-on-one support to the CEO of an organization. There’s a wide variety of duties which could be administrative or project-based and could include things like scheduling meetings or appointments, booking travel or preparing documents. They play a vital role in keeping the CEO organized to ensure smooth and seamless business processes. They should be creative and really enjoy working within an entrepreneurial type environment that is results driven, mission-driven, and community oriented.
The assistant typically is the primary internal and external contact on all matters pertaining to the CEO, basically the gatekeeper. They are expected to work proactively without much supervision. They should understand and model the company’s mission, goals and culture. Having a high degree of confidence, integrity, and professionalism is essential. The assistant works directly with others within the organization who are critical to the success of the company, including other executives who will all come to the assistant for many things instead of going directly to the CEO.
This position comes with flexibility, independence and excitement. Getting to do a little bit of everything keeps from getting bored or burned out. Every day there could be a new task to tackle that makes the job fun and exciting. Most assistants work a typical 9-5 schedule, however they are expected to stay late when needed to complete tasks or if there’s meetings or events that run late. There will be times when the assistant needs to take some work home to complete or do research for an important project with a tight deadline. With the success of the company a priority most assistants will go above and beyond to ensure everything is properly handled.
Skills and attributes of an exceptional CEO assistant:
Professional
Strong attention to detail
Expert communicator but verbal and written
Excellent organizational skills
Exceptional people skills
Problem solver
Flexible and able to switch gears at any moment
Ability to work well with others
Maintains an positive attitude
Strong work ethic
Self motivated
Time management
Ability to multitask
Time management and ability to multitask are key skills for an CEO assistant, as they may be asked to handle several duties at the same time. The assistant should also have clerical experience and knowledge of other administrative procedures such as human resources management. Excellent customer service is important as well since they may be interacting with customers from time to time which sometimes they might be an upset customer that wants to talk to the CEO.
With so many moving parts for an organization to run smoothly there will be many odd tasks the assistant will take on. Even tasks that a personal assistant would typically handle like picking up dry cleaning, walking the dog, making coffee or running errands are tasks that the CEO’s assistant may be asked to do. Being flexible with hours and accessibility makes for an exceptional assistant.
Job Duties
Administrative – While most organizations have secretaries and administrative assistants to handle clerical tasks like answering phones, emails, filing, accepting visitors, some CEO’s have their assistants also handle some of the administrative tasks as well. The CEO assistant though will most of the time just take the incoming calls that are for the CEO though. They will also create business meeting agendas, send staff emails and memos, review incoming reports, and prepare documents for meetings. They typically are the ones who provide backup support for Executive Assistants and coordinate vacation coverage.
Primary Point of Contact – The CEO will have a packed schedule with little to no time for extra tasks or distractions. Their assistant takes their calls to screen them, take messages, or completely handle the calls themself. The assistant typically is the primary point of contact for other staff as well. They will take incoming emails and walk-ins to figure out what is needed to help with a solution. If it’s not something they could handle themselves or something the CEO should know about then they will bring the matter to the CEO. Same goes for emails, many CEOs have one email they give out that really goes to their assistant then they have a personal email they handle themself.
Calendar Management: CEO’s always have a jam packed schedule that is forever needing to be rearranged, squeeze meetings in, and rescheduled. They rely on their assistant to coordinate their complex schedule which sometimes can be challenging. It’s their duty to ensure the CEO’s schedule is followed and respected. It takes an extremely organized, detailed oriented problem solver to keep the schedule running smoothly.
Coordinate Meetings – The CEO’s assistant will typically be the one to schedule meetings, plan the agenda, prepare documents, and if needed reschedule. They sit in on the meetings as well to take notes and be informed.
Event Planning – When the CEO wants to plan an event for the office for instance a Christmas party, their assistant will do all of the coordinating and planning including hiring vendors and ensuring all the little details are thought of and handled.
Travel coordination– The assistant will lead and coordinate travel bookings, itineraries and any related meetings for the CEO, including the coordination of calendars, travel plans, expenses, etc.
Supervising and Training – The CEO’s assistant often works closely with lower-level administrative assistants to coordinate and complete certain tasks. Since the assistant has a complete understanding of the needs of the executives and the organization, executive assistants often train incoming clerical staff and administrative assistants.
Strategic Planning and Research – Running a successful business takes a lot of analyzing and strategic planning to continue to grow. Some assistants will be asked to do extensive research and provide complete reports including statistics for the executives to make informed business decisions. It requires a high level of understanding of business practices, statistical data and the industry to provide the most accurate and informative data.
Technology – Being tech savvy is extremely important since this role requires handling tasks that require the latest technology. Having good working knowledge of Google Docs, MS Office, Excel and PowerPoint are a very minimum. The more familiar one is with these programs the more efficient and productive they will be.
Company Culture – The company culture, practices and values of an organization starts at the top then grows at the bottom. The common denominator among the most successful companies is a strong culture. The assistant to the CEO should fully demonstrate the company culture and values. They should also know what the company goals are so they could work to achieve or even surpass them.
With all the duties the CEO Assistant has, how much money do they make?
The salary of an assistant varies based on experience, education, who they work for and how valuable they are to them. On average, the salary is around $48,000-$75,000. The more productive the assistant is and the more profitable the company is the more the CEO is willing to financially compensate their assistant for a job well done. This is where hard work pays off.
The position sometimes includes other great perks like food provided, gym memberships, stock options, paid time off (sometimes unlimited), insurance, family leave, 401(k), work from home, or flexible schedule.
Summery:
The role of a CEO assistant is incredibly important for the smooth running of an organization and the productivity of a CEO. The best assistants are super organized, have strong attention to detail, excellent communicators, able to multitask, have outstanding work ethic, and have great people skills.
An exceptional assistant that goes above and beyond and is completely dedicated to the success of the company has a chance of being offered a higher up position as an executive when the opportunity arises. This makes the position a great way to learn all the ropes and show the CEO your skills to open doors for continued success in the future.
Confidentiality is important under many circumstances but it’s extremely important in the assistant role since they handle so many aspects of the business, employees and the CEO. Being honest and having high integrity is essential in this role. The position is looked up to by the entire organization so being upbeat, positive, and a team player sets the tone for the rest of the team. Knowing and modeling the company culture and values will inspire others to follow.
If you are looking for an extremely amazing CEO assistant or for a position as one call Pocketbook Agency and consider it done!
Source:
https://washingtonstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Executive-Assistant-10.19-FINAL.pdf