Hands-Off CEO | Hiring an Executive Assistant

Increase your productivity without the strain? Yes, please! Executive assistants can make it happen. Mandi Ellefson shares how she cut 20 hours off her work week by hiring an executive assistant, and why every CEO should have one.

Key Ideas:

Trends are changing in the staffing industry, Mandi claims. Recently, it hasn’t been as competitive as it has in the past. Through paid advertising, you’re likely to find some really good candidates on LinkedIn. [4:06]

If you could spend ten extra hours a week generating more sales, how much business could you bring in? Hint: it might be in the millions. Hiring an executive assistant to take care of the busy work frees up your energy and mental bandwidth so you can focus on tasks that are going to grow your company. [5:50]

As a CEO, you should have an experienced EA. This doesn’t necessarily mean someone with 2 decades under their belt, as they may not be up to speed with a lot of software or not excited to learn new things. You also need someone who fits your culture and values. [9:39]

Avoid hiring people who are fractional resources. “I encourage you to have this role be 30-40 hours per week, [more of a] full-time job,” Mandi advises. It’s not that they can’t have other side hustles, but as EA is a role that requires you to have 100% access to them when you need to, your hours should match. [14:45]

When screening EA candidates, you should ask specific questions and pay attention to the responses. Those that go into detail are usually more suitable; those that give vague answers are typically bluffing. [21:28]

Resources
Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing

Hiring for Attitude by Mark Murphy
Topgrading by Bradford Smart

Show Notes

Key Ideas:

Trends are changing in the staffing industry, Mandi claims. Recently, it hasn’t been as competitive as it has in the past. Through paid advertising, you’re likely to find some really good candidates on LinkedIn. [4:06]
If you could spend ten extra hours a week generating more sales, how much business could you bring in? Hint: it might be in the millions. Hiring an executive assistant to take care of the busy work frees up your energy and mental bandwidth so you can focus on tasks that are going to grow your company. [5:50]
As a CEO, you should have an experienced EA. This doesn’t necessarily mean someone with 2 decades under their belt, as they may not be up to speed with a lot of software or not excited to learn new things. You also need someone who fits your culture and values. [9:39]
Avoid hiring people who are fractional resources. “I encourage you to have this role be 30-40 hours per week, [more of a] full-time job,” Mandi advises. It’s not that they can’t have other side hustles, but as EA is a role that requires you to have 100% access to them when you need to, your hours should match. [14:45]
When screening EA candidates, you should ask specific questions and pay attention to the responses. Those that go into detail are usually more suitable; those that give vague answers are typically bluffing. [21:28]

Resources

Mandi Ellefson on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

Hands-Off CEO - Executive Briefing

Hiring for Attitude by Mark Murphy

Topgrading by Bradford Smart

What is Hands-Off CEO?

They said getting started was the hardest part, but no one told you how hard it is to scale a custom service business. It’s time for your team to step up, but your clients want YOU. Discover how to scale to 7 figures and beyond by freeing up time and getting your team to run whole parts of the company so you can focus on scaling profits. That means more income, more time with your family, and more ability to make impact in the community and beyond. This is the Hands OFF CEO Podcast with Mandi Ellefson.