Self Assessment – Hiring an EA

At some organizations, leaders are held back from hiring the support they need because their company bylaws require approval from the board of directors to create and hire for new positions. If your company has never had an Executive Assistant, here are 4 steps you can take to convince your Board of Directors to create and hire for this new position. 

Step 1: Listen and ask questions. 

It’s common to hear your board of directors reject a request, but not truly understand their reasoning. If possible, try to ask more probing questions to get to the root cause of their hesitations. Once you understand the real reasons why they are against hiring an Executive Assistant, you can build a strong case by addressing each of their specific concerns to show how the challenges can be overcome. Avoid accepting “no” and moving on without further investigation. Open an honest and respectful discussion to help build mutual understanding between both parties. 

Step 2: Emphasize your pain points. 

Sometimes your Board of Directors may not truly understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. Some may be able to relate to you and understand your needs if they’ve been a nonprofit Executive Assistant before. However, many board members have no idea what it’s like to be you. So you must show them. Instead of making blanket statements like “I need help”, or “I can’t do this on my own”, try to create an itemized list of your pain points and show how having an Executive Assistant can provide relief in each of those areas. 

Step 3: Create a tangible job description 

If your board of directors is struggling to visualize what an Executive Assistant will do, you can create a sample job description to make it more clear. 

When creating your sample job description, avoid putting menial tasks that can be dismissed as “trivial”. Instead, focus on including high-value tasks that will enhance your own productivity, move the organization forward, and help you achieve your nonprofit’s mission. 

If you must include menial tasks, try to point them back to specific benefits and demonstrate how delegating those tasks can free up your time to focus on other high priority responsibilities (eg. strategy development, fundraising, researching, relationship building, etc.). It is helpful to show that an Executive Assistant is not the same as a general administrative assistant or office manager because they will assist you with high value and specialized duties required for you to succeed as the principal leader of the organization. 

Step 4: Suggest hiring a contracted Executive Assistant 

Many board of directors protest the idea of hiring an Executive Assistant because of budget restraints. An excellent way to overcome this rebuttal is by suggesting a contracted professional instead of hiring a full time staff member. Using a contracted professional as an Executive Assistant can allow you to access specialized and long term support without incurring the added costs of paying benefits, nor the additional responsibility of administering complicated payroll policies and tax withholdings.

If you’re ever met with opposition when requesting to hire an Executive Assistant, try these 4 steps to see how they work for you!