Finding the right PA to suit you and also prove a great cultural fit for your business can be very difficult. It’s very important for any business executive to choose a PA they’re comfortable with, however, it is just as critical to find the most trustworthy candidate with all the essential skills. Essentially, any PA or Executive Assistant (EA) will be your representative within the organisation and also out into the wider business world. So, taking the time to find the best candidate is essential.
List all requirements beforehand
Simply allowing internal HR departments to recruit for this essential role is not ideal, particularly if you’re in a senior leadership position and seeking a PA with specialist technical or personal skills. This means it’s really essential to list all the essential criteria you need from your PA. Working with your HR department can make this a lot easier.
Some business leaders like the challenge of moulding or shaping their PA into the role, this will mean seeking a newly qualified PA with all essential IT and interpersonal skills. The benefit is that your new PA won’t have acquired any “bad” business habits or have expectations of the role that cannot be met.
It’s also important to identify just where this PA role may lead in the future. Some applicants will be keen to grow their skills and organisational abilities, but if you don’t feel your role will lead to opportunities of this nature it’s important to be honest. There are plenty more PAs in the marketplace who just want to relax into a stable job role where they can learn the ropes and won’t be faced with regular learning or behavioural challenges.
Build skills tests into the interview
Some interview candidates can be really impressive, but when they are taken on as employees they fail to perform at expected levels. This makes it essential to build rounded skills testing into the interview process to ensure your ideal PA candidate is fit for the role offered.
Once you have identified all the essential skills you require from your PA you will find it is a fairly simple matter to tailor a skills test that will prove accurate in assessing the capabilities of interview candidates.
Finding a PA in London
Unfortunately, there are always lots of PA vacancies in London, and this can make it more difficult to source the right candidate. Using a specialist agency with expertise in advertising PA jobs in London is one way to source the right PA to suit your needs.
One major benefit of temporary agencies is that they have in-depth knowledge of all their candidates. They often conduct comprehensive screening and testing of applicants so can give you a comprehensive assessment of candidate skills prior to any interview.
It’s never easy to replace a good PA, and another useful tip for sourcing the best candidates is to take on a temporary PA for a while. This gives you a very real indication of the suitability of the candidate and whether their personality is a good fit for you and for your organisation. Lots of employment agencies offer temp to perm deals to employers, making it easier to switch any great candidates over to the permanent workforce in the most cost-effective manner.
There are lots more great tips available for finding the best PA to suit employer needs, so take time to research on the internet before carrying out any recruitment. A good PA can save you time and money and is also a great representative of your business.
