Functions of an assistant to the head of a company. magazine "General Director"

Every entrepreneur, plunging into a work routine, has at least once envied Miranda Priestly from “The Devil Wears Prada” because of her assistant Andrea. And he will beg a copy of an unpublished book from the author, and he will order a ticket in bad weather, and he will take documents, and he will walk the dog. This seems like something fantastic, but by correctly assessing the value, functionality and requirements for a personal assistant, you can find a right hand who not only knows how to make coffee, but who can be entrusted with business during the holidays. Today we’ll talk about personal assistants: why they are necessary, what functions can be delegated to them, and how not to make a mistake when choosing a candidate.

Why we misunderstand the term “helper”

Liftmarketing regularly works with so many companies - and we've noticed a common mistake with most of them. When asking a business owner the question: “What should an assistant do?”, we often hear a list of secretary functions: “tea/coffee/print/go to the post office.” If that's all your assistant does, then you don't have an assistant.

A good assistant manager is irreplaceable person, performing a wide range of functions, from secretary to deputy manager, confidant and sometimes the second person in the company.

The right assistant will help you manage your business more efficiently and effectively. This is a person who will take away some of the owner’s functions and free up his time for strategic tasks for the future. We have already written about the correct functions of an entrepreneur.

Every business owner needs an assistant. The ideal option is to hire an assistant already at the startup stage.

Assistants are cost-effective.

The average salary of an assistant in Ukraine ranges between 8,000 and 14,000 hryvnia. And many will think that it is quite expensive.

But let's calculate the cost of one of your working hours. To do this, divide the total amount of money you earned in the previous month by 160. 160 is the number of hours you worked in a month in a company with an 8-hour workday.
Even more interesting statistics: the owner spends from 20% to 50% of his time every day on tasks that are not in fact his responsibility (checking the quality of tasks, quarreling with contractors, ordering a programmer to visit the office, and so on). Surely every business owner is familiar with the situation: “Some kind of problem. I’ll decide for myself so as not to distract the team from work.” For example, for an owner earning $2,000 a month, one hour costs $12.50.

Now do the math. Provided that the owner from our example performs unnecessary functions 50% of the working time (4 out of 8 hours), then with the price of a working hour being 12.5 dollars, the amount of his loss is 50 dollars. For a month the amount of loss is $1000. And this is 2-3 times more than an assistant’s salary.

Every hour of time you spend on non-core tasks is an hour of time that you have stolen from your business.

By the way: you can relieve yourself even more by delegating some of the functions to contractors.

What should an assistant do?

FUNCTION 1. Time management of the manager

a) Schedule planning

The assistant helps the owner plan his day effectively. An entrepreneur should not constantly open his calendar and look for a window for a meeting. He negotiates a common vision with the assistant (for example, work meetings no later than 7 pm or no more than 3 consultations per week), and then the assistant plans the meetings and notifies the owner about it.

b) Reminder + process support

If a team meeting is planned, it is the assistant who notifies employees about it in advance and makes sure that everyone arrives on time. The productivity of meetings also increases significantly.

FUNCTION 2. Organization and provision of work events

a) Preparation of meetings (minutes, technical issues)

If a meeting is planned with partners or clients, the assistant prepares this meeting, takes minutes, organizes all technical issues, and checks the equipment. Minutes are very important after every meeting, otherwise meetings risk becoming a “talk and forget” format. If there is a protocol, the assistant records all decisions on paper, and then translates them into task format in programs like Bitrix. The assistant ensures that the results of the discussion proceed further.

b) Organization and control of business trips

The assistant must find you a place to stay on a business trip, choose transport, and buy tickets. At the same time, his decisions should be based on the preferences of the owner: for example, do you prefer morning or evening flights, which hotels do you prefer.

FUNCTION 3. Maintaining business contacts

a) Telephone

The more a business grows, the more in demand its owner becomes. Some entrepreneurs even give their phone to assistants so that they answer phone calls instead.

If you have a lot of email correspondence with assistants, contractors, clients, and so on, you, as in the case of the telephone, can delegate checking the mailbox to an assistant. He will study the letters and give you all the necessary information. The longer the assistant is with you, the better he knows your habits and format of thinking. Therefore, over time, the assistant will be able to answer letters for you.

FUNCTION 4. Office manager

If your company is small and there is no separate office manager function, delegate it to an assistant. But under no circumstances should you purchase paper and make a photocopier yourself. This Golden time, wasted. The office manager makes sure that everything works in the office and that all the necessary materials for work have been purchased (from office supplies to cleaning supplies).

FUNCTION 5. Deputy head

When you are not on site, the assistant should take on the function of monitoring the completion of tasks. An example from the life of Liftmarketing: if Vlad and I are leaving, and upon arrival one of the employees must provide us with a report, the assistant approaches this employee several times a day, inquires about the completion rate of the report and reminds about the meeting. As a result, we always know that we will return - and the necessary report will be ready.

The “deputy manager” function also includes the ability to find information (often on Google), maintain company standards, and sometimes make decisions for the manager. Maintaining standards is when an assistant, noticing that someone’s task has not been completed, is the first to get involved, find out the problem and correct the situation. The business owner gets involved only in extreme cases.

Remember: a personal assistant will directly increase your efficiency and then the efficiency of your business. Profits will increase, and you will save time for more important tasks.

Where to find an employee

1) Take ready-made ones from the market

Liftmarketing has partners - 4SMART Business Academy. Inside it is the Smart Assistant Excellence Academy. The guys look for capable candidates on the market, teach them everything they need to work as an assistant, and send them to managers. In order not to waste recruiters’ time and yours, you can contact the 4SMART Business Academy. For those who came on our recommendation, there is even an additional discount.

2) Hire yourself. If you plan to look for an assistant yourself, your path will consist of 6 stages:

• vacancy description;
• posting a vacancy;
• primary selection (look for experience as an assistant);
• interview;
• training (be prepared that the employee will not immediately learn your habits);
• work + training (the assistant’s skills are always polished).

What to do before the interview

Before looking for an assistant, write down all your tasks that you delegate to him. They will become the basis of the future job description:

• All the routine things you do;
• All the small payments you make;
• All the office tasks you do;
• All the “controlling things” you do.

The effectiveness of your assistant will directly depend on the effort you put into it. Do a little searching in the feature article.

Required qualities for an assistant

There is a set of personal qualities that no assistant can do without. If the candidate doesn’t have at least one of them, look further.

3 options for a test task for a candidate for the position of assistant

TASK 1. Drawing up a travel plan and protecting it

Come up with an event: for example, a business trip to Odessa. Ask the candidate to create a plan for your trip and defend it. It is ideal if the candidate asks clarifying questions about your preferences. In any case, he must justify his choice on each of the points: transport, time of day, place of residence during the business trip, and so on.

TASK 2. Meeting report (minutes)

Ask the candidate to describe the minutes of an imaginary meeting on any topic. You will find out what he understands about protocols and whether he knows how to logically structure thoughts and highlight more and less important tasks.

TASK 3. Handwritten text

It is ideal if the potential assistant completes at least one of the tasks by hand. This way you can appreciate its accuracy.

That's all the advice, remember: the quality of your assistant's work depends not on the assistant himself, but on you. Follow our advice - and you will not only dream of an ideal assistant, but also work with him.

Personal assistant to the manager - profession on this moment quite in demand. This is primarily due to the development of a market economy, since in conditions of fierce competition the financial condition of any company depends on correct and timely management decisions. The success of a director largely depends on the skills, business management skills and personal qualities. An assistant director, whose responsibilities vary widely from banal office matters to operational decisions, will become an indispensable employee, the “right hand” of the boss, and most importantly, a guarantor of completing assigned tasks on time .

Personal qualities of an assistant

When choosing " right hand“The director of a company often pays attention not to education, but to personal ones. Most likely, preference will be given to a person with less rich experience, but with a similar opinion, than a specialist with excellent recommendations, but different life beliefs. An assistant manager, whose responsibilities are almost impossible to formulate, must have the ability to read minds and determine the mood of the boss at first glance. Complete all tasks, regardless of specifics - these can be assignments of a personal nature. If you always take everything personally, then this is not the job for you. The assistant manager should not pay attention to the boss's dissatisfaction and breakdowns. The assistant must be dedicated and loyal to his superiors. His work, besides monetary reward, is motivated by a single goal - increasing the welfare and competitiveness of the company as a whole. An assistant manager, whose duties include negotiating and concluding contracts in the absence of the company's chief executive, is to some extent the face of the company. It is by this that competitors judge the state of affairs, and clients and partners make decisions about cooperation.

Job functions

So, if you intend to become a personal assistant, you should familiarize yourself with the scope of activity and the list of tasks that an executive assistant performs on a daily basis. His responsibilities, as already mentioned, range from executive functions to deputy ones.

• scheduling and drawing up a work schedule for upcoming tasks and meetings of the manager;
• reminders about planned meetings, upcoming trips, organizing events and business lunches;
• control and planning of business trips: booking tickets, hotel reservations, translator work;
• maintaining documentation and organizational aspects to rationalize the workplace.

Substitute responsibilities include:

• search for necessary information, prompt resolution of emerging issues, control over the work of structural units;
• if necessary, representing the company and the boss at business meetings.

In a given company, the range of responsibilities may vary depending on the specifics of the company and personal

Prospects

Highly qualified employees performing these functions are highly valued. Most often, office managers, secretaries, and department heads who have earned an excellent reputation during their service and have outgrown their responsibilities become personal assistants. Some employees view the position of personal assistant as a starting point for career advancement. career ladder. In the future, experience and knowledge of the company’s structure, areas of its activities, specialization, as well as negotiation skills open up broad prospects. Experienced and distinguished employees can occupy higher positions, which is their highest goal and main dream.

A job description for an assistant manager is created to streamline labor relations. The document indicates functional responsibilities, responsibility, employee rights.

The position of “assistant manager” in different organizations can be called differently: personal assistant to the director, assistant manager, secretary.

Sample of a typical job description for an assistant manager

I. General provisions

1. An assistant manager is appointed to the position and dismissed from it by order of the head of the organization.

2. The assistant manager reports directly to the head of the company.

3. During the absence of the assistant manager, his rights and functional responsibilities are transferred to another official, as reported in the order for the organization.

4. A person who has higher education and at least one year of experience in similar work.

5. The assistant manager is guided in his activities by:

• legislation of the Russian Federation;
• Internal labor regulations, Charter and other regulations of the company;
• orders and instructions from management;
• this job description.

6. The assistant manager must know:

• established procedure for handling documents in the organization;
• rules business communication and etiquette;
• procedure for maintaining reporting documentation;
• rules for using office equipment and communications equipment;
• basics of working in a text editor, spreadsheets;
• basics of office work;
• organizational structure of the company;
• procedure for concluding and executing contracts.

II. Job responsibilities of an assistant manager

The assistant manager is assigned the following functional responsibilities:

1. Planning the manager’s working day: developing and coordinating a schedule for meetings, visits, calls, receptions and other actions.

2. Personal accompaniment of the manager at meetings, receptions, and trips.

3. Technical support manager's work: ordering tickets, transport; organization of negotiations and meetings.

4. Maintaining minutes and other documents recording the progress and results of meetings, sessions, negotiations.

5. Bringing to the attention of employees of structural divisions of the organization instructions, orders of management and monitoring their implementation.

6. Collection of information, preparation and provision of analytical, informational, reference and other reports to management.

7. Conducting office work, receiving correspondence sent to the manager.

8. Registering visitors for a personal appointment with the manager, organizing their reception.

9. Reception of documents and applications for signature by the manager, their registration, accounting and transfer to the manager.

10. Drawing up letters, requests, and other documents on behalf of management.

11. Preparation of meetings, meetings, meetings held by the manager. Collecting necessary materials, notifying participants about the time, location, and agenda.

12. Carrying out official assignments of the manager.

III. Rights

The assistant manager has the right:

1. Receive information to the extent necessary to complete assigned tasks.

2. Send proposals to management to improve their work and rationalize the company’s activities.

3. Send requests to divisions of the organization (on behalf of the manager or on personal initiative) to obtain documents necessary to fulfill it job responsibilities.

4. Demand that the management of the institution create the conditions necessary for the performance of his official duties.

5. Make independent decisions within your competence.

6. Have access to confidential information when a business need arises.

IV. Responsibility

The Assistant Manager is responsible for:

1. Providing employees of the organization with false information.

2. Improper performance of one’s official duties.

3. Causing material damage to the organization, the state, its counterparties, and employees.

4. Violation of deadlines for completing assigned tasks.

5. Violation of the provisions of the organization’s governing documents, decisions, regulations.

6. Disclosure of trade secrets, personal data, confidential information.

7. Actions beyond the scope of his competence.

8. Violation of labor discipline, safety regulations, internal labor regulations, fire protection.

9. Violation of business etiquette standards, rude treatment of business partners, visitors, and employees of the organization.

The executive assistant is the elite of the administrative staff. The director of a large enterprise needs a responsible and reliable assistant who carries out all organizational and information work. Thus, the manager stops wasting time irrationally, fussing and preoccupying himself with minor issues. The assistant acquires a special status in the company, because he is the director’s confidant.

To perform your duties efficiently, it is not enough to possess a basic set of knowledge and skills, you need to have certain human qualities. You must be punctual, friendly, self-possessed, tactful, and devoted to corporate interests. At the same time, you need to prepare to be in a subordinate position, to be able to adapt to the circumstances and character of the boss.

First of all, you need to be able to respect both the leader himself and others. You will have to master the ability to manage and give orders, because you will be entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing simple projects. You need to take your work seriously and not be afraid of it. Use your initiative and don’t be afraid to express your opinion to your boss if you think you’re right.

Main Responsibilities good assistant manager are: work with documentation and organizational work. Information and documentation services include the following matters:
1. Receiving and checking prepared draft documents that are given to the boss for signature, editing and finalizing them.
2. Receiving correspondence that arrives at the company’s address and transferring it to the relevant structural units and specific employees. Preparing and sending responses.
3. Drawing up letters, requests, reports, reports and other documentation required by the manager.
4. Maintaining archival records and secure storage of files.
5. Monitoring the work of enterprise employees, monitoring deadlines.
6. Maintaining a registration file.

Documentless service consists of other responsibilities:
1. Reception and broadcasting of messages via various communication channels.
2. Controlling incoming telephone calls, the “face” of the company in conversations with clients, quickly making decisions about the importance of the call.
3. Ensuring the work of the manager by organizing his desk.
4. Rational planning of meetings and other affairs of the boss.
5. Preparation of councils, meetings, conferences (collection of participants and documents). Keeping minutes of these meetings.
6. Organization of company presentations.
7. Fulfillment of personal requests and instructions of the manager.

The range of these responsibilities depends on the size of the enterprise and management. Director large company has several assistants, whose responsibilities are narrower, but no less.

An executive assistant is a great opportunity to learn management skills. This position could be the next step in your career.

Hello to all regular readers and those who stopped by for the first time!

The hot Asian summer has arrived in Almaty, for which I have long developed a remedy - mountain hiking. I just recently returned from a short trip with a very busy program. I lick my rubbed calluses and scour the mountain equipment stores for new boots, because the old ones have given up their life. In general, travel has changed its appearance somewhat, but remains the same integral part of my life.

Let's get back to you remote work. Previous materials about various Internet specialties received a good response, so I would like to continue the topic and tell you about other opportunities to realize your skills and abilities. The Internet profession of a personal assistant to an executive will be the subject of our conversation today.

In order to be able to concentrate on the main issues of the business, the owner or manager hires an assistant to whom he can delegate the solution of routine tasks, maintaining the work schedule and performing various assignments.

A remote personal assistant is the specialist who will become the boss’s right hand and will be focused on supporting all business processes of the organization. This position combines the functions of secretary-assistant, deputy for general issues, public relations and work with contractors. Full list responsibilities are determined by the specifics and needs of the business, as well as the degree of trust in the hired employee.

Reaching heights in such activities and earning a decent income is not as easy as it seems. You will need strong professionalism, managerial abilities, strict self-discipline and a desire to constantly personal growth.

Today, the demand for business assistants in the labor market is high, and a qualified specialist, as they say, will be cut off. So, who is this – a personal assistant to the manager?

The list of requirements for a candidate for the position of “right hand” and his core competencies varies depending on the direction of the business, its characteristics, the nature and workload of the manager. Somewhere they may be looking for a specialist with a technical education, but somewhere they need a person with artistic taste and humanitarian inclinations.

Most often, the range of basic responsibilities looks something like this:

• ensuring the boss’s workflow,
• document processing, communication with counterparties, calls and mailings,
• reporting on different directions,
• Carrying out personal instructions from the manager.

At first glance, the list is not very large, but each item can include many tasks. To provide the boss with a comfortable working environment, you will need to maintain his work schedule, monitor its implementation, and make the necessary adjustments.

Document processing involves parsing incoming correspondence, drawing up letters, commercial offers and mailings, and maintaining office work in the organization.

You may be entrusted with conducting initial negotiations with counterparties, drawing up various presentations, and organizing business meetings. You may also be entrusted with the preparation of reports in various areas - both in management activities and in production.

You may be asked to find a gift, book plane tickets, book a hotel, or choose a vacation tour - to carry out personal instructions from your boss.

The entire list will be announced to you during the interview, as well as the workload and expected income. As a rule, payment for such work depends on the number of hours worked. By agreement, it can increase if workload is planned on weekends or assignments are not within the scope of your core competencies.

What should a remote assistant be able to do?

To work remotely as a personal assistant, you do not need any special training, but you must have certain basic skills.

For someone who has already worked in a specialized education, it is advisable to look for an organization of similar specifics. In this case, career growth will go faster, because you will be able to delegate not only management issues, but also some production problems.

The minimum set of skills required in this profession can be defined something like this:

1. knowledge of all basic office programs at the advanced user level,
2. proficiency in Internet technologies - mail, Skype, Internet mailings,
3. high literacy in writing and speaking, experience in telephone conversations,
4. willingness to independently solve various minor issues and problems.

If you know how to make good sales presentations, give business correspondence, you can lead the negotiation process - your value as a specialist will increase significantly.

This does not mean that all your talents will be in demand for a particular vacancy. It happens that the owner of a small business only needs a specialist with the functions of a secretary, or a manager who carries out periodic Internet newsletters.

Depending on your intended goals, you can choose vacancies with a small workload, but if you want to grow in your profession, upgrade your skills and increase your income, then you should look for a place with more serious requirements.

In addition to technical skills, an applicant for the position of business assistant must also have certain human qualities:

• responsibility and reliability– the employer must be confident in your good faith,
• honesty and integrity– you will be allowed access to classified information about the company’s activities and the employer must be sure that he is entrusting his secrets to reliable hands,
• stress resistance– many assignments will have to be completed under deadlines and in unusual situations.
• punctuality and self-discipline– important qualities that will allow you to competently organize your work day and the day of your superiors.

How to pass an interview

Today you can find a vacancy for a remote assistant on various online resources. , social media, official portals search for jobs such as NN and JOB - there you can search for a suitable employment option for you.

To successfully pass an interview, you need to realistically assess your knowledge and capabilities.

Test your knowledge of the Russian language on some free resource on the Internet. If the result is not impressive, try to fill the gaps in knowledge. Literacy and good style are something without which you will not be able to conduct business correspondence. Evaluate your knowledge of tables - you will have to do many calculations in them.

Think about your business and personal qualities, which of them will help you show yourself as a promising specialist, and which ones are better to remain silent about at the upcoming interview. A well-written resume will help you find a vacancy that matches professional level. Learn to present yourself and don't be shy about voicing your talents and strengths. Praising yourself is not a crime.

Pros and cons of the profession

Working as a business assistant has its pros and cons. The main positive factor is the ability to work remotely, in a homely, comfortable environment.

Participation in business management will open up great prospects for you - from the opportunity to subsequently become a co-manager to becoming one of the owners of the company.

Another bonus will be the acquisition of new experience. This can become a bridge for you to opening your own business, because you will want to implement the acquired knowledge for your own development.

The disadvantage of this profession may be a busy schedule, which is unlikely to be limited by strict time frames. Often the requirements for the applicant indicate the condition - to be in touch 24 hours a day.

Where to begin?

Large volumes, frequent deadlines, a serious work rhythm - this is precisely the active and dynamic mode in which modern business lives, and if you want to become a full participant in it, join this process and develop your potential.

I have not found any courses or training materials on the profession of a personal assistant on the Internet. However, there is one that greatly helps in mastering the most important skills of remote work. Subscribe to the course newsletter, read a book about the experience of moving remotely from a variety of people.

If the level of your knowledge and skills does not yet reach the position of an assistant in a serious large project, don’t be upset, start small. You can build a career as an executive assistant online quite quickly. The main thing you must have is the desire to develop and learn.

Here is a short overview of one of the remote professions that I was able to prepare for you today. I hope that I have revealed for you the main points and its specifics. If you have any questions or would like to comment on the article in any way, I will be glad to receive any feedback. Check back often - soon we will continue discussing other specialties that are in demand online today.

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