This is what your next executive assistant should be like

Looking for an Executive or Personal Assistant is essentially like looking for a new right hand. Gone are the old clichés of secretaries only doing clerical work and answering the phone. EAs and PAs can support anyone from a manager to a number of senior executives or a management team.

This means they not only need the right technical skills but must possess the appropriate soft skills to meet the role’s requirements. They need to be confident communicators, dedicated, focused and able to multi-task.

Good time management is crucial as not only do these office professionals need to manage their own workload but schedule their managers’ meetings and organise their diaries and travel arrangements.

They need proficient computing skills, they have to stay abreast of the latest technologies in office software and good communication skills are vital – you want to hire someone who can effectively communicate both verbally and in writing, and is always pleasant and courteous not only to other staff but clients.

And last but not least, chemistry is key. You want to make sure your EA or PA is a good cultural fit to your working style and the values of your organisation.

Hays in Singapore recently announced the winner of the inaugural EA/PA of the Year award in recognition of the challenging and important work done by these office professionals.

Elsie Chew of Barclays, who earned the title and the opportunity to fly to London to attend the 2012 Executive PA Magazine/Hays Awards, is a great example of what to look for when recruiting for these roles.

Donna Lansdown, Asia Head of Enterprise Solutions Technology at Barclays, who nominated Elsie, says she is extremely organized and structured, and supports 400 plus employees with ease to ensure all responsibilities are accomplished on time and according to corporate policies and procedures.

Donna also says Elsie is proactive with minimum direction or instruction needed to complete tasks well in advance of their deadlines. Her professionalism is “well respected by people she interacts with, along with her positive attitude, professionalism and dedication”.

In Elsie’s own words, being an effective EA or PA is about good time management, organization skills, being proactive and being familiar with corporate policies and procedures.