Hiring an assistant: how to avoid mistakes?
7 June 2013
Read by 2795 persons
By its very nature, the position of assistant is a challenge for recruiters. Because it is both so central and so complex that good candidates are sometimes difficult to find. Tips for a successful recruitment.
- It is no coincidence that assistants are sometimes called the "right hand" of their superior. They must be able to support the latter in all areas, as Emilie Maini, recruitment consultant for the Attitudes firm, recalls: "The position of assistant, particularly that of executive assistant, is very complicated because it is a transversal position that requires a great capacity for adaptation and organization." Ideally, she specifies, is that the assistant does not simply follow the directions of his superior, but that he "manages to anticipate them, that he is a real force of proposal and a reassuring element on a daily basis in the mastery of files."
- As for Mathilde Claus, deputy director of the assistance and secretarial division at Hays recruitment, she insists on the organizational aspect of the function: "An assistant must be rigorous, organized, and have a sense of priorities." Both return to a fundamental aspect of the assistant's profession: trust. They explain that an assistant must be discreet, honest and diplomatic.
What questions to ask in an interview?
- This raises the question: how to succeed in detecting these qualities in a candidate? Because, as Mathilde Claus explains, it is easy to verify a candidate's technical skills, such as mastery of a language or software, by submitting him to formal tests, for example. On the other hand, personal qualities, related to the candidate's temperament, are more difficult to discern. She therefore advises, in an interview, to use very open questions such as: "In your opinion, what qualities should a good assistant possess?" "This allows you to know if the candidate has a correct idea of the position he is applying for," she says, "and encourages him to open up more."
Beware of the oversized candidate
- On this question, Emilie Maini talks about finding the match between the candidate's aspirations and skills and the profile sought by the company. To achieve this match, she encourages recruiters to inform candidates as best they can: "We must encourage them to ask questions and answer them transparently, they must know what their responsibilities will be and what is expected of them, so that they can make an informed choice."
- Mathilde Claus also insists on the need to match the job profile with that of the candidate. Because "if it is unfortunate to recruit an unsuitable assistant, it is also necessary to take care, in order to ensure the longevity of the recruitment, not to hire oversized candidates, who might get bored in their position."
Finally, Emilie Maini recalls that the interview is a crucial step, because it alone allows both parties to really assess each other, including in terms of temperament: "This first contact makes it possible to protect oneself somewhat against the risk of incompatibility of temperament."
Homer Jouard
Vocatis.fr
Posted online on June 7, 2013.
- It is no coincidence that assistants are sometimes called the "right hand" of their superior. They must be able to support the latter in all areas, as Emilie Maini, recruitment consultant for the Attitudes firm, recalls: "The position of assistant, particularly that of executive assistant, is very complicated because it is a transversal position that requires a great capacity for adaptation and organization." Ideally, she specifies, is that the assistant does not simply follow the directions of his superior, but that he "manages to anticipate them, that he is a real force of proposal and a reassuring element on a daily basis in the mastery of files."
- As for Mathilde Claus, deputy director of the assistance and secretarial division at Hays recruitment, she insists on the organizational aspect of the function: "An assistant must be rigorous, organized, and have a sense of priorities." Both return to a fundamental aspect of the assistant's profession: trust. They explain that an assistant must be discreet, honest and diplomatic.
What questions to ask in an interview?
- This raises the question: how to succeed in detecting these qualities in a candidate? Because, as Mathilde Claus explains, it is easy to verify a candidate's technical skills, such as mastery of a language or software, by submitting him to formal tests, for example. On the other hand, personal qualities, related to the candidate's temperament, are more difficult to discern. She therefore advises, in an interview, to use very open questions such as: "In your opinion, what qualities should a good assistant possess?" "This allows you to know if the candidate has a correct idea of the position he is applying for," she says, "and encourages him to open up more."
Beware of the oversized candidate
- On this question, Emilie Maini talks about finding the match between the candidate's aspirations and skills and the profile sought by the company. To achieve this match, she encourages recruiters to inform candidates as best they can: "We must encourage them to ask questions and answer them transparently, they must know what their responsibilities will be and what is expected of them, so that they can make an informed choice."
- Mathilde Claus also insists on the need to match the job profile with that of the candidate. Because "if it is unfortunate to recruit an unsuitable assistant, it is also necessary to take care, in order to ensure the longevity of the recruitment, not to hire oversized candidates, who might get bored in their position."
Finally, Emilie Maini recalls that the interview is a crucial step, because it alone allows both parties to really assess each other, including in terms of temperament: "This first contact makes it possible to protect oneself somewhat against the risk of incompatibility of temperament."
Homer Jouard
Vocatis.fr
Posted online on June 7, 2013.
