It's good to be at the top of the corporate ladder, but it also takes a lot to get there. Being at the top doesn’t necessarily mean having the senior-most title. It’s often meaningless if the work isn’t fulfilling to the person who holds the position, or truly impactful to the organization. You can be as miserable as a Captain as you can be fulfilled being a Co-pilot. As employees climb the ranks of any ladder, many seek prestige and influence. With titles ranging from a clerk, administrator, and even business partner, it is difficult to know what one position or professional does to the next.
Roles and responsibilities have begun to overlap and can seem questionably similar. Two such roles that are often confused for one another are Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff. While they both entail a myriad of similar duties and require wearing many hats to ensure that the executives they work for are able to effectively do their jobs, there are stark aspects of each career that differentiate one from the other. Here's how to tell the difference and know which is right for you:
WHAT DOES AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DO?
Executive Assistants are experts at being the behind-the-scenes backbones that make sure their organizations run smoothly and efficiently. They accomplish this by clearly communicating with their boss, staff, and the public; they have open availability to support their bosses at virtually any time; and have excellent organizational and time management skills to ensure that schedules, meetings, and other logistics go off without a hitch.
Glassdoor.com tells us that by doing their jobs well, Executive Assistants "ensure that executives have the time and bandwidth to do what only they can do, and delegate the rest appropriately." Some of their most important duties include:
Managing Calendars + Booking Travel
Board Meeting Support and Event Planning
Project Support - Recruiting, Marketing Docs, Client Correspondence
Managing other Administrative Professionals
Being an Executive Assistant takes the right person to fulfill the long hours, strong work ethic, and high attention to detail it requires to be successful. Being an Executive Assistant can be perceived as a thankless job from the outside, but it's a job that definitely has its perks. Working amongst these executives and decision-makers can give you perspective and an incredible overview of the entire organization or an in-depth view of the department or team that your executive(s) oversees. While candidates and companies see and use the Executive Assistant (EA) as a transitional role, many and most desire someone who wants someone who is excited about the role of expanding the bandwidth of an executive and the company’s goals long-term. Some EA’s support one person, others support many. This can vary depending on the industry, stage of growth, or the EA’s unique skill set. Some EAs want to get deep into the company financials, others prefer to provide additional personal and lifestyle support to the executive. Each individual has their own preference, as does each executive have their own specific needs. Matching personalities, preferences, and skillsets is what we do best at The Hire Standard.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD EA? When looking at EA support, companies tend to seek someone with a mindset of service; a confident humility. They also look for candidates with the strategic foresight to know how to triage important items, balance personalities, company goals, personalities, and all the while hit goals for deliverables and timelines. To be successful in these types of roles, an EA typically needs to have the mindset of service with the ability to connect to the business’ goals and executives’ needs.
FAITH AND TRUST, AND A LITTLE BIT OF PIXIE DUST: Having a good relationship with those you support is crucial. While there may be a good connection in the interview, as with any relationship trust needs to be also built over time. As many of us have had our share of easily made easily broken pie-crust promises. When there is a clear track record of delivering excellence, the more likely they’ll be rewarded financially or with growth opportunities within the organization, should they exist at the company.
Each organization views the EA role differently and the responsibilities can vary from team to team. Not every EA wants to manage other professionals or has the business interest or depth of financial business acumen that most Chief of Staff executives out of a consulting firm possess. That said, it is often a role, or at least a “TITLE” that many EAs aspire towards. So then, what does it mean, and is it really for you and your organization?
WHAT DOES A CHIEF OF STAFF DO?
Chiefs of Staff (COS) is most commonly known as their executive or Chief Executive Officer's (CEO) right-hand person. They are typically given a focus area to devote their attention to, depending on the corporation that they work for. According to Forbes, COS responsibilities could include:
Acting as the main source of communication for their boss with other executives in the organization, clients or major stakeholders
Looking for new technologies or companies to acquire and develop
Acting as the sounding board for their boss' new ideas
Financial Oversight and Analysis of new initiatives and product development
Managing communication workflows, teams, within the organization
Launching Marketing and Communications protocols programs and initiatives
Taking calls and attending meetings that their boss couldn't make; taking notes during the meetings that CEOs do attend; writing first drafts of proposals, emails, and letters for their boss
Managing Teams - Admin or Project / Initiative Teams
Some of these activities many EAs already have experience with and like the Executive Assistant position, being a good COS requires strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. People recognize COS as being closely associated with their CEO or executives, which shines more of a spotlight on their role within their organization. What is not always clear is the additional skill sets that a Chief of Staff may need to come to the table with that they might not have been able to develop within the organization.
Both Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff are critical to the success of the executives and companies they work for. They are essential to ensuring that tasks, both large and small, are not only accomplished but are done so thoroughly and efficiently. Sometimes it makes the most sense to bring on a strategic operational leader, perhaps from a consulting firm with a particular area of expertise. Other times, it makes the most sense to have both an EA and a COS, depending on the organization’s structure and the amount of work demand. Other times, it helps to find a solid EA who has the capacity to take on more responsibility as the organization grows and develops Some EA’s have a knack for content and communication, others for running schedules, events, and mentoring others on the administration team.
Whether you are an Administrative Professional or an Executive searching for the perfect Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff partner to add to your team, The Hire Standard is here to help you make your dream a reality. If instead you think you have what it takes to be the next great Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff, we can help. Serving the San Francisco Bay Area and California, we work hard to pair fabulous employers with their ideal potential team members.