Recruiting Talent for Your Administrative Assistant Position
Recruiting a new administrative assistant? You’re not alone. According to Workable, the admin assistant is the second most in-demand role worldwide. This shouldn’t come as much of a shock. Administrative teams make up an essential part of most organizations and keep them running smoothly.
With the role being so in demand, and often not requiring more formal training than a high school diploma or GED, you are probably finding that you get a mountain of responses to your admin assistant job postings. But how can you separate out the top talent? Here are five ways to source talented candidates for your administrative assistant role.
1. Create a Top Job Description
Administrative jobs can vary widely in their duties. To attract the right candidates for your role, you must write a detailed job description. Ensure you include all the must-have requirements, such as an excellent telephone manner or fast typing for taking notes in meetings.
A detailed job description will also help weed out the unqualified candidates, and those who are sending out bulk generic applications rather than looking for a great job for which they are a perfect fit.
2. Check References
You must always ask for and check references from candidates before you consider offering them an administrative assistant position. It can sometimes be challenging to get references from previous employers, but the feedback is often well worth the time it takes to receive.
References will often inform your decision. They will either reassure you that you have made an honest assessment of the candidate or raise a red flag that can potentially help you avoid a bad hire.
- Ask Your Employees for Referrals
According to a Dr. John Sullivan survey, 88% of employers cite referrals as their top hiring source. Lakeshore Talent can certainly attest to this, as employee referrals are consistently our top hiring source as well. Referrals are a highly effective way to hire administrative assistants who are trustworthy and reliable, which are key traits of the job. Having an already trusted employee vouch for a candidate helps reassure you that they will live up to expectations and be a reliable employee.
Ask your current employees if they know of any competent administrative assistants looking for a new challenge. You could even create an incentive program to help encourage employees to give you referrals.
4. Check Salary Expectations
The average salary for an administrative assistant can vary widely from state to state and city to city. Make sure your HR team conducts thorough research into the going rate so that you offer a competitive salary to attract the most talented administrative assistants.
5. Consult a Staffing Agency
When it comes to finding a talented administrative assistant, consulting a staffing agency offers many benefits, such as:
- Saving time: no need to review hundreds of applications to find the most qualified candidates
- Saving money: your in-house employees can complete their regular tasks, and recruitment agents will be able to find your candidates faster with better results
- Accessing a broad range of talented candidates: specialist agencies have a pipeline of qualified administrative assistants and a personal network of suitable candidates to recommend for the position
To Sum Up
The position of administrative assistant has a huge impact on the productivity and daily smooth running of your office. Though often considered an entry-level position, the importance of the role can be overlooked. Finding a talented candidate for your vacant role can make a big difference to many aspects of your organization.
Consider the above tips when hiring a new administrative assistant to ensure you get top talent applying for your role. And for help reaching the most talented administrative assistant in Denver, contact Lakeshore Talent.