How to hire a business office assistant

How to hire a business office assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step business office assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a business office assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new business office assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The business office assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A business office assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, business office assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of business office assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Business Office Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Business Office Assistant	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$11-19
   Office Worker	An office worker is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of the business. Office workers assist in receiving calls to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns, as well as welcoming visitors, verifying their appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs... Show more	$11-34
   Office Clerk	Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Payroll Processing
   • Patient Appointments
   • Compassion
   • Financial Aid
   • Insurance Verification
   • Medical Billing
   • Patient Payments
   • Human Resources
   • Front Desk
   • Office Equipment
   • Purchase Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
   • Maintain relationships with both patients and family members by providing superior customer service as dictated by corporate policy.
   • Provide consistently positive customer service to ensure a positive experience for patients while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality.
   • Provide direct administration to all case management technicians and assist department manager and department director in leading outpatient rehabilitation departments.
   • Oversee A/R, A/P, procurement, contracts, pricing and disbursement functions.
   • Reduce A/R aging from an average of 87 days to 63 days in less than 7 months.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your business office assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A business office assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, business office assistants' average salary in new mexico is 46% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level business office assistants 41% less than senior-level business office assistants.
   • Certifications. A business office assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a business office assistant's salary.

   Average business office assistant salary

   $15.26hourly

   $31,747 yearly

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   Entry-level business office assistant salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a business office assistant job description

   A job description for a business office assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a business office assistant job description:

   Business office assistant job description example

   WPEC in West Palm Beach, FL is looking for a dependable and self-motivated Receptionist / Business Office Assistant. This is an important role! The receptionist/business assistant is our guests first point of contact. As such, the ideal candidate must possess excellent communication skills and act courteously with others. In addition, the candidate in this role must display a professional appearance and attitude.
   Responsibilities include:
   Greeting visitors in a courteous and helpful manner Maintaining files in an organized fashion Answering multi-line telephone system Maintaining sufficient supplies, inventory, ordering and organizing Perform general clerical and data input duties as assigned Code invoices in accordance with company GL Assist with various audits performed during the year Other duties as assigned Maintaining FCC Public File
   Skills and Experience:
   Accounts Payable experience is plus 2+ years of receptionist experience is preferred Previous broadcast experience is a plus Must take initiative and be a problem-solver Must be detail-oriented and exceptionally well organized Great people skills and a positive, can-do attitude are essential The ability to work well in a team environment, as well as independently Proficient with Microsoft Office Knowledge of Public File is a plus
   
   Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace!
   
   About Us
   
   Make your mark in Media with Sinclair Broadcast Group, a diversified media company dedicated to connecting people with content everywhere! We have consistently led the broadcast industry since our inception, and now Sinclair owns the largest regional sports network business and one of the largest television broadcast portfolios in the country. In addition, we have affiliations with all of the major broadcast networks, own Tennis Channel, and several multicast networks including TBD and Comet. Our content is distributed over-the-air, on multi-video providers, and through our industry-leading digital media platforms. We're at the forefront of NextGen technology, enabling innovative new ways to engage with broadcast content like never before. We also recently launched a free TV streaming service called STIRR. Our success is the direct result of our extraordinary employees and management team who believe in our vision and are dedicated to ensuring a great future for our employees. We are advancing the world of Media and want YOU to join our winning team!
   
   About the Team
   
   The life-blood of our organization is our people. We have a compelling story, a goal-oriented culture, and we take really good care of people. How good? Here is a glimpse: great benefits, open door policy, upward mobility and a strong desire to see you succeed. Ready to be part of a winning team? Let's talk.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find business office assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any business office assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level business office assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your business office assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit business office assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit business office assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new business office assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the business office assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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