How to hire an executive assistant secretary

How to hire an executive assistant secretary, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive assistant secretary hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the executive assistant secretary you need to hire. Certain executive assistant secretary roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect executive assistant secretary also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of executive assistant secretaries and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Executive Assistant Secretary	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Assistant Secretary	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-35
   Office Secretary	An office secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations and prevent delays with project deliverables. Office secretaries also welcome guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel for their appointments... Show more	$12-20
   Legal Secretary	Legal secretaries are employees in a law firm who are responsible for many administrative tasks. They handle the tasks such as filing and keeping records, ensuring that all documents are stored properly, and update contact information data and other essential office databases... Show more	$13-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Travel Arrangements
   • Financial Statements
   • Payroll
   • Expense Reports
   • Customer Service
   • Word Processing
   • Telephone Calls
   • Microsoft Powerpoint
   • Meeting Minutes

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage high volume of requests and correspondence from executives and colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives, patients and outside physicians.
   • Distribute payroll to staff members.
   • Manage high volume of requests and correspondence from executives and colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives, patients and outside physicians.
   • Maintain confidential files for individuals requesting arbitration, liaison between labor and management to complete the grievance process.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, executive assistant secretaries' average salary in nebraska is 64% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level executive assistant secretaries 62% less than senior-level executive assistant secretaries.
   • Certifications. An executive assistant secretary 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 an executive assistant secretary's salary.

   Average executive assistant secretary salary

   $46,190yearly

   $22.21 hourly rate

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   Entry-level executive assistant secretary salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

4. Writing an executive assistant secretary job description

   A job description for an executive assistant secretary 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 an executive assistant secretary job description:

   Executive assistant secretary job description example

   Mount Washington Hotel
   
   As grand as the history behind it, the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, located in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, is gracious in ambiance and generous in amenities. A favorite New England retreat of presidents, poets and celebrities, the hotel delights every sense with enchanting music, refined dining and luxurious décor.Omni Mount Washington Resorts associates enjoy a dynamic and exciting work environment, comprehensive training and mentoring, along with the pride that comes from working for a company with a reputation for exceptional service. The Omni Mount Washington Resort is committed to serve our associates and nurture their growth. We embody a culture of respect, gratitude and empowerment each day. If you are a friendly, motivated person, with a passion to serve others, the Omni Mount Washington Resort may be your perfect match.
   
   Job Description
   
   Join our team and earn a $250 sign on bonus and a free ski pass at Bretton Woods!!
   
   To ensure that all Banquets and other Food and Beverage outlets have the required quantities of sanitized equipment/supplies to meet the business needs of the hotel.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   * Responsible for the efficient and effective running of the Steward Department ensuring that operating costs are minimized.
   * To execute company and hotel policies and procedures relating to the Stewarding Department, thereby ensuring that the services provided achieve the established standards of performance within the agreed budgetary controls.
   * To advise the Food and Beverage Director on all matters relating to the Stewarding Department.
   * To be responsible for a high standard of sanitation throughout the Stewarding areas.
   * To assist the Food and Beverage Director in the preparation of the Stewarding Department budget. When agreed, should control all overheads throughout the oncoming year to report to the Food and Beverage Director all variances from actual and budget with reasons and recommendations for remedial action.
   * To work with Food and Beverage Director on the purchasing of all cleaning supplies, china, glassware, cutlery and equipment.
   * Responsible for storage, requisitioning of all materials and equipment.
   * Taking and calculating of material stock (inventory) as required.
   * Reporting to the Food and Beverage Director all breakages, cleaning supply consumption, etc.
   * In conjunction with the Food and Beverage Director, establish standards of performance for the Stewarding Department.
   * Maintaining all equipment to a high standard, i.e.: dishwashers, chaffers dishes, speed racks, etc., and reporting to maintenance any defects.
   
   Qualifications
   
   * Certified Food Service Manager.
   * Computer literacy with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
   
   Omni Hotels & Resorts is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right executive assistant secretary for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with executive assistant secretaries they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit executive assistant secretaries who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with executive assistant secretary candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 executive assistant secretary

   Once you've decided on a perfect executive assistant secretary candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with 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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