Executive management constantly stays busy, juggles multiple tasks, and ensures the company runs smoothly. With never-ending to-do lists and packed calendars, an assistant with these executive assistant skills can help you manage all these tasks effortlessly.
However, assistants are more than just individuals with simple secretarial duties. They basically act as the right arm of the C-suite CEO and serve as the primary support system in their business. The role of an executive assistant has changed a lot over the years and has expanded from the typical answering calls or performing other administrative work to a more strategic role.
This is one of the many reasons why settling for the right qualities in an executive or personal assistant is important. Read below to learn the top 25 executive assistant skills that you need to pay attention to when hiring an executive assistant.
Core Hard Executive Assistant Skills One Should Possess
Hard skills like basic computer skills, calendar, and travel management are the basic level of skills that every executive assistant must possess. Demonstrating proficiency in such skills can help handle day-to-day responsibilities effectively.
1. Advanced Computer Skills
- We live in an increasingly digitalized world, where most communication happens through digital platforms. In such scenarios, not knowing the basic level of computer skills to manage or operate tasks can be a huge hindrance.
- Office software like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Google Calendar, and more can help you alleviate your daily operations. Tools like Zoom, Slack, Teams, and other project management tools are also making significant strides to help connect different teams on board, being familiar with these tools can be a plus.
2. Calendar Management
- Managing schedules is one of the tardiest tasks for an executive assistant, but also one of the key skills. Given their busy tight schedules, it’s important to take charge of scheduling meetings, juggling conflicting priorities, and swiftly adapting to last-minute changes. At the end of the day, a well-managed calendar optimizes an executive’s time and reduces stress.
3. Travel Arrangements
- Part of planning a calendar is also to take care of your travel arrangements. This typically includes scheduling or rescheduling business trips and managing their accommodations, transportation, and any other necessities. It is also important to keep the budgeting and itinerary preparation in mind.
4. Data Entry and File Management
- While data entry or file management is more of a secretarial role, a worthy candidate must possess an expert level of skill in it. A worthy candidate must possess accurate and fast data entry skills.
5. Financial Management
- Handling finances like budgeting, invoices, expense reports, and more needs not only proficiency in financial tools but also a high level of confidentiality. Executive assistants are required to track and report financial data to support informed decision-making.
6. Project Management Software
- A successful executive assistant role expands more than simply managing their executive. It also means staying connected with the team and keeping track of projects. Therefore, a good know-how of tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com is important to keep the workflow running smoothly.
Essential Soft Executive Assistant Skills for Success
Soft skills are just as important as any other technical skill for an executive assistant. They prove that an executive assistant is professional, expert, adaptable to challenges, and most importantly highly reliable for their executive.
7. Effective Communication
- An executive assistant is almost nothing without clear, professional communication. Be it for drafting emails or conveying important messages to clients or teams, it is important to convey messages effectively while adapting their tone to suit diverse needs.
8. Time Management
- As discussed earlier above, managing tasks based on priority and meeting important deadlines is essential for an executive assistant. Executive assistants excel at managing overlapping responsibilities without sacrificing the quality of any tasks.
9. Problem-Solving Abilities
- Executive assistants often find themselves standing against unexpected challenges. The capability to think on one’s feet and be proactive in finding solutions independently are the true strengths of an executive assistant.
10. Attention to Detail
- Accuracy is nonnegotiable for an executive assistant. A competent candidate will have the ability to catch potential errors before they turn into issues.
11. Adaptability
- The role of an executive assistant is often surrounded by a fast-paced environment where it is important to adjust to shifting priorities and unexpected circumstances. It is best to choose candidates who are open to taking on challenges and fulfilling them on time.
12. Emotional Intelligence
- Empathy and interpersonal sensitivity are key to building strong professional relationships. Especially being in a position where you are directly connected to the executive requires you to use this skill at your best.
13. Discretion and Confidentiality
- It is one of the most essential skills needed for an executive assistant. Executive assistants are required to respect the privacy of their executive and their company and maintain confidentiality when it comes to official or personal information.
- An executive assistant should be trustworthy enough to handle any sensitive tasks or documents, whether for professional use or personal matters related to their executives.
14. Interpersonal Skills
- An assistant role often asks them to interact with stakeholders and clients. This calls for a friendly approachable demeanor that feels like a breath of fresh air. But, while being friendly they should not forget the fine line between friendliness and professionalism.
Additional Executive Assistant Skills that Set Apart
15. Research Skills
- Research skills are vital for any position in an executive company, but for an assistant, the meaning of research might differ slightly. It does not involve typical research, such as finding data, data analysis, or insights; rather, it involves conducting a thorough background check to ensure that executive decisions are made correctly. Sometimes, it involves gathering and analyzing the present information more concisely.
16. Customer Service Orientation
- Customer service orientation is another important executive administrative assistant skill. A commitment to excellence ensures that client and stakeholder interactions are always handled professionally.
17. Organizational Skills
- An executive assistant is known for their organizational skills. The better you are at organization and management, the more the executive can rely on you. In short, if an assistant is proficient in organizing both personal and executive tasks, it helps guarantee that all work flows smoothly.
18. Initiative
- Top-tier executive assistants are always one step ahead. It’s not just about reacting to tasks but also about anticipating the needs of their executive before they arise. This is why taking the right initiative at the right times is known as one of the top skills for executive assistants.
- Proactivity in identifying any potential problems and taking preemptive actions helps executives focus on bigger-picture goals.
19. Strategic Thinking
- Thinking beyond just managing tasks is one of the most incredible skills for an executive assistant. Strategic thinking means aligning daily tasks with long-term organizational goals.
20. Decision-Making Skills
- Decision-making ability is not just another executive assistant skill for a resume. It’s crucial in practice too. Proactively making the right decisions will help keep the workflow organized without any hindrance.
Technical Executive Assistant Skills to Look For in Your Next Assistant
21. CRM Software Knowledge
- The present digital world requires managing and maintaining good client relationships. This involves tracking interactions or maintaining organized contact databases and ensuring that executives always have the latest updates on their clients. One easy way to do this is via CRM tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho.
22. Social Media Management
- Basic social media management skills are invaluable for an executive assistant. The role might also ask to draft or schedule posts if needed. Basic knowledge of these can help make smooth operations.
23. Report Generation
- Informed decisions call for clear concise data. Executive assistants who are skilled in report generation can take complex data and transform it into actionable insights. This will make it easier and more accessible for executives and others on board to get their hands on crucial data.
24. Editing and Proofreading
- This is undeniably one of the most required technical skills for an executive assistant. Basic grammar, editing, and proofreading skills can go a long way. This will help make sure that all professional documents are error-free and polished.
25. Event Planning
- Another part of an assistant's job is to organize or at times plan meetings and some corporate events. Assistants are often known to be the reason behind successful gatherings, and this is where they can show their best ability.
Why Choose Wing Assistant to Find Your Ideal Executive Assistant?
Running a business is no easy task as it comes with countless responsibilities and finding the right support in the form of an executive assistant can make all the difference. Wing Assistant offers businesses the best of the best virtual executive assistants who have role-specific skills.
Wing’s assistants are not simply task managers — they are also your strategic partners in staying productive and organized. Need help planning your business trip? Or someone to tackle last-minute work challenges? Whatever the need, Wing EAs ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
The best part? These assistants do more than just manage your calendar or organize your files. They are packed with imperative executive assistant skills.
They also handle content creation, prepare financial documents, maintain databases, and even conduct secondary research, saving you plenty of time and effort.
In fact, one satisfied client shared that Wing's services have been supremely helpful, allowing them to delegate more tasks each week. They appreciated the real, human-like communication Wing offers, which fosters transparency and trust while helping them offload more responsibilities from their plate.
Wing’s tailored approach to each executive makes sure that they are paired with an assistant who truly understands their business priorities. With Wing, you can reclaim your time and focus on driving growth while your executive assistant takes care of the details.
Final Considerations on Executive Assistant Skills
These are the top 25 executive assistant skills you must look for when hiring your next assistant. Finding the right candidate can indeed be tricky, which is why you need an expert, skillful, and reliable executive assistant—one like Wing’s Assistant.
Are you interested in Wing’s Assistant service, the best VA provider in the USA? The most interesting part is that with a virtual executive assistant, you will get all the top skills needed, and that too within a smaller budget.
You can book a free demo to learn how an executive assistant can make a difference in your business.
You should explore Wing's services to integrate executive assistants into your humdrum business operations hassle-free. Visit the Wing Assistant’s website and learn more.
You can also get started with your executive assistant today! Schedule a free, amazing consultation with an expert executive assistant right away.
Dianne has extensive experience as a Content Writer, she creates engaging content that captivates readers and ranks well online. She stays on top of industry trends to keep her work fresh and impactful. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into relatable stories. When she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her with a crochet hook in hand or working on a fun craft project. She loves bringing creativity to life, whether it’s through words or handmade creations.
