How to hire a remote executive assistant

Start with a two-week task log

Many failed assistant hires start with a vague brief like “help me with admin”. Before you write a job ad, keep a simple log for two working weeks: every time you do something that someone else could do with the right access and instructions, write it down with roughly how long it took.

• Inbox: sorting, first replies, follow-ups you keep forgetting.
• Calendar: scheduling, rescheduling, time-zone juggling, meeting prep.
• Travel and events: research, bookings, itineraries.
• Operations: invoices to chase, vendor contacts, CRM updates, documents to file.
• Personal admin: appointments, renewals, gifts, if you want that help at all.

Then sort the log into three columns: delegate now, delegate after a month of trust, keep. The first column becomes the scope of the role. If it adds up to less than a few hours a day, you may need a part-time assistant rather than a full-time one; our guide to what to delegate has a longer list to check against.

Write the scope as outcomes, not chores: “my inbox is at zero unread by 18:00 my time” says more than “manage email”.

Decide the hours and the pay before the ad

Two decisions shape everything else: when the person must be online, and what you will pay. For hours, mark the part of your day that needs a live answer (calls, same-day scheduling) and the part that can wait for a morning handover. Candidates in Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan share most of a European working day and can cover a US morning on a later shift; the time-zone overlap tool shows the exact hours for your city.

For pay, it helps to know both reference points. The US median for executive assistants is $76,590^[1] a year, about $6,382^[1] a month, before benefits; in private industry benefits make up 30%^[2] of total compensation. Our own executive assistant vacancies for remote candidates pay $800–1,100^[3] a month for full-time work under a direct contract. Add the cost of paying them: Deel's contractor plan is $49^[4] a month per person, and Wise charges from 0.23%^[5] per transfer.

Put a real range in the ad. Hidden pay attracts people who later decline the offer, and it reads as a red flag to experienced assistants. The executive assistant cost page breaks the US figures down by state if you are comparing with a local hire.

Pick a hiring route

There are three common ways to find a remote assistant, and they trade your time against fees.

• Run it yourself: post the job on a job board, on LinkedIn or on a marketplace, and screen every application. Cheapest in fees, most expensive in your hours. Posting a job on Stafka is free; pricing shows when a fee applies.
• Ask for a shortlist: a recruiter screens for you and sends a few profiles. Silkstaff sends three vetted profiles within 7^[6] days and charges a one-time fee of $2,500–3,000^[7] on the start day, nothing before.
• Managed service or monthly agency: the agency employs or contracts the assistant and bills you every month with its margin included. Least admin for you, highest long-term cost.

Whichever route you choose, compare what you pay the service on top of the person's pay. Our comparison of job boards, marketplaces and agencies lists the published prices side by side.

Screen in three steps

Keep the process short and the same for every candidate, so you compare like with like.

1. Written screen: CV plus three short written answers, for example how they would handle two meeting requests for the same slot. Writing quality here predicts the emails they will send in your name.
2. Video call, 30 to 45 minutes: past roles, tools, a scenario or two, and a natural conversation that shows spoken English. Use the same questions each time; we keep a list of interview questions with what good answers sound like.
3. Paid test task: one to two hours on a realistic task with fictional data, paid whatever the result. Our test task guide has ideas and a scoring sheet.

Two finalists are enough. If nobody passes the test, go back to the scope before you widen the search: the brief is often the problem.

Check references and put the offer in writing

Ask the finalist for two references from people who managed them, and call or email them with the same questions. Then send a written offer. A short document avoids most misunderstandings later:

• Role title and the scope, as outcomes.
• Working hours in their time zone and yours, and how they record time off.
• Monthly pay, currency, payment date and the payment method (for example Deel, Wise or Payoneer).
• Start date, the first review date and the notice period on both sides.
• Equipment, tools and accounts you provide, and confidentiality.

Small companies often hire remote assistants abroad as independent contractors. Whether that is right for you depends on your country and on how you work together, so ask an accountant or lawyer; this guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Plan the first week before day one

The first week sets the tone. Prepare access through a password manager rather than sending passwords by email, give calendar delegation instead of your login, and write down five real tasks for the first days so the assistant is useful from Monday.

• Day one: a call to walk through the tools, your priorities and how you like to be updated.
• Days two to four: the five starter tasks, with a 15-minute check-in at the same time each day.
• Day five: a short review, what went well, what to change, and the task list for week two.

Our onboarding checklist covers access and the first ten days in more detail. If you hire through Silkstaff, the placement comes with a replacement promise. Silkstaff replaces the person free of charge if they leave or do not work out within 180^[7] days of the start date: one replacement per placement, once the placement fee has been paid and as long as the role, hours and pay stay as agreed. The fee itself is not refunded.