Hiring a Chief of Staff vs a Senior Executive Assistant
Hiring a Chief of Staff vs a Senior Executive Assistant
Over the past year, I have witnessed more companies become open to the idea of hiring a Chief of Staff. Senior Executive Assistants are vital to all efficient companies, and with many expanding, the need for a Chief of Staff has trickled into my conversations with business owners regularly.
Many of our CEO clients are curious and relatively unaware of the difference between the roles of an EA and a CoS. Their focus is usually immediate with needing an expert EA to manage their daily professional lives, effortlessly and efficiently. Many business leaders believe that Senior Executive Assistants are synonymous with Chief of Staff, and it’s time to clarify that the roles are very, very different.
With so many tenured and brilliant Senior Executive Assistants seeking to elevate their careers to Chief of Staff, this is the time to find the best talent and add them to your roster. Senior Executive Assistants know you. They know your business. They’re there for you. They’re rooting for you and the chance to be promoted!
What exactly is a Chief of Staff?
Although the definition varies from one company to another, here are a few basic CoS responsibility examples:
1. A Chief of Staff works directly with their CEO as an extension of their leader and as the trusted, right-hand advisor. They keep a pulse on the organization as a whole, as well as the day-to-day operations of the CEO and company.
2. The Chief of Staff spends a significant role and time in the field with team members on a higher level, gathering information, and opening up channels of communication that may not be shared or documented directly with leadership or other staff. The Chief of Staff can make note of organizational issues within the staff or minor changes that need to be made to improve overall employee happiness and needs that may not reach the ears of the C-suite without them.
3. They bridge the gaps between the Executive Team and the field to help tie in information and ideas to overall strategies. They hold a level of trust and connection with the CEO that may not have in order to obtain and capitalize on ideas and information. As a result, the CoS has the experience and knowledge to take action, follow up, and implement anything new coming down the pipeline.
4. CoS have well-refined analytical skills, large-scale project management experience, influence, and respect within the organization. They have trusted decision-making and framing skills, well-refined relationship-building skills, an off-the-charts high emotional intelligence, and are seen as an agent of change. In many respects, the CoS is seen as a coach and an arbiter by the C-suite.
For a non profit organization, examples of CoS potential responsibilities are:
Managing the Board of Directors: A large non profit board can be very complex, and is a vital part of your organization. A CoS can assist at a higher level of responsibility to manage the board, to include everything from meeting agendas and cadence, assistance with identifying and onboarding new members, data collection including program outcomes and financial information, creating a clear presentation formats, and potentially a dashboard, as well as educating members of Board software usage and updates.
Engaging funders and stakeholders: Because a Chief of staff has one of the highest EQ in the company in many cases, they are key candidates to assume responsibility in tandem with the CEO to build strong relationships with key funders and stakeholders. They have the skills to support the fundraising or capital campaign goals, by supplying research information on potential partners, funders and stakeholders to the CEO or Advancement team, organizing data information and schedule of meetings, outreach and outcomes.
How do I know I could benefit more by hiring a CoS versus a Senior Executive Assistant?
This is a very important question, however, I always ask first: are you truly open to the idea? If so, do a deep-dive assessment of the company's business cycle positioning for capacity to add a CoS, and then become dedicated to truly finding the appropriate person to fill the role.
If your business is experiencing significant change or growth with projections of that trend extending for a long period of time, considering hiring a CoS.
If you have a member of your ELT (such as your Senior Executive Assistant) that possesses the capacity, desire, and skills to elevate their career to a CoS, consider giving them a chance to grow. They’ve spent years leveraging their talents, learning about your organization (staff and clients), and a major sign that they’re ready for a promotion is if they are constantly asking for more work or the opportunity to learn new skills. Senior EAs that have a constant desire to learn or better themselves, have shown immense dedication to you and your brand, and are always volunteering to assist are key indicators that you have a Chief of Staff in your wings, ready to be anointed.
If you don't have enough time in your day, and you are not happy with where your time is being spent a CoS could for example sit in on meetings in your place, trusting their representation of what took place to be accurate and on point, mirroring your communication style and strategic agendas. If you’re a bit of a reluctant of losing control, a CoS can seem daunting for fear of things slipping through the cracks. However, if you welcome the opportunity to offload some of your responsibilities to focus on other components of your organization, a CoS is a wonderful option.
You need someone to bring the ELT together and rally toward a common goal. Again because of the high EQ and communication skills of a CoS, they have the ability to build bridges and bring people together whether it be the field or executive leadership team members.
If you are looking for someone solely to take care of your complex administrative tasks (email management, travel, meeting planning, calendaring, expense reporting, and need assistance with projects) to make your day more productive, then a high-level EA is a great choice given your current needs. The concept of an EA may be new to you and you need to tread lightly at first. A senior EA would also act as your trusted advisor, but take on a less visible and active role with the field and strategic planning.
As a CEO, you know your strengths and your areas of opportunities as well as your company’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. You know what needs are, and must leverage this information to determine which role will suit you and the organization best.
You need to find your Yin to your Yang, someone who will best complement your skills. Whether you find a strong, tenured Sr EA with or without the ability to advance to a CoS, trust your judgment. I always advise my clients to cast the most extensive net into the hiring pool, keeping an open mind on what you and your organization both need as the candidates come forward during the interview process.
You may start the process thinking you need one role or personality type, and upon meeting an amazing candidate, realize that you actually needed an entirely different person than that you envisioned. You may even end up creating a role you hadn't previously thought about.
An experienced Chief of Staff could help take the company in directions and places you never thought possible. An amazing Executive Assistant is a game changer as well. They are both as dedicated to seeing your organization and staff thrive as you are. Dream bigger. Push a little further. Go above and beyond the what others are doing. This is usually the difference between “good” and “great”, and sometimes between “winning” or “losing”.
Diane Steele, CEO of Steele Recruiting offers National Executive Search services for Executive Assistants supporting C-Suite Executives, and private career coaching.
Schedule a new Senior Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff candidate or new search client consultation by clicking here.
Diane can be contacted at diane@steelerecuiting.com or steelerecruiting.com.
Edited by Abby Huot.
