How to best welcome your Executive Assistant back to the office in 2021

With the hope of a COVID-19 vaccine and herd immunity soon to reach the greater populous, companies and businesses are beginning to craft steps to transition their staff members back into the office from a remote work environment.

Working in the business of recruiting Executive Assistants who support C-Suite executives, I have experienced Executives and their Executive Assistants shifting their pandemic work office settings in many different ways. The landscape of how the Executive Assistants have had to support their executives has run the spectrum. We have seen 100% virtual models, with little or no appearances in the offices, front-facing with their Executives every day in the office from day one, to a mixture of both.

Because of the importance of the role, some Executive Assistants were one of the few team members required to work full time in the office without the opportunity to work remotely. It highly depended upon the Executive, their preferences, and workstyle.

Many companies I have spoken to have closed their office spaces over the past few months to work in a 100% virtual model and will continue on this path giving up their office space. Some are offering a mixture of both in house and remote. The reality is, your Executive Assistant has had a taste of the remote world. Some may be standing at the door, shoes on ready to run back to the office and get out of their homes, while others have found a new and comfortable work style with slippers on underneath their home office desk, tossing the work loafers to the back of the closet.

Executive Assistants I have worked with over the past year who have not had the opportunity to work in the office, have learned quickly how to jump in, ask the right questions, create new systems, and maneuver their way into a successful virtual partnership with their executives virtually. Even a year ago, this would have been unheard of as the majority. “What is a virtual assistant Mr. and Ms. 2019/2020?” The Executive Assistant’s job is to manage every aspect of the Executive’s professional life, not to mention learn the business from a high level. Not an easy task to master while sitting and running next to the Executive daily, let alone through a computer.

What we have learned and proven once again, is that the Executive Assistant is highly adaptable, capable of doing their jobs successfully, given the proper tools, wherever they turn on their PC’s. We have also certified the Executive Assistant is the master of effective communication, even in the most challenging, remote situations. Cape on, next challenge, please?

Many EA’s are patiently waiting to reemerge into the office, shoes ready, to capture the essence of the office and get to know their Executive on an elevated level. They can’t wait to expand their knowledge by putting their ear to the ground, make important relationships, and be present to pick up daily unheard or unwritten communication ques and information their Executive needs from their EA in their absence, identified during important events such as meetings.

But what about the rest?

As you build out your return to office policy for your Executive Assistant, here are a few things to consider:

1. Evaluate how effective and productive were they from a remote location vs in house - in their opinion, and also your opinion? Make sure you are on the same page when they return as to the level of connection and success of that connection as it currently stands. Now would be the time if you have not already done so to clarify any little task or process you have suggestions to change, or better yet, ask them for suggestions. Could you continue with a remote style? Is it working? If it is not broke, why fix it?

2. Routinely ask your Executive Assistant if they like working remotely. Depending on when you ask them this question, it may have changed over the past year as circumstances constantly change. From there, you will need to be honest with your willingness to discuss at least a part-time flexible schedule as it moves closer to the office reopen date.

Why do I say this? Because they have worked remotely and have been highly successful. Many companies post-pandemic have or will move to either 100% or partial remote work setting going forward. Let’s face it, there is no going backward at this point. Executive Assistants will have options should they start investigating what opportunities are available in the marketplace, not only in the local market but now across the country. Remote is remote, options and opportunities have just expanded across the country. No longer can you be dependent on a small town with few candidates to source from to reduce EA turnover. Executives who have adapted and accepted a remote EA scenario will be open to hiring your EA remotely. The potential to lose your right-hand person is around the corner. Perhaps consider one day or half-day per week. This is time for open communication and negotiation. It will be the Executive Assistant’s market going forward.

If your Executive Assistant was hired during the pandemic and has never worked in the office, treat their first day in the office as their first day at a new company. Essentially, it is a new company. Although you may have worked together for months even a year at this point, there was that shield of the pc between the two of you and now you are face to face, it is a different environment.

Consider:

1. There may be a level of unfamiliarity you have between each other, as well as with other team members that will take a little time to move through with proper communication and patience. This would be a great opportunity to have solid team-building experiences ready to roll out as you roll out the red carpet for their arrival into the office setting. Building back your culture and making them front and center is key to solid relationship building.

2. This experience is similar to meeting someone for the first time after spending all of your time getting to know them over the internet. People are different in person as some of the unwritten characteristics are now being displayed and experienced. Cherish everyone’s uniqueness and differences. Imagine multiple people walking into a company for their first day in-house on the same day. Bringing unity will be key to a strong connection and communication between your team for a solid foundation.

Successfully crafting a strong plan of how to thoughtfully communicate and execute a transition for your Executive Assistant (and your team) to return back to the office post-pandemic is a win/win for everyone. You will solidify an amazing and trustworthy Executive and Executive Assistant partnership that will sustain the length of time, no matter what everyone is wearing on their feet.

About Diane Steele
Diane Steele is CEO and Founder of Steele Recruiting, an Executive Administrative Assistant Search firm. Headquartered in Minneapolis/St Paul, Steele Recruiting is a female owned retained search firm, specializing in Executive Administrative Assistant-Chief of Staff recruitment, supporting CEOs and Presidents in Minneapolis and St Paul. Contact Steele via email or phone at 952-484-4217.