
What can a Personal Assistant do for you?
We’ve all had “those days” when we feel pulled in a zillion different directions and can’t seem to get on top of what needs to be done. It’s not fun … unless, of course, you happen to be a personal assistant who lives and breathes to create calm during chaos. There’s a big continuum between those who want to pull their hair out when their “to-do” list gets too long, and those whose greatest joy is crossing things off the list. If you fall anywhere near the hair-pulling end of the spectrum, you may find great relief in hiring someone from the other end of the band — a personal assistant.
There are many things to think about before hiring a personal assistant, starting with where you might go to source the best candidates, all the way to establishing expectations and determining compensation. The Help Company has been placing all types of assistants, from personal assistants to executive assistants to family assistants, since the 1980’s, and can aid you in finding the very best match to suit your needs.
Everybody needs help at one point or another!
The Help Company places a wide range of Assistants, such as Family/Household Assistants, Personal Assistants and Executive Assistants.
Personal Assistant Expectations
At The Help Company, we see personal assistants with many different types of skillsets which is helpful because each client approaches the agency with a unique set of needs. We spend a good deal of time with every candidate, reviewing education and experience as well as discussing what he/she is looking for in his/her next position. Likewise, we listen closely to our clients in order to accurately assess their needs, likes and dislikes. This gives us the ability to hand pick a candidate who seamlessly matches with a client.
A tech-savvy personal assistant with an administrative background may best suit a home with a large household staff whereas a personal assistant with prior childcare experience may be the perfect fit for a stay-at-home parent who needs help with errands, child and pet care.
Generally speaking, the tasks and responsibilities of a personal assistant may include:
- Marketing
- Errands
- Driving
- Booking Appointments
- Calendaring
- Pet Care
- Gifting
- Travel Itineraries
- Household Inventories
- Bill Paying
- Email Correspondence
- Event Planning
- Management of Household Staff
- Liaising with Vendors
- Project Management
Making the Perfect Match
An agency knows there are factors to consider beyond a resume when selecting a personal assistant for an individual, a business or a home. Personality and mindset can be just as important as prior experience. Some clients prefer candidates who are firm and self-assured while others prefer a more mild-mannered quiet approach. It’s the agency’s job to vet both clients and candidates in order to match skillset to need and temperament to environment.
The Advantages of Hiring a Professional Personal Assistant
A personal assistant will bring serenity to the household, whether he/she is there to streamline complicated systems or cross never-ending tasks off a lengthy to-do list. Whether they are working for a busy executive or an individual who does not have a traditional job outside of the home – at the end of the day, the job of a personal assistant is to provide peace of mind regardless of the circumstances.

Family Calendaring

Parent Proxy

Create ZEN

Become a Better Manager/Communicator
Family Assistant versus House Manager versus Personal Assistant
Sometimes a name is just a name! There’s often a good deal of overlap between categories. Many clients seek to hire multi-hyphenate helpers willing to wear many hats. Likewise, many employees are seeking more broadly defined roles.

Family assistants

House managers or estate managers

Personal assistants

Executive Assistant
Cost Associated with Hiring a Personal Assistant
Salaries vary greatly depending on amount of experience and skill set. Geography may also play a role with pay being commensurate to cost of living in each area. Personal Assistants should be paid hourly with overtime pay after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. In some settings, employers are not mandated to offer health insurance, but we find it greatly helps to attract the best candidates. We also encourage employers to offer paid time off for sick days, holidays and vacation, and advise that they have a comprehensive workers’ compensation policy in place. If your personal assistant is driving their car on the job, we also recommend reimbursing for mileage based on current standard mile rates issued annually by the IRS. Following state/city guidelines will protect both the employee and employer in the long-run and will set the stage for a long-lasting positive relationship.
Let The Help Company Help!
The Help Company is one of the nation’s first premier domestic staffing and nanny placement agencies serving Los Angeles, New York City & the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as select locations around the world. Founded by Claudia Kahn, one of the nation’s leading experts on providing in-home professional help in 1981, The Help Company covers many aspects of domestic and corporate staffing with the utmost care and concern. Our services, screening process and continued support structure have been developed to provide for the seamless integration of new employees in to any household or corporate setting, and our intuition, experience and level of care throughout the placement process ensure that both client and candidate are matched with their ideal circumstance. We take great pride in the retention rate our clients have experienced throughout our 35 + years of successful pairings!
Get in touch with us to find your perfect staff member
