How to Hire an Assistant

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1 min read

Does your growing business need an assistant? 

Understanding the steps behind hiring an assistant, including data about candidates looking for assistant jobs, salaries, and key terms to include in your job description, can help you stand out from the competition to reach, attract and hire quality candidates.

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Ready to get started?

Post a Job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

Assistant: What is the cost of hiring?

2025-10-01

Why hire an assistant?

An assistant can help you to save time by managing your schedule and taking care of administrative and clerical tasks so that you can focus on more important tasks that require your expertise and attention.

Contributions of a great assistant:

  • Improve efficiency and productivity
  • Take care of tedious tasks like scheduling meeting
  • Enhance your ability to multitask
  • Help to reduce stress and improve work-life balance

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance assistant

You can choose between a full-time or freelance assistant depending on your specific needs, budget, and preferences.

If you are looking for a long-term commitment, consider hiring a full-time assistant, as they will be a salaried employee available for fixed hours. This arrangement can be more efficient if you constantly require the services of an assistant though you will have to pay them a fixed salary and provide benefits like insurance and paid leaves.

However, a freelance assistant can be quite viable if you are looking for a more flexible option, as they can work on a more ad-hoc basis. They can be a useful, cost-effective alternative if your company has a variable workload and needs assistance on a project-by-project basis.     

What are the different types of assistants?

There are many different types of assistants available, each with their own unique skills and expertise:

  • Personal assistants: Assistants who provide support to individuals, such as managing schedules, making travel arrangements, and handling personal tasks.
  • Virtual assistants: Virtual assistants work remotely and provide support services through online platforms or virtual communication tools.
  • Executive assistants: These assistants provide high-level support to executives or senior leaders, including managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and handling sensitive information.
  • Medical assistants: They assist healthcare professionals by scheduling appointments, managing medical records, and assisting with patient care.

Where to find an assistant?

To find the right assistant for your business, try different recruiting strategies like:

  • Post flyers: Posting flyers is a great way to inform the community about the job availability and attract potential candidates who you can interview for the assistant position.
  • Advertise the position in local newspapers: This can be a good option for reaching out to potential candidates who may not be actively searching for jobs online.
  • Use social media and networking platforms: Social media and networking platforms can be a useful way to connect with potential candidates and promote job opportunities to a wider audience.
  • Use recruitment agencies: You can outsource your hiring to recruitment agencies, and the agency will help you hire a qualified assistant.

Post your job online: Try posting your assistant job on Indeed to find and attract quality assistant candidates.

Skills to look for in a great assistant

A great assistant candidate will have the following skills, attributes, and work experience that reflects:

  • Strong communication skills
  • Organisational skills
  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Initiative and problem-solving skills
  • Loyalty and confidentiality

Writing an assistant job description

A thoughtful job description is critical to finding qualified assistant candidates. An assistant job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the preferred skills for the position.

When writing your job description for an assistant, consider including some or all of the following keywords to strengthen the visibility of your job posting. According to Indeed data, these are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on assistant jobs:

  • CA firm
  • Fresher
  • CA articleship
  • Freshers job vacancy
  • Accountant
  • TATA Steel
  • Embassy
  • Assistant
  • Articleship CMA
  • Article assistant

Interviewing assistant candidates

Strong candidates for assistant positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

  • Experience with managing schedules and appointments
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Dedication and work ethic

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of assistant interview questions for examples (with sample answers).

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FAQs about how to hire an assistant

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.