Chief of Staff vs Executive Assistant: Who Do You Need?

In today’s job marketplace, you can find diverse remote talents ready to help you from their side of the world. Nowadays, getting the proper support you need is now more accessible than ever. It’s made possible by this flexible and cost-effective alternative. You can find skilled talents to fill just about any role, including two crucial roles that can help elevate your operations: Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant.

To ensure you’re maximizing this remote staffing alternative, you need to answer the question: chief of staff vs executive assistant? Understanding the difference between these two roles is crucial. Let’s explore these two important positions, what makes them different, and decide which talent you really need.

Main profiles of the two roles

These two roles are both important but for different reasons. Here is an overview of what you need to know about these positions:

Chief of staff

A Chief of Staff (CoS) is an executive who acts as an advisor to a company’s CEO or other C-suite executives. This role not only helps manage an executive’s agenda but also oversees high-priority projects.

Responsibilities

These are some of the responsibilities you can expect a chief of staff to do. Here are some examples of the duties they can take on to help your business:

• Strategic Planning: A virtual CoS brings the leadership team together to cook up business strategies. They also help ensure the company follows through on these strategies by collaborating with the rest of the team to execute the key initiatives. 
• Project Management: To bring the strategies to life, they coordinate cross-departmental efforts. They monitor progress and identify and address barriers or points of improvement. They play a pivotal role in ensuring that everyone is working towards a shared goal.
• Decision Support: A CoS helps leadership make critical decisions. They use their analytical skills and acquired business knowledge to provide insightful recommendations.
• Stakeholder Communication: A chief of staff can also assist with corporate communications. They ensure your business continues to have a strong relationship with its board members, investors, and external partners.
• Team Leadership: A CoS can also manage teams for special projects on behalf of the executive leadership. Special projects can include organizational restructuring, systems migration, and company-wide sustainability programs.

These high-impact projects can be time-consuming and difficult to handle on top of current leadership duties. This is when a CoS can come in to become the representative of the management team. They coordinate the efforts of various working parts to ensure the project stays on track and within budget.

Hire a remote chief of staff to take over high-level projects and help you turn your strategies into reality. Book a free consultation call with 20four7VA today!

Where you can find them

Plenty of businesses can benefit from hiring a chief of staff. However, you can mainly find chiefs of staff in industries that need experts in managing a dynamic and diverse business landscape. Here are some examples of such industries: 

Technology

Fast-growing tech companies, from software to consumer electronics organizations, often employ a chief of staff to manage rapid scaling and innovation. This member of the workforce helps ensure the business stays on top of business trends and ahead of the fierce competition. 

Healthcare

Large healthcare organizations and hospitals hire Chiefs of Staff to ensure various departments are in compliance with stringent industry regulations. They also help oversee the implementation of strategies like quality improvement initiatives that can help enhance patient care.

Finance

Financial institutions such as banks and investment firms have chiefs of staff that assist in ensuring regulatory compliance and manage high-level projects. They help mitigate risks and implement strategies effectively.

Government and nonprofits

According to William M. Daley, the 24th White House Chief of Staff, “The chief of staff has to reflect and sometimes complement the strengths of the president he serves.” Chiefs of staff play a crucial role in the public service sector and nonprofits as they help leaders run their administration, provide strategic oversight, and fulfill their mission.

Key skills and qualifications

Because chiefs of staff mostly work on high-level and strategic tasks, they must possess a blend of both skills and business experience.

• Leadership: Chiefs of staff need to demonstrate good leadership skills. This is crucial when managing cross-functional teams with diverse personalities.
• Strategic Thinking: A good CoS should be a strong strategic thinker. They know how to think long-term instead of making band-aid fixes or reactive solutions. This skill is crucial as chiefs of staff influence decision-making at the highest level.
• Project Management: Chiefs of staff handle projects, including high-risk or those that can significantly affect the organization. Companies who hire a chief of staff must look for expertise in managing complex projects with tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders.
• Communication Skills: Having strong verbal and written communication skills is crucial for coordinating and relaying information across all levels of the organization. They know how to maintain professionalism even during difficult discussions or tense situations.
• Analytical Ability: Excellent analytical skills are vital to providing quality advice and participating in top-level decision-making. A good CoS must be able to assess data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights.
• Adaptability: In order to help the organization thrive in a dynamic business landscape, a chief of staff must be highly adaptable. They know how to adapt to changing priorities and keep up with a fast-paced environment.
• Experience: The position typically requires someone with a background in relevant fields, including management consulting and business administration. Having several years in a leadership or senior management role also allows them to gain valuable business insights and understand how organizations succeed (and fail).

Let 20four7VA help you find the chief of staff with the right skills and experience. Schedule a free consultation call today!

Executive assistant

Executive assistants or EAs also provide support to senior executives of a company. However, their focus is mostly on day-to-day schedules and administrative tasks. They handle time-consuming back-office tasks so you, the executive, can focus on what you do best. Here are examples of tasks you can delegate to an executive assistant.

Responsibilities

The saying, “Time is gold,” is true. Wasted time is not something an executive can salvage, so it’s best to save when possible. An executive assistant can help their client manage their time by working on routine but time-consuming tasks. Examples of such tasks include:

• Calendar management: A Harvard Business Review study revealed that CEOs worked an average of “9.7 hours per weekday.” An EA ensures that the executive allocates these hours as effectively as possible. When members of the organization and external partners want to schedule a meeting, they typically coordinate with an executive assistant instead of contacting the executive directly. The executive assistant also relays the schedule to the executive, providing them with a clear and organized view of their commitments.
• Email management: Screening and managing emails can take up much of an executive’s time. An EA can help them ensure they’re responding to important communications by sorting their inbox and even drafting correspondences.
• Travel coordination: An executive that’s always on the move can benefit from hiring an EA to handle their travel needs. An EA can coordinate everything travel-related from booking flights and transfers to creating detailed itineraries.
• Meeting preparation: An EA creates the stage for productive discussions and meetings. They prepare agendas, consolidate presentations, organize materials, and take minutes during meetings.
• Administrative support: An EA helps executives maximize their time and energy. They assist with prioritizing tasks and organizing an executive’s to-do list to ensure projects are on track and goals are met.

Start delegating important yet time-consuming tasks to a virtual executive assistant. Book a free consultation call with our sales executives now!

Where you can find them

Corporate enterprises

Large corporations in various industries, such as finance, manufacturing, retail, and real estate, often rely on Executive Assistants to bring order to the organization. They help leaders or executives of large corporations manage their workforce by prioritizing and managing time.

Healthcare

Hospitals, healthcare networks, and medical practices utilize Executive Assistants to support executives in managing complex schedules and coordinating with various departments.

Legal

Law firms and legal departments often have Executive Assistants to support partners and senior attorneys. Legal EAs provide support in various parts of a law firm’s operations, including client communications, case management, and document preparation.

Government

You can also find EAs in government agencies. EAs help government leaders manage the administrative demands of the office. They also assist leaders with managing their schedules to ensure they have enough time to focus on their core responsibilities.

Key skills and qualifications

An executive assistant needs to be highly organized to effectively manage the needs of senior executives. Here are other key qualities that an executive personal assistant must have to successfully fulfill their responsibilities:

• Organizational Skills: An effective EA has an exceptional ability to manage time, prioritize tasks, and keep the executive’s schedule organized. They also need this skill with other back-office tasks like file management and interdepartmental communications.
• Communication Skills: Good communication skills are essential for managing correspondence and representing the executive in professional settings. An EA must know how to receive and relay information in a professional and timely manner.
• Attention to Detail: The tasks an EA handles can significantly affect not just the executive but the rest of the organization. They must be meticulous, especially when taking meeting minutes and preparing important documents.
• Technical Proficiency: An executive assistant must be proficient in office software such as Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. It would also be ideal to have an EA familiar with scheduling and project management tools.
• Confidentiality: An executive assistant will inevitably handle sensitive and highly confidential information as they support their executive. They must have a deep understanding of the importance of discretion and care when entrusted with confidential documents and data.

Partner with 20four7VA to find the virtual executive assistant you need. Start by booking a free, no-strings-attached call with our team!

Key differences between chief of staff vs executive assistant

To help you decide on who you need to hire, you must know the key differences. For example, one role is focused more on project management and strategy, while the other works largely on administrative and day-to-day operations.

Hiring the right person for the right role

Now that you’ve found the answer for executive assistant vs chief of staff, you’re ready to start the recruitment process. The traditional route, hiring onsite staff, can be expensive and limiting. Remote staffing is your best bet if you’re looking for a more effective and cost-efficient alternative.

Hiring a remote executive assistant or chief of staff will allow you to get the support you need without overshooting your staffing budget. To ensure you find the right remote talent for the role you’re trying to fill, consider working with a trusted remote staffing company like 20four7VA.

Why 20four7VA?

20four7VA has more than ten years of experience in the remote staffing field. We have helped thousands of clients find the right talent for their business needs; and we can do the same for you. Our global talent pool is filled with professionals with diverse experience levels, skills, and specializations. If our pool doesn’t have the EA or CoS that you’re looking for, we’ll scour our tried and tested platforms to find the one that fits your approved JD.

Whether you’re looking for an executive assistant or chief of staff, hiring remote talents should always be convenient and effective. Our team can commit to that. Our award-winning end-to-end solutions include free client-talent matching and access to our support team. Ready to learn more? Book a free consultation call with our Sales Executive today!