KPIs are generally simple and easy to track for departments like sales and marketing. However, employees in the administration department may not always have quantifiable objectives. Because of this, reporting on KPI metrics for the people in their department can be difficult for administrative professionals.
- Communication. One of the most important skills for executive assistants is communication. …
- Organization. …
- Coordination. …
- Collaboration. …
- Support. …
- Initiative. …
- Motivation. …
- Scheduling.
Why are key performance indicators important for executive assistants?
KPIs are crucial for evaluating the effectiveness and development of executive assistants. They highlight the most crucial duties and competencies executive assistants require for their careers. Knowing the KPIs that apply to executive assistants and how to measure them will enable you to identify areas that need professional development and develop plans to enhance your work performance.
15 KPIs for executive assistants
The following list of 15 crucial KPIs for executive assistants includes examples of how to monitor and enhance each one.
1. Communication
Communication is one of the most crucial abilities for executive assistants. When making appointments and setting up meetings, assistants speak with the executives they are supporting, other members of the administrative team, and outside experts. The capacity to listen to and comprehend the needs and expectations of others is one aspect of communication skills. It also entails communicating clearly in both written and spoken form.
Think about how frequently you communicate with others and whether you can speed up your response time or improve the quality of your communication when evaluating communication as a KPI. You might measure how long it takes you on average to respond to emails in your inbox if you’re trying to improve your electronic communication over email, for instance. Then, devise a plan to increase your response rate and a goal to respond more quickly. Examine whether you succeeded in your goal after a specified period of time and identify the elements of your plan that increased your response time.
2. Organization
In order to manage their time, keep up with important documents, and adhere to a strict schedule, executive assistants need to be well-organized. Executive assistants manage their own work as well as finding organizational structures that are suitable for other professionals while also considering the needs of those they assist. Think about the organizational area you want to improve before choosing this KPI to measure.
An illustration would be going through an outdated filing system to see where it can be updated to make files more accessible. The time it currently takes to find files using the old system can be measured, and the time it takes to find files using the new system can then be compared. It is possible to determine how much more efficient the new system is by formally measuring these metrics.
3. Coordination
Another important responsibility for executive assistants is coordination. This entails making plans to bring individuals from various departments or organizations together by creating itineraries, securing transportation, and reserving lodging. One way to monitor your KPIs for this skill is to ask for feedback after organizing people’s plans. You can ask them to respond to a brief survey about your performance to provide you with feedback on what went well and what you could do differently the next time.
4. Collaboration
You work together with the business executive and other members of your administration team as an executive assistant. Effective communication with various professionals is necessary for collaboration in order to define goals and put plans into action to achieve them. By networking with professionals from various departments within your company, accepting mentoring positions by working with new hires and younger professionals, and using your interpersonal skills to resolve disputes, you can demonstrate your ability to work collaboratively.
Consider keeping track of how many people you work with in a given period of time to measure your collaboration KPIs. Set a monthly goal to increase the size of your professional network by a specific percentage. You can also ask people you’ve worked with for feedback. If you oversaw a meeting or a project, for instance, ask your team members how it went, what tactics they found to be effective, and how you can strengthen your teamwork abilities.
5. Support
Supporting an executive is one of an executive assistant’s main responsibilities. For the benefit of the executives, this support work entails creating meeting materials, making appointments, and keeping a daily agenda or task list. Taking care of these administrative duties enables the executive to concentrate on their role and keeps them on track to complete their daily obligations. Based on how prepared the executive feels before meetings, you can gauge this KPI. You can make changes by getting input on what procedures make the executive feel organized and on track as well as what you can do better.
6. Initiative
Executive assistants frequently take the initiative to implement new tactics and update systems for the executive’s benefit. They work independently and make decisions on the executive’s behalf to lighten their workload and free them up to concentrate on their non-administrative duties. Setting goals for one’s own improvement and applying inventive problem-solving to enhance current systems are a couple of opportunities to demonstrate initiative. To increase your productivity, for instance, you might decide to commit to implementing one new system every three months. This gives you the chance to demonstrate your initiative, openness to trying new things, and commitment to personal development.
7. Motivation
Having high motivation is essential to succeeding in this role as executive assistants frequently work in demanding and fast-paced business environments. Motivated assistants actively contribute to the improvement of their workplace, exhibit enthusiasm for their work, and seek out opportunities for personal growth. Consider how many new opportunities you take at work over a period of time as a way to gauge your motivation.
You can show your motivation by counting the number of professional development opportunities you take, volunteer projects you accept, and how frequently you commit to learning new skills. To increase your motivation, set a goal for yourself to learn one new skill, take one professional development course, or start one new project at work every three months. This demonstrates your dedication to career advancement and may inspire you to use new skills at work.
8. Scheduling
An executive assistant’s job involves a lot of scheduling and planning. Executive assistants help plan the executives’ day in addition to coordinating schedules with others. To keep executives on track for meeting important deadlines and goals, they put a lot of emphasis on using good time management to schedule tasks throughout the day. You can evaluate your scheduling abilities by asking the executive how well they feel their time is managed. Think about implementing fresh tactics like shared calendars or productivity apps that make meeting times clear and encourage focus during working hours.
9. Documentation
Executive assistants frequently carry out some administrative duties, such as maintaining the executive’s paperwork. For instance, they might maintain a timecard for themselves, the executive, and any members of the administration team they are in charge of, compile receipts, keep track of travel expenses, etc. Being thorough and complete when filing documents and making sure to submit documents on time are examples of good documentation skills. By keeping an eye on how many mistakes you make and how well you meet deadlines, you can evaluate your documentation skills and make improvements.
10. Budgeting
Executive assistants occasionally deal with budgeting data or are constrained by budgetary requirements. The executive assistant may need to keep an eye on the company’s budgeting requirements when scheduling, for instance, travel arrangements, a dinner meeting, an event, or managing office inventory. By keeping an eye on your capacity to create and adhere to a budget, you can evaluate your budgeting KPIs. You can set a target to lower departmental expenses by a certain percentage and look into ways to find more reasonably priced suppliers of supplies and deals on travel arrangements to improve your budgeting.
11. Management
You might manage a group of administrators who support a company’s internal operations as an executive assistant. Having some management and leadership abilities can help you manage others, develop efficient departmental management structures, and inspire your team to produce outstanding work. How productive your team is under your leadership can serve as a gauge for your management abilities. To identify your strengths and room for improvement, regularly solicit feedback from your team. Your team can perform better as a whole if you set clear productivity goals and involve everyone in creating department goals.
12. Strategic planning
Making strategic plans to keep executives on track is another talent for executive assistants. Scheduling is part of strategic planning, but it also entails developing internal systems that enhance productivity. These plans are made by assistants for both themselves and the people they supervise and help. As a KPI, evaluate the success of your plans in achieving your objectives to gauge your strategic planning abilities. Analyze how often your plans succeed in assisting you in achieving your goals and think about the elements of your planning process that are most helpful for your success.
13. Implementation
Executive assistants must be skilled at putting their plans into action in addition to developing them. In order to implement their strategies, they actively alter the workplace and commit to their plan. Consider the ease with which the transition took place in order to gauge the success of implementing new plans. After accounting for any productivity lost during the transition, consider the variables that might have helped the transition’s effects to be less severe.
Also, consider the overall success of the plan. If the plan was successful in increasing overall productivity, note how you can apply the same techniques to carry out future plans.
14. Efficiency
In order to accomplish their objectives and give executives the support they require, executive assistants must work effectively. When you complete work efficiently, you make the best use of your time and money. Effective assistants complete all of their duties while effectively managing their time and budget.
You can monitor your efficiency as a KPI by keeping tabs on how well you meet deadlines. Consider as well how well you adhere to any budgetary constraints when carrying out your work. To increase your productivity, set a goal for yourself to finish your work in a certain amount of time or look for ways to reduce your expenses.
15. Administration
Finally, executive assistants need good administration skills in their work. They handle many standard office responsibilities on behalf of executives. For instance, they answer the phone, reply to emails, arrange appointments, and welcome clients. By keeping track of their response times and success rates in completing their tasks during working hours, assistants can evaluate their administration skills as a KPI.
For example, an executive assistant may wish to improve their administrative productivity by 30% within a quarter They might compile a list of all their administrative duties and the amount of time they devote to each in a typical day. Then, by responding more frequently and finding better ways to manage their time, they can work to increase how efficiently they complete tasks throughout the day.
How To Write Professional Development Goals for Executive Assistants – EA to the CEO of Pinterest
FAQ
What are the 5 key performance indicators?
- Revenue growth.
- Revenue per client.
- Profit margin.
- Client retention rate.
- Customer satisfaction.
What are some performance goals for an executive assistant?
- Improve ability with office computer systems.
- Enhance business knowledge by reading articles and books.
- Develop a robust capacity to delegate tasks.
- Learn how to prioritize new work alongside older assignments.
- Spend an hour every week investigating new tools and resources.
What are the top 3 skills of an executive assistant?
- Communication Skills. Excellent communication skills are a must. …
- Organisational Skills. Organisation skills are essential in any type of admin role.
- Good Time Management. …
- Networking Skills. …
- Information Technology Skills. …
- Multi-Tasking. …
- Willingness to Learn. …
- Being A Team Player.
What does a CEO look for in an executive assistant?
Ability to foresee needs and preferences Your CEO’s executive assistant should have a remarkable capacity for foreseeing the needs and preferences of the CEO. This indicates that they aren’t constantly depending on the leader’s guidance for each and every action they must take.
