Executive Assistant FAQ

Exec Assistants is an executive assistant recruitment service. We find, vet and shortlist remote executive and administrative assistants from the Philippines and South Africa. You interview the finalists and hire your pick directly. You pay us a one-time recruitment fee, with no agency markup and no long-term contract.

Exec Assistants is a division of Aristo Sourcing, a remote staffing company that Mads Singers founded in January 2014. Aristo Sourcing has recruited remote staff for more than 1,000 businesses. Learn more about our story and team.

Yes. In 2026, Exec Assistants won five Global Biz Awards, including Best Remote Executive Assistant Service and Best Executive Assistant Headhunter. See every award on our awards and recognition page.

Our headquarters is in Jackson, Wyoming, and we work remote-first with clients around the world. We take calls on US and UK phone lines, and we place assistants with business leaders in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.

A virtual executive assistant supports a leader from a remote location. They manage your calendar and inbox, prepare you for meetings, coordinate travel, follow up with stakeholders and keep projects moving. A great EA protects your time so you can focus on decisions, clients and growth. See our virtual executive assistant service.

An executive assistant supports one leader’s calendar, meetings, stakeholders and decisions. An administrative assistant handles routine back-office work for a team, such as data entry, scheduling and document management. Many businesses start with one role and add the other later. Learn about our virtual administrative assistant service.

Start with what slows you down most. If routine admin bogs down your team, start with an administrative assistant. If a leader needs help with their calendar, meetings and decisions, hire an executive assistant. Still unsure? We’ll help you decide on your discovery call.

No. An executive assistant manages a leader’s time, communication and logistics. A chief of staff is usually a senior strategic role that drives priorities across the business. Many growing firms need an EA first. Read our guide to virtual executive assistant vs chief of staff.

A legal secretary focuses on legal documents, filings and court-related admin. An executive assistant for a law firm owner focuses on the leader: their calendar, client relationships, firm operations and priorities. Read executive assistant vs legal secretary to see which your firm needs.

You pay two things. First, a one-time recruitment fee of $1,997 USD to Exec Assistants. Second, your assistant’s monthly salary, which you pay directly to them. There’s no monthly agency markup on top.

The fee covers role definition, candidate sourcing, three-stage screening, a vetted shortlist, interview coordination and onboarding guidance. It also includes our 3-month replacement guarantee.

It depends on the role, experience level, country and hours. We recommend a salary range on your discovery call, before you commit to anything. For a detailed breakdown, read our virtual executive assistant salary and cost guide by country.

No. After the one-time recruitment fee, your assistant’s salary goes straight to them. Exec Assistants doesn’t sit in the middle or take a cut of their pay.

No. You pay the recruitment fee once, and you have no ongoing contract with Exec Assistants. Once you hire your assistant, the working relationship belongs to you and them.

It takes four steps. First, we learn about your role, hours and tasks on a free call. Second, we search for candidates and put them through our three-stage vetting. Third, you receive a shortlist. Fourth, you interview the finalists and hire your pick directly. See the full process on our services page.

Most clients receive their shortlist within 7 to 10 days of their first call. After that, how quickly you hire depends on how fast you interview and decide.

Yes. You interview every finalist on your shortlist, and you make the final choice. For help preparing, read our guide to executive assistant interview questions that predict performance.

Our replacement guarantee covers you. If your assistant isn’t the right fit within the first 3 months, we find you a replacement at no extra cost. You don’t pay the recruitment fee again. We restart the search, vet every new candidate the same way and send you a fresh shortlist.

It helps, but you don’t need a finished one. On your discovery call, we map the work you want off your desk and turn it into a clear role. If you’d like to prepare, use our virtual executive assistant job description template.

Every candidate passes three stages before reaching your shortlist:

1. Experience and English screening. We confirm real executive support experience and test written and spoken English.
2. Practical skills testing. Candidates complete real inbox, calendar and software tasks, plus a confidentiality scenario.
3. Interview and reference checks. Our recruiters interview each finalist and check their references.

Candidates who fail any stage never reach you.

Candidates complete skills tests in the tools your business uses, such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, your CRM or Clio. We match your shortlist to your tech stack, so your assistant can start working in your systems quickly.

Look for clear written English, strong organization, good judgment, discretion with confidential information and the confidence to follow up without being asked. Read our virtual executive assistant skills checklist for the full list.

You do. You hire your assistant directly and pay their salary. Exec Assistants recruits and vets them, but doesn’t stand between you as an employer or agency. To compare models, read direct hire vs agency-managed virtual EA.

You pay your assistant directly each month at the salary you agree on together. Many clients use an international payroll or payment platform to send pay across borders. We share practical guidance on payment during onboarding.

Your assistant works the hours you agree on when you hire them. Many assistants in the Philippines already work US business hours. Assistants in South Africa share working hours with the UK and Europe and overlap with the US East Coast morning.

Most clients hire full time, because a dedicated assistant learns your business faster and stays longer. If you need fewer hours, raise it on your discovery call, and we’ll tell you honestly whether a part-time search makes sense for your role.

Start with access to the tools they need, clear priorities and a few short recorded walkthroughs of your key tasks. Check in daily at first, then weekly. Read our guides on how to onboard an executive assistant and how to manage a remote executive assistant.

Yes, with the right setup. Every candidate passes a confidentiality scenario during vetting. Combine that with an NDA, limited system access and two-factor login, and your data stays well protected. Read is hiring a virtual executive assistant safe? for the full picture.

Give your assistant access only to the tools their job needs. Share logins through a password manager, turn on two-factor authentication and keep approval of payments and contracts with you. Remove access straight away if your working relationship ends.

Yes. Because you employ your assistant directly, include a confidentiality agreement or NDA in your contract with them. This matters most for law firms, financial advisors and anyone handling client data.

Both countries have strong English skills and deep pools of experienced administrative professionals. The Philippines runs one of the largest remote support workforces in the world. South Africa offers native English speakers with working hours that suit UK, European and US East Coast clients.

It depends mostly on your time zone. US clients who want an assistant on their business hours often choose the Philippines. UK and European clients, and US clients who want live support early in the day, often choose South Africa. Read our complete guide to hiring an executive assistant in the Philippines.

We recruit for any business leader whose time is worth more than their admin. We have dedicated services for law firms, real estate investors, startup founders and CEOs, financial advisors and agency owners.

Yes. Our law firm executive assistants handle client intake, court dates, billing follow-up and updates in tools like Clio or MyCase. Attorneys keep full responsibility for legal advice and judgment.

AI tools now handle tasks like scheduling suggestions and email drafts. A skilled executive assistant uses those tools while also making judgment calls, managing relationships and handling the unexpected. Read our take on AI and the future of the executive assistant role.