Overview — Why it matters
Many founders and top managers underestimate how powerful a resource an executive assistant can be. This is not just someone who "organizes the calendar," but a full-fledged operational partner who frees up to 20 hours a week for strategic tasks.
A good remote assistant can:
- anticipate tasks before you think about them,
- build processes that reduce chaos in communications,
- take responsibility for execution, rather than just "following instructions."
"The goal of an assistant is to make you faster, not louder," says one of our clients, the CEO of a SaaS company in Austin."
Hiring & Matching — How We Select Divers
Selecting an assistant is not just a matter of searching through resumes. At Oceans, we begin by analyzing the founder's working style: some require an "executor," while others seek a "partner in operations."
Key selection criteria:
- Proactivity. Candidates should offer solutions, not just carry out instructions.
- Contextual thinking. Understanding business priorities and the ability to filter out noise.
- Communication. Competent English, precise wording, empathy in business correspondence.
Key selection criteria:
- Test scenarios for logic and attention to detail.
- Simulation of a founder's day — response to 10 typical tasks.
- Final interview with the future manager.
Onboarding (0–30 days) — Plan for the first month
The first month is critical. It determines whether the assistant will become your lever for growth or just an executor.
Key selection criteria:
- Days 1–3. Access, welcome call, introduction to company culture, list of priorities.
- Week 1. Joint work sessions and shadowing—the assistant observes how you make decisions.
- Week 2. Delegation of calendar, emails, internal tasks.
- Weeks 3–4. Setting SMART KPIs and independently managing one area (e.g., communication with contractors).
KPIs & Reporting — What to measure and how
Many clients mistakenly believe that an assistant's effectiveness is measured by the number of tasks they complete. This is not the case.
Look at the result and reaction speed.
Key metrics:
- Average response time to priority emails.
- Number of tasks completed on time.
- Week 2. Delegation of calendar, emails, internal tasks.
- Number of improvements proposed and implemented.
We recommend a simple reporting system:
- Daily recap: a short message in Slack summarising the day's events.
- Weekly dashboard: Google Sheet or Notion with key KPIs.
- Monthly sync: analysis of insights, improvement plan.
Workflow & Tools — Roles, processes, checklists
Many clients mistakenly believe that an assistant's effectiveness is measured by the number of tasks they complete. This is not the case.
Look at the result and reaction speed.
Key metrics:
- Average response time to priority emails.
- Number of tasks completed on time.
- Week 2. Delegation of calendar, emails, internal tasks.
- Number of improvements proposed and implemented.
We recommend a simple reporting system:
- Daily recap: a short message in Slack summarising the day's events.
- Weekly dashboard: Google Sheet or Notion with key KPIs.
- Monthly sync: analysis of insights, improvement plan.
Scaling — When to add a second diver
Many clients mistakenly believe that an assistant's effectiveness is measured by the number of tasks they complete. This is not the case.
Look at the result and reaction speed.
Key metrics:
- Average response time to priority emails.
- Number of tasks completed on time.
- Week 2. Delegation of calendar, emails, internal tasks.
- Number of improvements proposed and implemented.
We recommend a simple reporting system:
- Daily recap: a short message in Slack summarising the day's events.
- Weekly dashboard: Google Sheet or Notion with key KPIs.
- Monthly sync: analysis of insights, improvement plan.
