Executive Assistants: Comprehensive List of Performance Goals

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Executive assistants are typically jacks-of-all trades that handle many aspects of office management and administration while supporting C-level executives.

The following items are some of the main responsibilities of an EA:

• Complete administrative tasks in a professional and timely manner

• Coordinate scheduling and calendar management

• Manage all aspects of office operation

• Perform necessary bookkeeping tasks

• Coordinate travel and accommodation arrangements for executives and partners

• Plan and execute office events such as social gatherings, company parties and so on.

When it comes to setting performance goals, EAs may have a difficult time establishing objectives, since they are involved in so many areas at work. These goals can be linked with performance reviews and should be SMART goals: Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely.

For the above-mentioned job duties, we have listed several example performance goals that are appropriate for an Executive Assistant. 

Administrative tasks

• Reply to all emails within 1 business day, with exceptions for urgent and high priority matters.

• Answer all phone calls within 3 rings and reduce hold time to less than 3 minutes.

• Stay updated with continuous learning for all Microsoft applications including Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. Take time each quarter to research best practices and skill up.

Scheduling

• Organize and manage schedules and logistics for quarterly Board of Directors meetings, finalized one quarter prior to the meeting

• Schedule executive’s weekly appointments ensuring no more than four in one day.

• Set meetings and manage calendar events for the office one month in advance.

Office management

• Reduce office supply restock purchase from every week to once every two weeks.

• Maintain new employee onboarding program and grow the mentor program by 15%.

• Create synergy within the team,and across the company resulting in no more than 5 formal complaints. 

Bookkeeping

• Process expense reports within 24 hours for a 20-person team each week

• Reduce company operation costs by 20% by researching and securing alternate vendors.

• Audit budget activity once monthly to ensure all spending is reasonable and within range.

Travel and accommodation 

• Schedule executive travel itinerary in less than three hours for 10 partners in the firm.

• Create a travel management policy to establish maximum spend on expenses and subsidies and cut spending by 10%.

• Make alternate arrangements within 2 hours of notification of changes.

Event planning

•  Organize 8+ off-site events, parties, and company retreats for the year.

• Create and implement 2 team-building activities per month to increase employee engagement and satisfaction.

• Plan training event for 60 attendees including lodging, catering, transportation, off-site events, and travel visas; save $8K in expenses compared with the last training event.

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