Lily Shippen Recruitment Agency | Hire a Personal Assistant

Hire a Personal Assistant

Founded in 2016, our team is highly experienced in recruiting Personal Assistants. Because we are specialists, dedicated to the roles and expertise we cover, we offer more than placing candidates in companies. We are experts in hiring the following PA roles:

We can assist with the following PA roles:

Corporate PA
Personal Assistant
Team Assistant
Private PA
Family Office PA
Business Assistant
Virtual PA

As a boutique PA recruitment partner, we are experts at understanding what makes the perfect 'fit' for a business, which enables us to work across multiple sectors, including property; financial services; insurance; legal; advertising, marketing and public relations; start-ups; telecommunications; and private individuals and family offices.

Thoroughly vetting and getting to know every candidate that we represent helps us to tailor our recruitment service and set everyone up to succeed, ensuring that you secure the best talent for your business.

Lily and Emma are professional, efficient and very down to earth. They have placed me in both temp and perm positions and my experiences were very positive. The best recruitment agency I have used. Would definitely recommend.

Marie, Partners' Secretary

★★★★★

Unlike any recruitment agency I have ever used. The team at Lily Shippen are true professionals, who care about finding the best fit for you, not about the commission. I’m now two months into a role within an exciting and dynamic company, and I couldn’t be happier.

Roisin, PA to CEO

★★★★★

Victoria is one of the most skilful and empathetic recruiters I have met. She puts you at ease and hones in on your attitude and strengths, layering and matching them to client requirements.

Beverly, Director of Strategy

★★★★★

How to hire a Personal Assistant

Once you've come to the decision that you are going to hire a PA, we will work with you to gain an understanding of your business, your culture and your unique requirements. This will, ideally, involve a video call or face-to-face meeting between you and one of our experienced consultants, where will ask you questions to understand the working culture, expected duties, salary and ideal experience for the role.

We can assist with writing a Personal Assistant job description for you and, once this is approved, we will go out to our extensive database and network to shortlist high-calibre candidates, presenting these to you with speed and accuracy.

Throughout the interview process, we will provide detailed feedback to all parties and will always be on-hand to answer any questions that you may have.

Once you've hired your PA, we will continue to maintain contact with you and the successful candidate, to ensure that the placement is as smooth and successful as possible and can even assist with PA training.

What is a Personal Assistant?

Traditionally, the role of the Personal Assistant (PA) encompasses purely administrative, transactional support. The role of a PA is to alleviate the administrative burden from the individual(s) they support so that their principal's time can be dedicated to other areas which will further the business's success. However, the role differs hugely between organisations, and there are many Personal Assistants (PAs), particularly Senior PAs, who perform strategic duties that are more commonly associated with the Executive Assistant role; indeed, in many organisations, there is considerable cross-over between the Personal Assistant and Executive Assistant (EA) roles.

The role of the Personal Assistant (PA) has often been likened to the oil in the cogs of the working machine – making things run more smoothly and alleviating precise time pressure on executives and senior business leaders.

Personal Assistants (PAs) are often responsible for managing schedules, booking travel (often across multiple time zones), handling email and phone communication, conducting research, and performing other administrative tasks. Personal assistants can work in various settings, including offices, homes, and remotely.

Overall, a Personal Assistant can be a valuable asset to anyone looking to streamline their life or business and increase their productivity. Whether you are an individual seeking help with your personal life or a business owner looking to manage your business more effectively, a Personal Assistant can help you to achieve your goals.

What is the difference between a Personal Assistant and an Executive Assistant?

The role of a Personal Assistant and Executive has evolved so much in the last decade. Technology has aided this evolution, as PAs and EAs can be far more strategic with technology replacing the typically more administrative parts of their role.

It is worth noting that job titles differ across industries and organisations, and someone who is carrying out an Executive Assistant role could have the job title of Personal Assistant.

A Personal Assistant (PA) is someone who supports their executive(s) with duties to ensure their personal life and/or business life runs smoother. These duties range from managing diaries to coordinating meetings, booking travel and more.

An Executive Assistant (EA) is typically someone who supports their executive in a more proactive way. An Executive Assistant should be an extension of their boss, and will often make important decisions on their behalf.

You can read more about the role of an Executive Assistant (EA) here.

Recruit a Personal Assistant

Are you looking to recruit a PA? If so, book a call below and speak to one of our experienced Consultants to commence your search.

Start your Job Search

If you're looking for a PA job, we would love to work with you to find your next dream role. Please click the link below to register with us.

FAQs

Why hire a PA?

Hiring a Personal Assistant can have a multitude of benefits for you and your wider business. Personal Assistants are a fantastic way of getting the most out of your day, ensuring that you utilise your time as effectively as possible and can focus on growing your business, whilst they adeptly manage the everyday demands of seamlessly running an office.

We know that as a busy executive or overworked entrepreneur, with a seemingly never-ending "to-do" list, your time is precious. In fact, we'd argue that time is your most valuable asset. We constantly hear business owners say that there aren't enough hours in the day or that they wish they had another pair of hands. Hiring a Personal Assistant is the perfect solution to this problem; the right PA hire will be indispensable to you and your wider company, maximising your time and productivity, and ensuring that you prioritise the tasks that motivate you and enhance your business.

Every moment that you can free up to focus on the growth and development of your business counts. A successful PA is a true extension of you and, over time, will be able to anticipate your needs and have everything in place, without you having to think about the minutiae.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a PA?

Personal Assistant salaries can range depending on location, responsibilities and the level of experience that you are looking for. In London, PA salaries range from £35,000 to £45,000, on average, for permanent roles, with contract rates of £17 - £22 per hour. Whereas, in Manchester, permanent PA roles typically attract salaries of circa £28,000 - £32,000, with contract rates coming in at £14 - £16 per hour. This is a similar story across the UK, with permanent PA positions in the regions averaging at £27,000 - £32,000, or £14 - £16 per hour for temporary contracts.
Where do you recruit PAs?

What will the future of the EA role look like?

Our most extensive whitepaper to date explores how the role has evolved and what the future holds for the profession.

It won't surprise you that a bad hire can be expensive.

Download our free guide and learn how to hire your perfect PA.