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Here’s how to hire a remote executive assistant. They run the calendar, inbox, and follow-ups for a founder or executive.
What follows is the scorecard, a paid sample on a real inbox and calendar, and what US vs LATAM roles cost.
What follows is the scorecard, a paid sample on a real inbox and calendar, and what US vs LATAM roles cost.
Zabota has placed these roles before.
25+
countries
$12M+
in payroll saved
400+
placements
Executive assistant, virtual assistant, managed EA
An executive assistant works for one executive or a small leadership team. They run the calendar, inbox, and admin tasks.
A virtual assistant is cheaper, more basic talent. Copy-paste tasks. Often several clients at once.
A virtual assistant is cheaper, more basic talent. Copy-paste tasks. Often several clients at once.
A managed EA (Athena and shops like it) assigns a dedicated person. The vendor employs them, trains them, and replaces them. You pay a subscription. The vendor marks up wages 20–50%.
A chief of staff owns strategy and projects. That is a different hire.
What the executive assistant actually owns
Always
Calendar. Inbox triage. Follow-ups the executive would drop. A written record of how the week runs.
Often
Travel. Light ops (SOPs, tools, vendor chasing). Meeting prep. Coordination with sales or content if that is already in the seat.
Never
Running ads. Closing deals. Admin for the whole company. A second executive’s full calendar unless the brief said so.
If the list keeps growing (“also bookkeeping, also ads, also the website”), then this splits into two jobs.
Executive Assistant Scorecard
Score
What “good” looks like
What to ignore
Score
Ownership
What “good” looks like
Proactive and solution-oriented. They fix the inbox and the calendar without waiting to be told.
What to ignore
“I’m a hard worker.” A work history of copy-paste tasks.
Score
Communication
What “good” looks like
Clear writing. They say what they did and what is blocked.
What to ignore
They talk about tools instead of the work.
Score
Systems
What “good” looks like
They can follow an SOP and improve it.
What to ignore
“I just figure it out.” No notes.
Score
Relevant experience
What “good” looks like
Their last job looks like this one — founder EA, sales follow-up, or content ops.
What to ignore
“I can do anything.”
Score
Tenure
What “good” looks like
They stay in roles. Ask the reference how long they were there and why they left.
What to ignore
A new job every few months.
How to hire a remote executive assistant: 5 steps
1. Write the job description
Who they support, which tools, which hours, what a good week looks like, and what is out of scope. If you write “handle everything,” you will hire a virtual assistant.
2. Pick the market
US in-house if absolutely necessary. Direct-hire in LATAM when the company wants a dedicated executive assistant on US hours. LATAM is the first market Zabota uses for these seats.
A freelancer or a VA marketplace (Upwork, OnlineJobs.ph) works for overflow admin if someone at the company still runs the calendar and inbox. A managed EA plan works if the company wants a vendor to recruit, train, and replace.
A freelancer or a VA marketplace (Upwork, OnlineJobs.ph) works for overflow admin if someone at the company still runs the calendar and inbox. A managed EA plan works if the company wants a vendor to recruit, train, and replace.
3. Screen their last job
One call. Same questions every time:
- “Walk me through a week you ran for someone — what you owned, what you escalated, what broke.”
- “The inbox is a mess and the calendar is full. What do you do in the first three days?”
- “What did you stop doing for a principal because it was not the job?”
They should ask how decisions get made, which tools are source of truth, and what the executive will not delegate.
4. Pay them for a sample of the actual work
Pay the finalist. Give a redacted inbox, a calendar week, and one SOP — or have them write the SOP from how the week actually runs. A few hours. Score what they focused on first, what they flagged, and whether the calendar holds.
Do not ask for a free trial week. An executive assistant who is employed will most likely not complete it on time because they have paid work they are doing.
Do not ask for a free trial week. An executive assistant who is employed will most likely not complete it on time because they have paid work they are doing.
5. References, then a 90-day scorecard before the offer
Ask a former employer: “On a 1–10, how would you rate them in that seat, and what did they struggle with?” Then write 30/60/90 before they start: inbox to a rule, calendar that holds, and two recurring loops they now own.
Red flags
Resume says executive assistant then the only work was a VA task list for five people.
They cannot describe a week they owned. They only list tools.
They cannot walk through how they ran an inbox or a calendar.
A new job every few months.
What it costs
Model
You employ them?
Fits when
Cost shape
The catch
Model
US in-house
You employ them?
Yes
Fits when
Local / on-site, or a US remote seat the company will pay market for
Cost shape
$5k+
a month
The catch
Slow search. Expensive.
Model
LATAM / EU direct-hire
You employ them?
Yes
Fits when
A dedicated executive assistant on US hours, on the team
Cost shape
$2–3k
a month
The catch
Still need the paid sample.
Model
Upwork / OnlineJobs.ph VA
You employ them?
Sometimes
(contractor)
Fits when
Overflow admin, not the executive’s week
Cost shape
Cheap
hourly, split attention
The catch
You are the recruiter and the manager, and you are one of their many clients.
Model
Managed EA
You employ them?
No
Fits when
The company wants the vendor to recruit, train, and replace
Cost shape
$3,000
per month with an annual commitment
The catch
You do not employ them. Wages are marked up 20–50%. A buyout is typically $20–24k. Talent often from SE Asia.
Zabota is the LATAM / EU direct-hire option in that table. One-time fee, no retainer, no wage markup, 90-day replacement. The client employs the executive assistant.
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