Executive Assistant vs Business Assistant: Which Do You Actually Need?

What's the difference between an EA and a Business Assistant?

The simplest answer is that an Executive Assistant primarily supports an individual, while a Business Assistant provides broader support to a business, team or multiple stakeholders.

There can be overlap, particularly in smaller or growing businesses, but they are not necessarily the same role.

In my experience recruiting Executive Assistants and business support professionals, one of the most common mistakes clients make is focusing on the job title before properly defining what they actually need the person to do.

You may think you need an EA, but when you look at the role in more detail, you may actually need someone who will spend most of their time coordinating projects, supporting the wider team and keeping the business organised.

Equally, you may think you need general business support when what you really need is someone who can work closely with a CEO or Founder, manage priorities, protect their time and become a trusted extension of them.

Getting the brief right at the beginning is important. It affects the type of candidate you attract, the level of experience you need and ultimately whether the hire will be successful.

What is an Executive Assistant?

An Executive Assistant is primarily there to support a senior individual, usually a CEO, Founder, Partner or C-suite executive.

Their role is centred around making that individual more effective.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Complex diary and inbox management
• Meeting preparation and follow-up
• Managing internal and external stakeholders
• Coordinating travel and logistics
• Preparing briefing documents and presentations
• Acting as a gatekeeper
• Following up on actions and key priorities
• Supporting projects and business initiatives
• Managing confidential and sensitive information

The best EAs are not simply waiting to be told what to do. They understand their executive, anticipate what is coming next and use their judgement to manage competing priorities.

For a demanding CEO or Founder, the level of experience can make a significant difference. A highly experienced EA may need to manage upwards, make decisions independently and be confident dealing with senior stakeholders.

What is a Business Assistant?

A Business Assistant is generally more focused on supporting the wider business.

Rather than working solely as the right-hand person to one individual, they may support multiple stakeholders or work across several areas of the organisation.

Their responsibilities might include:

• Supporting a leadership team or multiple stakeholders
• Coordinating meetings and business activity
• Preparing documents and presentations
• Managing projects and deadlines
• Supporting internal processes
• Liaising with suppliers and external contacts
• Organising events or offsites
• Supporting onboarding and team administration
• Taking ownership of the day-to-day tasks that keep the business moving

This can be a particularly valuable role in a growing business where there are lots of things that need doing, but they don't necessarily belong to one person or department.

Can one person do both?

Absolutely, and this is something I regularly see when recruiting for smaller and growing businesses.

A Founder may need someone to manage their diary and travel, prepare them for meetings and keep track of important actions. But they may also need that person to coordinate projects, organise internal processes and support the wider team.

In this situation, the role may sit somewhere between an Executive Assistant and a Business Assistant.

The important thing is to be realistic about where the person will actually spend their time.

If most of the role involves supporting the wider business, hiring someone looking for a pure, high-level EA position may not be the right fit.

Equally, if a CEO is becoming overwhelmed and needs someone capable of managing priorities, protecting their time and acting as a trusted extension of them, a generalist Business Assistant may not provide the level of support they need.

A common mistake when hiring

One of the most common conversations I have with clients is when they come to me asking for an EA.

Once we discuss the role in detail, it sometimes becomes clear that they only need traditional EA support for part of the role. The rest involves coordinating projects, supporting the team, organising processes and dealing with general business administration.

In that situation, a Business Assistant or hybrid role may be a much better fit.

The opposite can happen too. A client may initially think they need general business support, but one senior executive is clearly becoming the bottleneck. Their diary is unmanageable, important actions are being delayed and too many people need their time and input.

That is usually a sign that they need an experienced EA.

This is why spending time on the brief before starting the recruitment process is so important.

When should you hire an EA?

You should consider hiring an Executive Assistant when the demands on a senior executive's time are starting to affect how effectively they can operate.

This could include:

• An unmanageable diary or inbox
• Too many requests coming directly to the executive
• Important actions or follow-ups being missed
• Spending too much time organising meetings, travel and logistics
• Constantly reacting rather than focusing on priorities
• Becoming the bottleneck for decisions or information

The right EA can create structure around a demanding role and give an executive back valuable time.

When should you hire a Business Assistant?

A Business Assistant can be an excellent hire when the pressure is being felt across the business rather than by one individual.

You might have projects that need coordinating, processes that are becoming more complicated or a growing team that needs additional support.

Rather than needing a dedicated EA for one executive, you need someone organised and proactive who can work across different areas and take ownership of the tasks that might otherwise fall between different people.

For a growing SME, Founder-led business or investment firm, this can be an extremely valuable hire.

What should you consider before hiring?

Before deciding whether you need an Executive Assistant or Business Assistant, ask yourself:

• Who will this person primarily support?
• What problems do we need them to solve?
• What tasks are currently taking up too much time?
• How much of the role involves supporting one individual versus the wider business?
• Will they need to manage upwards?
• How much autonomy and decision-making will the role require?
• What level of experience do we genuinely need?

In my experience, answering these questions before you start recruiting can completely change the brief.

The job title is less important than getting the role right

An Executive Assistant and a Business Assistant can both be exceptional hires, but they are not automatically interchangeable.

The most important thing is understanding what problem you are trying to solve and being clear about what you need the person to take ownership of.

If you're considering hiring an Executive Assistant, Business Assistant or a hybrid of the two, Leaman Consulting can help define the role, benchmark the appropriate level of experience and identify candidates with the right combination of skills and judgement for your business.

Getting the job title right is useful.

Getting the hire right is what really matters.