The Executive Assistants and Operations Professionals we work with provide critical right-hand support to their executive teams, act as strategic business partners, and form the backbone of the companies they serve.
Find Remote Work, Now.
Demystifying the Remote Job Market: Clickable Resources to find remote work in two (2) easy steps.
Why is it so hard to find remote jobs?
Hop on to LinkedIn and punch in “remote jobs” and you’ll find over 400,000 results in the US alone. Better still, you can Google it and see 1.3 million results (at the time of writing).
Ok so that sounds easy, but you probably already know that it’s not. And as you can only do one full-time job at a time, you’re going to want to narrow that field down a little.
Whether you’re looking for your first remote gig or considering moving on from your current remote role, there are several resources out there to help you. From remote-specific job boards to social media heroes — we’ve got you covered.
Before you start job-hunting
You’ve already decided you love the freedom, flexibility, and balance that remote work can offer. Now you need to find the one 💖
This search is going to be different from a typical job hunt. There are some things you can do to make sure you’re best prepared for hitting the job boards and searching for opportunities.
Take a look at this advice from Half Half Travel on everything from preparing your resume, to specific advice on applying to remote jobs.
So where can I actually find remote jobs? (in 2 steps)
Not all heroes wear capes, some hang out on LinkedIn
The internet has you covered. Some very helpful people have done the hard work already and compiled extensive lists of remote job boards:
And they’re not alone. There are people working across all socials to empower others through opportunity, by regularly posting updates on remote working opportunities. For best results, try the following hashtag searches:
Tip: LinkedIn also lets you follow these hashtags and set up alerts for new posts, so you can stay up to date with what’s out there.
You can also try #RemoteWorking — but it’s mostly people talking about joining Zoom calls from a beach in The Bahamas. Or how they built a home office at the bottom of their garden. Not much help in finding you an actual job, but it does highlight the benefits of going remote.
THE BEST JOB BOARDS FOR REMOTE WORKERS:
Every board will naturally range in quality and relevance, so it’s always worth doing your own research. You’ll notice that some show up in multiple lists, which is a good sign that they’re widely used and ultimately a good tool. Most of them are free to use for job-seekers, which is the industry norm.
Skillcrush has put together a list of 30 of the best remote job boards. They even have a section dedicated solely to freelance and contract opportunities.
Wordstream has done something similar, and they’ve included a handy list of companies that hire remote workers, giving you the opportunity to stand out by making direct approaches.
Novoresume offers a good mix of job boards and direct employers, and includes helpful tips on how to conduct your search.
FlexJobs feature on pretty much every list going, but they offer something a little different. They’re a paid subscription offering a more personal, tailored service to support anyone — but especially those venturing into the unknown to try and find remote work for the first time.
2. Call on your community
As useful as they are, it takes more than scrolling through job boards and feeling seen by an algorithm to keep your spirits high during a lengthy job search.
There’s not much interaction or conversation until you actually apply for a job, upload your resume, then wait for a call/email from a recruiter or hiring manager which isn’t ever guaranteed.
This is where online networks, groups, and community spaces come in handy. You can browse, interact with posts, set alerts, get notifications, and most importantly, you stand a chance of speaking to the person posting the job.
Here are some groups to check out:
And there are so many more — find the ones that work for you and stay vigilant because in and amongst the real jobs, there are always MLM schemes.
If you don’t have a fixed location and like the idea of traveling and working at the same time — the team at Citizen Remote are building something great. They’re a one-stop-shop for all things remote and freelancing — from digital visas, to co-working/living spaces, and more. You can also check out opportunities via their own job board.
Now you’re all set to find the right remote role for you.
Time to level up your search because you know all the best places to look!
Looking for even more options? Or want to hire remote workers?
You can also reach out, we often have remote and hybrid opportunities for Executive Assistants, Admin Support, People Operations, Recruiters, and much, more.
Achieving Equality: Why Every Day Matters
Happy Martin Luther King Day! It’s now been sixty years since one man’s dream for everyone to be treated equally was spoken out loud for the whole world to hear. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since the dark days of segregation that preceded the civil rights movement. We absolutely loved to see how our nation rallied for Damar Hamlin's recovery, collectively raising nearly $9,000,000 dollars for his children's charity. But does that mean Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s dream has now been realized?
One look at the striking race gap in corporate America says no, not at all. And you didn’t need us to tell you that, because we’re all living through the same reckoning as a nation. Where issues like police brutality, wealth inequality, and a lack of access to housing and healthcare are being brought into our awareness in the form of harrowing news stories, every single day.
So what can we do as business owners or employers? Well, as MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, it’s a great time to review your diversity, equality, and inclusion efforts.
Days like today are good for reflection and remembering. But we can’t expect to see meaningful change if we’re only willing to take action on special awareness days. Because for those impacted, be that by race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, social demographic, or the myriad of other reasons a person may find themselves ‘othered’ by society – there are barriers that must be faced every day.
Despite the rising call for awareness over recent years, diversity related workplace statistics still make for sobering reading. And this is an issue that goes way beyond hiring.
As employers, we all have enough information by now to work on creating an environment where each person is celebrated for what makes them different, and all feel comfortable being themselves at work. You can’t have inclusivity without accessibility, so this goes further than good intentions and carefully chosen words. People also need the tools and infrastructure in place to enable them to thrive at work, regardless of their individual circumstances.
As we inch closer to our differences being championed at work every day, not via box ticking exercises but through our collaborative efforts to implement practical solutions, MLK moves one step closer to achieving his dream. And if that’s not motivation enough, here are five good reasons why a solid DEI strategy makes good business sense.
Diversity breeds innovation
Every business can benefit from a broad range of perspectives and ideas. When people from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures come together, they bring with them unique perspectives and ways of thinking which can lead to new ideas, fresh approaches, and breakthrough solutions.
In a diverse work environment, people feel comfortable sharing their ideas and are more likely to challenge the status quo, leading to greater creativity and innovation. In short, diversity drives progress and finds new and better ways of getting things done.
Better informed decision making
People from different backgrounds produce a wide range of ideas and ways of thinking. This leads to more rounded exploration of issues and greater ability to solve problems.
Diverse teams in decision-making are also less vulnerable to blindspots, as the sum of their differences can help reduce groupthink and biases. This leads to fairer assessments, a more thorough approach to problem solving, and greater consideration of potential consequences, to ultimately lead to making better informed decisions.
Increased market success
A diverse workforce allows for greater understanding and connection with the customer base. This leads to better customer experiences and improved products and services. Products and services developed by diverse teams will also be more inclusive, able to meet the needs of a wider range of people, which increases customer satisfaction and sales potential.
Companies with diverse leadership teams have also been shown to financially outperform their peers, and find it easier to attract top talent from a wide range of backgrounds.
A culture of connection
When people feel like they belong and are valued, they tend to be more engaged, motivated, and satisfied with their work. An inclusive staff culture can help create a sense of belonging, leading to greater performance overall.
Diversity metrics can be a useful tool for measuring the demographic makeup of your organization, but they won’t provide much clarity on their own. By measuring your employee engagement, staff retention, satisfaction, and performance – you’ll gain a clear picture of how different people feel within your organization. Critically, this will also show where you can improve.
Addressing inequalities
Historically, there’s been a colossal underrepresentation of marginalized groups in leadership and within certain industries and roles. Today, many organizations still pay women and people of color less than white men for the same work.
By recognizing and addressing their own biases and privilege, individuals and organizations can take an active role in promoting equity and social justice, which is a crucial step towards addressing and dismantling systemic inequalities.
The bottom line
MLK day always makes us think about what can be achieved by one person who dares to dream that life can be better for everyone. Just imagine what we can achieve together.
If you’re looking to partner with a recruiting firm who believes that the struggle for equality impacts everyone, every day, let’s have a conversation.
How to speak up for yourself as an Administration professional
Administrative professionals – including Executive Assistants, Administrative Business Partners, Chiefs of Staff and People Operations Managers – are used to working behind the scenes. They are often the team members responsible for a myriad of tasks, from managing team’s correspondence to planning meetings, as well as ordering office supplies and checking in visitors. During the pandemic, many have taken on additional responsibilities, including enforcing safety protocols and maintaining compliance records. While the demands on their time grows, these vital team members face additional pressure. They are regularly expected to be the ‘point person’ for multiple departments, given their extensive knowledge of and contacts across their company.
These challenges demonstrate why it’s more important than ever for Administrative team members to speak up for themselves, set boundaries as well as practice self-care. We know that sticking up for yourself in this field is not easy. While support team members are expected to know company processes and procedures, they are also expected to ‘roll up their sleeves’ and help out, even if it is outside of their scope of work. Day-to-day, you will work with everyone from C-Suite Executives, to Human Resource professionals and everyone in between. Given that you are expected to influence leaders across the company – without always necessarily having a title to match theirs – speaking up for your needs is paramount:
You can be assertive without appearing critical by setting time aside with your hiring manager and clearly outlining your objectives for your role. Make sure you come to the meeting prepared with a list of these goals – and just as importantly – how your hiring manager can help you meet them. Maybe you are at capacity and need additional resources to support you with certain tasks. Perhaps you need to be able to leave the office at a certain time of the day, and have ideas on how you can still keep on top of your work. You may even feel that your experience and success at the company mean that it is time to ask for a raise. Make your case by outlining specific areas of success during your tenure on the team, and how this has contributed to the broader organization. Come prepared to the meeting with a specific salary range in mind for their consideration. Hiring managers are often grateful when their team members share their needs, while giving them ideas for providing the support you need!
Perhaps it is your manager or someone on the team that does not respect your boundaries, or uses language you do not feel comfortable with. The first thing to recognize is that they may not be doing so intentionally; many of our colleagues may be dealing with personal challenges we may not be aware of, and the stress of these may be manifesting themselves in their behavior to you and other co-workers. Where possible, take the time to speak to them 1:1 and talk about how a specific behavior has made you feel. That will show your colleague that your feedback is not personal, and that they have the opportunity to change their ways. If the behavior continues however, you should contact your Human Resource team for further guidance.
Most importantly, it’s important to recognize the incredible value you bring to your company. It’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day at work, but every now and then, take a look at what you have achieved. It may seem small to you; resolving a calendar conflict for an Executive, organizing a team event, or cleaning up the database, yet these save your team valuable time – and money – every day.
National Administrative Professionals Day offers an opportunity for those who work with you to not only show appreciation for your hard work, but for fellow Administrative professionals to empower each other and share best practices. Take advantage of networking opportunities with like-minded professionals through online communities like MeetUp and LinkedIn. Connecting with others will not only give you valuable insight into how others in your field may be addressing challenges you have come up against as well, but it will also build your support network; one that you can tap into when you feel only another Administrative professional could understand what you may be going through at work.
By advocating for yourself, you can expect your colleagues to respect your boundaries and take more ownership of your time. If your employer does not support you or you’d like to explore new roles, we have a wealth of opportunities for experienced Administrative professionals across the Bay Area and beyond.
Spring clean your hiring strategy with these four tips
How to show appreciation for your team members working 'behind the scenes'
Keys to Hiring in the San Francisco Bay Area
How to Deal with Job Rejection
Casting a Wide Net with the Recruiting Process
5 Benefits of Hiring Remote Employees
There's no denying that the global workforce as we all know it is changing. Thanks to technological advancements, the growing demand for employee flexibility over salary, and the COVID-19 pandemic, more companies than ever are shifting their office culture from traditional, in-person encounters to remote-friendly alternatives. If you are on the fence about bringing on remote team members or transitioning your current employees to remote roles, you may be surprised by how beneficial doing so can be. Here are 5 reasons that hiring remote employees could be the best decision your company ever makes.