Work can be stressful, especially when you’re an Engineering Manager. Most of the time though, we can push through it, as long as we work hard enough. But there will come a time where the amount of work that needs to be done is bigger than we can handle. And at that moment, we managers have to decide whether we can handle the situation, or if it’s finally time to hire a Personal Assistant.
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But when should we hire one? Sure, it’s always nice to get some help, but that means an extra person to pay for and supervise. Luckily, Allison Hemming CEO of The Hired Guns, is here to help. Here are 6 signs to tell you that you’re in need of an assistant:
You’re working your hardest, but nothing’s getting done
“Analyze your personal productivity by tracking everything you spend time on for two weeks,” says Hemming. “If you see anything you can outsource, do it. Your core business, what people are hiring you for, should be between 40 and 50 percent of your workload.”
You can’t keep track of anything anymore
Once things like setting alarms and reminders begin to be insufficient for your daily planning needs, you know it’s time you need to get help.
You’re so busy you can’t take on new clients
Once you reach the point of having to turn down new projects in order to finish everything else, you begin to raise your rates. “And if you still need help, that bump might pay for your assistant.”
You’re procrastinating
Sometimes even the most dedicated manager can begin to fall into its trap once under immense pressure. “You may be getting tons of work, but if you don’t follow up on this stuff you could still be broke,” states Hemmings. “Hand it over. Just make sure you don’t detach completely, because it’s still your business, and you need to know what’s going on.”
You’re just not skilled enough in some parts of your job that’s required to be done
If you know you’re bad at a certain task that is vital for your work, you may need to hire someone to do that for you.
You can afford a PA
This might be the most obvious, but it’s also the most important. Remember, don’t spend money you don’t have. You don’t have to dive right in and give a PA 50% of your work ASAP. You can start just hiring them for a few hours per week, then increase their workload once you have the necessary funds to do so.
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