Hiring an Admin for Your Tutoring Business

Finding an administrative assistant is a big step for any booming tutoring business. Here are the basics to beginning the search for the right candidate for your admin needs.

As your business grows, so will demands on your time and attention. If you find it difficult to balance your own tutoring and the admin side of your booming business, it might be time to invest in hiring an administrative assistant.

For starters, you’ll need:

• A good idea of what kind of support your business requires: do you need a full- or part-time assistant? Are they experienced or entry-level?
• A well-written job posting: (here is a good template. Read on below for more details.)
• A budget: in other words, a solid estimate of the costs and financial parameters of the new job, like work hours, compensation, and any benefits.

What should the role include?

The scope of the administrative assistant’s role depends on what kind of support you need. Are you looking for someone to handle scheduling, new clients’ information, answering telephones and emails, payroll?

How much should your admin work?

That depends on two things:

how much support your business needs, in terms of volume of work and number of hours/days per week
your budget

Finding your ideal administrative assistant

Ensure that your job posting includes a detailed breakdown of what skills and level of experience candidates should have. For an administrative assistant, the important skills relate to managing your busy schedule, any employees (like your associate tutors), and your clientele.

Remember to include details in your job posting about the expected number of hours/days your ideal candidate would be able to work; their required level of education and years of experience in general office administration and software proficiency; and any other criteria that are important to your tutoring business.

There are plenty of online resources for finding your administrative assistant. Indeed.com is popular with thousands of job searchers and has free and premium posting options. Other digital mainstays include Craigslist and LinkedIn.

For more free and premium job posting sites, check out Fit Small Business’ comprehensive guide.

What do you ask?

You want the right person for the job, with a minimum of hassle after the hiring process. So don’t skimp on the interview stage. A phone interview may suffice for introducing yourself and learning more about potential candidates. However, an in-person interview is a must before any hiring decision is made.

Ask general questions about your candidates’ interest in the position. Your interview should focus around two major questions:

Why are you interested in this role?
What makes you the perfect candidate?

You’ll also want to ask specific questions relating to your tutoring business’ particular needs. For instance, is there any software that your candidate should be proficient in, like payment or payroll tools? What if anything your clients might require, like particular language skills?

You should also ensure that your candidate is aware of the expected workload and hours, so don’t forget to ask whether they are prepared to meet those requirements.

After the hire

Once you’ve found the ideal candidate and made your offer, it’s good practice to set up a probationary period of employment. Let your new employee know that you’ll review their performance in the first few months of beginning with your business. That way, your administrative assistant knows what is expected of them, and you protect yourself against any potential problems early on.