Why Generic Job Boards Don’t Work for Executive Support Roles

Let’s be honest: job boards are completely impersonal. Swipe right, swipe left, add a few AI enhancements, and suddenly everyone claims to be a “perfect fit.” That might work fine for technical roles where skills and experience are black and white. But when it comes to hiring a C-Level Executive Assistant (EA) or high-level administrative professional, job boards miss the most important mark: personality.

After nearly 50 years of recruiting for executive support roles, I can say this with certainty: generic job boards attract thousands of unqualified applicants and waste enormous amounts of time and money for HR professionals.

The Limitations of Job Boards

Posting an EA role on a big-name site usually results in one of two things:

1. A tidal wave of unqualified applications—many from outside the country, many that look good only on paper, but in person… oy vey.

2. The right candidates are skipping the posting altogether because they know confidentiality matters at this level.

Executive Assistants aren’t just “support staff.” They’re confidantes, gatekeepers, project managers, and sometimes the steady hand steering the ship when things get rough. The key is finding someone whose personality and professionalism align with the specific needs and personality of the executive. Would you really entrust that search to an algorithm that matches résumés by keyword?

Because let’s be real: “Calendar Management” on a résumé doesn’t tell you if the person can calm a frazzled CEO before their 7 a.m. coffee and board meeting.

Why Specialized Recruiting Works

This is where specialized recruiters, like our team at Alan J. Blair Personnel, save HR leaders time, money, and headaches. With decades devoted to Executive Assistant and administrative placements, we know what résumés don’t reveal: personality, discretion, professionalism, and the ability to anticipate needs before they’re spoken.

Our advantage isn’t just in screening résumés, it’s in screening people. We’ve sat across from tens of thousands of candidates in our San Francisco office over the past 49 years. And here’s the truth: you can learn more in a 15-minute in-person interview than you’ll ever glean from 15 polished LinkedIn profiles. Tone of voice, eye contact, and confidence (or lack thereof) never show up in a digital application stack.

The In-Office Edge

We’ve always believed in meeting candidates face-to-face whenever possible. Why? Because executives don’t just need someone who can do the job, they need someone who can fit the job. Personality match is everything.

Our clients pay us to do the heavy lifting. We conduct the first and second rounds of interviews, narrowing the pool from a thousand applicants to the best three. In person, we see how someone carries themselves, how they handle pressure, and whether they exude that quiet confidence leaders rely on. We also look for the positive “can-do” mindset that separates good assistants from great ones. That’s not something you can measure with an online quiz.

Confidentiality Counts

Another problem with job boards? Confidentiality, or lack of it. Many of our clients ask for confidential searches. Executives don’t want the world to know they’re replacing an assistant. A public posting invites thousands of applicants, awkward questions, speculation, or worse, tips off the very employee you may be planning to replace.

We handle this with complete discretion. We network quietly, tap trusted long-standing relationships (some of which are over 20 years old), and handpick the right candidates. We interview them in person and present the strongest three or four. That’s where our true value comes in: we understand why a candidate is seeking a new opportunity, their strengths and weaknesses, and what will enable them to truly thrive in the role.

The Real Solution for Executive Assistant Hiring

If you’re hiring at the executive support level, ask yourself: Would you trust your most sensitive business decisions to a one-size-fits-all template? Of course not. So why entrust your next Executive Assistant hire to a generic job board?

With nearly 50 years in the business, we’ve built the networks, intuition, and proven process to match the right person to the right executive. Not just a résumé to a job description, but a personality to a leadership style. That’s the difference between filling a seat and finding a true right hand. It’s one of the most rewarding things we do and why we love working with our clients so much.

Bottom line: Job boards may be fine for most roles, but when it comes to hiring your next Sr. Executive Assistant or administrative superstar, specialized recruiting isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. It’s quality over quantity.