Get The Yulys App
Start your job search on-the-go and
never miss
a message or job alert.
Get The Yulys App
Start your job search on-the-go and
never miss
a message or job alert.
The task of hiring the right executive assistant for a family office based in New York can be difficult. Calendars, investments, and personal travels are combined before breakfast; even one wrong hire can disrupt the whole household.
Many super-rich families avoid using job boards and go for a specialized recruiter who is often tapped into their elite EA network. This article ranks the five top firms in terms of the speed of shortlisting, retention, and specialization.
We’ll go over the reasons why each earns its 20-25 percent contingency, how we reviewed them, and when it makes sense for you to conduct the search in order to save time in your schedule.
The job of running a family office entails the merging of two worlds – one of business strategy and the other of personal management. The assistant operating effectively in this combined universe does everything from planning jet flights and proofreading memos to ensuring that the Labrador visits the vet on time. Thus, when looking for a successful corporate life résumé, it should not be surprising that it falls short in managing life at home.
Generalist recruitment firms are all about quantity instead of quality. They announce open positions, look for keywords in resumes and present a list of candidates who match the requirement to some extent. You waste hours of your time interviewing candidates only to find out in the end that not a single one has any prior experience in handling a portfolio review and a last-minute dinner in the Hamptons on the same day.
Specialist recruitment agencies help determine this gap. They are already aware of the assistants who execute operations similar to those performed on Wall Street, maintain confidentiality, and are equally comfortable using Bloomberg terminals and buying presents. Since these agencies are engaged only in recruitment of executive and personal assistants, they are capable of detecting red flags before the resumes reach your inbox.
Another advantage is speed. While an internal search can take up to 60 days, a specialized recruiter can utilize its network and provide finalists in less than two weeks. The costs of leaving a position unfilled is reduced, and confidential information won't fall into the wrong hands.
According to top executive assistant recruiting firm C-Suite Assistants, its New York database holds more than 6,000 pre-vetted executive and personal assistants, enabling recruiters to deliver a 2-3-candidate finalist slate in as little as five days. Each hire comes with a 90-day replacement guarantee, turning speed gains into a safety net for the principal.
At last, it’s time to talk about professional companies that also absorb certain risks for you. The best EA recruitment agencies guarantee free replacement in case the new hire quits on you soon after, demonstrating their confident approach to recruitment.
The best solution when time, money, and privacy meet is to employ a business partner.
You have the right to see how this guide is scored. The process started with over twenty New York recruiting agencies that claim to know how to place executive assistants, which we ended up rating according to five relevant data-driven factors.
We initiated our evaluation by looking at specialization. If a firm specializes in only the placement of senior executive roles, it achieves immediate credibility. Generalist firms, regardless of their reputation, were eliminated from contention.
The second point was the quality of candidates. We inquired about factual data like the retention rate for six months and information related to multi-step assessment or background checks. Organizations that monitor and provide this information proceeded ahead; stories alone were hopeless.
The next aspect considered was speed. A vacancy for an EA position results in loss of money which is harmful to mental well-being. Hence, we gave thought to the duration it takes on average for getting the first shortlist and the possibility of finding a temporary solution in a short time.
Client satisfaction came next. Industry accolades, independent ratings, and repeat business help determine how recruiters interact with their clients and staff after the bills are paid.
At last, we analyzed transparency in the following aspects: accuracy of fee percentages, promissory replacement guarantees in oral or written form, and having one contact person.
These five elements were assigned percentages, by using weighted distribution of 35-25-20-10-10. Based on these very figures, we calculated our score and come up with our ranked Top 5 list. We accepted only those companies that did not pay for their positioning and those which could verify their own facts.
Ready to see who made the cut?
See every recruiter’s sweet spot, speed, cost, and a stand-out metric in one view.
| Recruiter | Niche focus | Avg. time to shortlist | Fee & guarantee | Stand-out metric |
| C-Suite Assistants | Executive and personal assistants for finance and family offices | ~2 weeks | 20 percent contingency, 3-month replacement | 6,000 + pre-vetted NYC EAs |
| Tiger Recruitment | UHNW, celebrity, and hybrid EA/PA roles (global reach) | 3-4 weeks perm, <1 week temp | 25 percent contingency, 4-month guarantee | Psychometric vetting on request |
| Joss Search | Private equity, hedge fund, and alternative-investment support staff | 2-3 weeks | 25 percent contingency | Publishes annual salary data for finance EAs |
| SilverChair Partners | Ultra-discreet, retained searches for CEOs and billionaires | 3-5 weeks (retained) | Retained search | Network-only candidate pool (invitation access) |
| BCL Search | Admin roles across finance, media, tech, and nonprofits | 1-2 weeks | 25 percent contingency | 99 percent retention rate |
Consider this table a quick means of selection. If speed is your most pressing concern, focus on C-Suite or BCL. If concierge types of vetting are more critical, Tiger or SilverChair should be at the forefront. Each service has its own real-world pros and cons, which we will discuss in the next section.
The phenomenon known as sticker shock exists. A highly experienced executive assistant in New York City nowadays can command an annual salary that may start from a figure in the vicinity of $120,000 and exceed $150,000 when working for an elite billion-dollar family office. All other forms of remuneration can increase the total package close to $200,000.
What the reason behind this growth? Two reasons can explain the cause. First, on Wall Street, firms and private-equity groups keep giving their people pay rises to cope with 80-hour working weeks. Second, single-family companies have also cropped up around New York, where they are hunting for the same kind of discreet, financially literate staff. Once demand exceeds supply, the bidding process starts.
The amount spent on recruitment fees mirrors that of salaries. It is prudent to set aside around 20-25 percent of the first year’s salary for this. When you have an annual salary of $140,000, the invoice is around $30,000. This might seem like a sizeable sum until you calculate the cost of going without having staff for two months, failing to close deals, and making a costly mistake with a six-figure wire transfer.
Majority of companies in our list of Top 5 has a policy whereby they offer a replacement warranty to the people. Normally this policy lasts for a period of three months. If workers leave voluntarily from their jobs, these companies refill the position without charging anything extra.
In addition, timing plays an important role in the search process. Specialist agencies present a shortlist of candidates within 1 to 3 weeks, while a self search takes, in many cases, twice as long. Given the situation when successful applicants receive several job offers simultaneously, it can be hedged that speed is crucial in this market.
In conclusion, plan for both a superior salary and one-time placement charge. Remember to balance that expense against the revenue that can be generated as soon as your new right-hand man steps into the room.
If you place a premium on quality and speed, this is the place to start your search. C-Suite Assistants has made it its one goal to find executive and personal assistants for hedge-fund founders, CEOs, and the most discreet family offices in New York.
C-Suite Assistants website screenshot for NYC executive assistant recruiting
With a database of over 6,000 pre-screened assistants in NYC, your shortlist will be ready in about two weeks instead of two months. All candidates have already passed skills assessments, checked references, and participated in a chemistry test, which ensures that interviews resemble final rounds instead of first meetings.
Costs remain straightforward. A 20 percent success fee is charged based on the salary level with no fees paid in advance. If the employee resigns within three months, the company gets a free replacement of the hired person.
Continuity is also important to clients. The senior recruiter who begins your search is present through the process until the new assistant’s first day on the job. There are no handoffs, no voicemail exchanges but just one person who understands what it means when a flight is missed or an appointment is leaked.
Suitable for: heads of educational institutions who urgently require an aide while prioritizing confidentiality and suitability for long-term employment. Not suitable for people hiring administrative workers in large numbers or cheap organizations as it trades quantity for quality.
There are some principals who require an assistant capable of taking a reservation at the Tribeca restaurant for dinner at 7 pm, translating a contract into French at 9 pm, and boarding a G650 flight to Doha before noon. Tiger Recruitment is comfortable with performing these tasks.
Established in the luxury market of London, Tiger has recently opened an office in Madison Avenue to cater to the needs of people of New York who have busy travel itineraries and social life. It all starts with a lifestyle interview that looks into an individual’s working style, family role, and preferred method of interaction. The gained knowledge is used for a thorough vetting process where psychometric testing can also be done if deemed necessary.
The finishing touches will be applied to the selection process for permanent positions in three to four weeks. Meanwhile, Tiger Virtual has the facilities to place an EA, either interim or remote, in Slack within days. Costs are set on the high side, using a 25 percent contingency plus a four-month guarantee, well above what competitors can achieve.
Customers commend the preparation carried out by the firm. Recruiters discuss house etiquette, safety precautions, and signs of culture before the initial get-together so that there are no awkward blunders. The result is an assistant who knows what you want even before you ask for it.
Tyger should be selected if the ability to communicate in multiple languages, the extensive reach, and the privacy requirements are fundamental while the expense is not as critical. Otherwise, Tyger should be avoided if your role is typical office hours work, or if you prioritize speed over meticulousness in your budget.
At Joss Search, efficiency is held in high regard by both private equity partners and company management. While the company started as a recruit in London, it is now headquartered in Park Avenue and exclusively focuses on finding recruits for the alternative investments sector. Some of its key clients include private-equity firms, hedge funds, venture capitalists, and family offices.
The emphasis is evident in the introductory conversation. Recruiters utilize the concepts of carry schedules, deal cycles, and compliance walls. They can determine in a short period of time whether an applicant has really organized investor roadshows or simply was responsible for reserving meeting rooms.
Traditionally speaking, a search lasts between two and three weeks, mixing the talents from New York with a global bench represented by London and Frankfurt. Using that approach, they will have a shortlist of bilingual or transatlantic assistants familiar with the pattern of dealing with earnings calls and closing dinners.
Joss charges a contingency fee of 25 percent and it's said that most of their permanent placements - about 78 percent - stay beyond two years. In addition, the firm releases an annual salary report for finance assistants, providing you data to apply through the negotiations.
Opt for Joss when your family office is run like a small private equity firm or when your European origins demand an excellent EA who knows how to cross the barriers of time and culture. Don’t choose Joss if your operations are defined by charitable work rather than financial achievements, as their connections aim primarily at closing deals and not organizing social events.
Whenever a billionaire's executive staff needs a new assistant without anyone knowing that the position exists, SilverChair Partners are called in. The company is a secret, referral-based recruitment firm operated by a founder with extensive connections in the corporate world.
SilverChair Partners website screenshot for ultra-discreet family office EA searches
Searches conducted on a retained basis mean that SilverChair will work exclusively for you and will not offer the position to other clients. Exclusivity leads to greater attention and due diligence. Candidates come from a closed network of former chiefs of staff, celebrity handlers and former White House scheduler, people who rarely visit LinkedIn.
Create a schedule that balances speed and accuracy three to five weeks in advance of your interview with candidates. You may only meet two candidates in the end, but you will feel that both of them are a perfect fit for you in terms of everything from security measures to advice about art collection.
The senior recruitment team has 57 years of combined experience and emphasizes that an executive’s assistant can improve an executive’s daily productivity by as much as 30 to 40%. SilverChair is perfect for single family offices that value privacy highly, just like banks do, or for principals who want a partner capable of carrying out work invisibly.
Avoid it when you want to have multiple admins in a short time or if you belong to a contingency scenario. Use it when the reputation, confidentiality, and chemistry are more important than everything else.
BCL Search demonstrates that a small firm can outperform large brand competitions. The company operates with industry expertise across different verticals, including private equity, hedge funds, the media, technology, and their respective family offices.
The emphasis can be noticed in the figures of retention. The organization sustains a 99% retention rate for candidates, an impressive number that other companies in recruiting want. According to the recruiters, deep references and inability to send "maybe" CVs positively influence the outcome of the recruitment process. You will most probably meet three finalists who have been tested for high-speed finance.
Timing remains exact, with a short list of candidates ready in one to two weeks, with speed comparable to that of C-Suite, and an employment search that is conducted with a 25 percent contingency rate backed by over 1,500 successful placements. Moreover, insight into candidates’ background is deeper than the one provided by a LinkedIn search, as candidates come from personal referrals.
When a family office resembles a trading floor with rapid changes and deal flow, BCL truly stands out. If you prefer a more philanthropic approach or a more imaginative one, you may want to consult with another company that has a bigger network. However, if you need an executive assistant who will understand your capital-call notice at 7 am and recall your birthday gifts, BCL provides excellent service.
It is appealing to conduct your own search for employees. You can advertise a position, contact your LinkedIn connections, and save the 25 percent fee. Seemingly, this strategy is sound; however, in reality, it usually evolves into a job you never intended to take on.
The first issue to tackle is bandwidth. The typical executive assistant job listing receives a lot of applications from people who don’t even take the time to read the job description. Your task is to sort through all the résumés, call the right candidates, and contact their references, which takes a lot of time.
Another benefit is reach. High-performing assistants do not rely on job postings; they connect with candidates through the established contacts of influencers or through recruiters they know. If you conduct the job search on your own, you will only find the active candidates but not the ones who are passive and may be open to the right offer.
Third, vetting. Recruiters live on reputation, so they run background checks, call six supervisors, and test calendar triage under pressure. Internal HR teams can mirror that rigor only if they have spare capacity and niche know-how.
In conclusion, there is the issue of risk. An individual hired for such a position can put confidential information at risk in terms of schedule information and trip itineraries. To deal with that risk, providers offer a guarantee of hiring a replacement, which explains the fee.
When is it suitable to do things on your own? If the position is entry-level, has strict hours, or you have a good recommendation. In all other cases, mainly hybrid EA or PA posts working with private wealth, hiring a recruiting agency would make sense once your boss can use the time saved in the process again as productive work.
How much does a recruiter charge to place an executive assistant?
Expect to pay in the range of 20 to 25 percent of the person’s first-year salary. The amount becomes payable only upon hiring a candidate, and most firms among our Top 5 provide a three-month replacement guarantee.
How long will it take to fill the role?
Typically, expert firms deliver a refined list of candidates after two weeks while successfully finishing the search process within four weeks. If a company conducts the search itself, the process can take up to eight weeks in total.
What salary should I budget for a senior EA in New York?
Family-office staff having strong finance or UHNW background typically make $120,000 to $150,000 in base salary. When adding bonuses, overtime, and other benefits, total compensation can easily exceed $200,000.
Can I hire a part-time or remote EA instead?
Certainly, there are some drawbacks. Remote assistance is useful for managing calendars and emails, but almost all managers still choose someone available on-site to help them with confidential work that may require their presence. It is possible to combine both techniques, but eventually, savings whittle down with travel and overtime included.
What if the assistant quits during probation?
Most of the recruiters mentioned here will fill the position again without any cost during the guarantee period. Ensure open communications with both the hiring agency and the hire during the first 90 days so that any incompatibility can be reported without delay.
Why can’t I just post on LinkedIn and save the fee?
You have the option, but the overall experience is filled with hurdles such as reviewing hundreds of applications, losing out on unassuming candidates, and putting at risk hiring the wrong person which would violate the confidence. In fact, for most important roles, family offices consider the fees for recruiters more as an invested insurance rather than an additional expense.
Choosing a recruiter is a two-way process that involves an interview. The recruitment agency assesses your requirements while you assess the worth of the agency. Answer the questions below before signing the fee agreement. Five minutes invested in due diligence today will save you from months of regret.
In selecting a recruiter for a family-office position:
Check every box and you will enter the search confident you hired a partner, not a résumé pusher.
It would be unwise to take chances when it comes to recruiting and hiring a suitable executive assistant for a New York City-based family office. Using one of the specialist recruiting firms mentioned above and following the due-diligence checklist ensures minimum hiring risks, maximum speed, and confidentiality when dealing with the principals of the organization.
©YulysLLC - 2026 All Rights Reserved | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Data Deletion | Yulys Ads Program