6 Qualities To Look For When Hiring Administrative Staff

Whether you are a small church or a megachurch, every church staff needs people who help keep the trains running on time.

When your team is looking to hire an administrative staff member, you need to seek someone who is not only a great culture fit but who also has characteristics and qualities needed to do the job well.

Here are six traits to seek when hiring administrative help for your church staff.

1. Someone who asks “Is there anything I can help you with today?”

Your Receptionist, Office Assistant, Executive Assistant, or whoever it may be on your administrative staff is there to help keep the office running smoothly. Because they are there to complete vital tasks that help everyone else in their jobs, they should always be asking the questions “How can I help you today?” Seek administrative professionals who have a genuine desire to be helpful.

2. Someone who can anticipate your needs

The administrative staff is your support staff; they are there to help you be able to do your pastoral duties better and with more efficiency. Look for administrative staff members who are willing to take initiative when they see a problem. Whether it be a calendar mix up or fixing the office printer, this person must be willing to take on the things that you may not have time to do. Seek someone who is able to do their job without having to be told what to do every step of the way.

3. Someone who is willing to take instruction

As well as being willing to take initiative, your support system should be able to take instruction and take it well. You never want a church team member who says, “That’s not in my job description.” Hire administrative staff members who are teachable and who take direction well so that they can serve you and the church well.

4. Someone who is detail-oriented and reliable

As a sister of two siblings who are in full-time ministry, I know first-hand that neither of them are detail-oriented. This is a generalization and varies from person to person, but many pastors are “big picture” thinkers and focused on vision or pastoral duties; therefore, they may be prone to overlooking the small details that need to get done.

Seek out administrative staff members who are detail-oriented and have the ability to create itineraries and delegate well. You want to hire someone you can trust who can see the big picture and then help complete the details to make the big picture happen. Your church’s Office Assistant will be need to be able to multitask while seeing all the little details in every task.

5. Someone who is able to round out your staff

Just like you can have all the eggs and sugar in the world but can’t make a cake without flour, you can have a staff of wonderful vision-casters and brainstormers but not have a well-rounded staff. When hiring a new church team member, it’s easy to find someone who you really like because they are similar to you, but you need to find someone who has the skills that you don’t have.

For example, if you are a people-oriented leader, you probably need an Executive Assistant who is task-oriented. As an employer, you need to make a list of the things this new administrative hire needs to be able to do and then seek a church team member who has the personality strengths and innate skills to fill that role well.

6. Someone who is servant-hearted

Most importantly, you want to hire a church administrative staff member who has a servant’s heart. This person will be there to serve you, your staff, and the church. Being an administrative team member is more than just a list of tasks; it’s a vital supporting role, and you need to seek someone who desires that role. While administrative roles are not glamorous, in-the-spotlight roles, they are nevertheless the backbone of any church or organization.

What other traits do you seek when hiring administrative staff members?