Since founding Indispensable Recruitment in 2013, Vanessa has been recognized as a determined entrepreneur, having quickly established the firm as a prominent leader in the recruitment community for executive assistants. In addition to dedicating herself to the growth and management of the company, Vanessa is actively involved in strengthening Indispensable recruitment processes and customer relations. Passionately driven by the role of the executive assistant, Vanessa also conducts conferences, hosts exclusive events, manages an EA mentorship program, and frequently shares information to promote the profession. As President of the Board of Directors for the Association of Administrative Professionals of Quebec since 2016, Vanessa aims to improve the profession in every possible way. As an HEC alumnus, she combines both a focused and warm approach that appeals to both her candidates and clients.
As the President of Indispensable, how is your firm helping the business community transform their workforce and improve the effectiveness of leaders or teams?
At Indispensable, being singularly focused on the Executive Assistant (EA) role, our mission is to not only promote the role but also help leaders get the most out of the unique synergy that exists between an Executive & their EA. We focus on the “FIT” so Leaders can become more efficient and have a greater impact on their role. I consider the EA role as a business accelerator when the “FIT” provides a leader with an EA that is their right hand as well as their eyes & ears.
In your opinion, why is it important for companies to transform digitally to adapt to the new normal?
The new normal is just an acceleration of the digital transformation that existed before the pandemic. Today’s reality has made the use of Business Intelligence & Automation tools critical for day-to-day operations as well as maintaining competitive advantage. Having clear KPIs at a glance provides invaluable insight to leaders and is key for establishing objectives and accountability within a transforming organization. Online team collaboration tools such as Teams, Slack, Zoom as well as a myriad of online task/project management tools are an absolute necessity in order to maximize efficiency and remain competitive in this age of business intelligence & process automation.
Why is it important to recognize that virtual leadership during significant disruption requires very different skill sets?
Disruption is the new status quo; we have come to understand that Leaders today require great Organizational change management skills to ensure their teams remain effective & aligned on corporate strategy.
We believe that the EA role is the backbone of the transformational workplace as effective change champions for their organizations, enforcing communication channels as well as tech-savvy resources for executive leadership.
Why is the participation of women in the workforce, especially the leadership pipeline, being disproportionately impacted?
Today’s reality, the generational shift as well as the growing focus on employee experience and EQ provides a great opportunity for all men and women to continue to make their space in the workforce & leadership. Year after year the gap is closing, and I am extremely excited to say that today almost 50% of our EA recruitment is for women leaders.
Now more than ever in entrepreneurial & corporate settings we see visionary women leaders forging ahead. I am extremely proud of my female peers, alumni, and friends for what they have accomplished as well as their continued significant impact in the world.
On a final note, what advice will you give to our audience that can help them see the possibilities in their careers?
Understanding what motivates you and aligns with your core values, should drive your career, that is what I have found most rewarding on a personal and professional level.
Keep in mind that possibilities are everywhere, remain focused and invest yourself 100% in what you are passionate about, improve daily and commit to what you are great at… apply “the Hedgehog concept” to your career.
