By Gordon Kramer, COO · Last updated: August 2026
Work with someone who understands that a startup EA role is never just a job description. The right hire depends on your stage, your funding, and how you actually operate; a seed-stage founder needs a different person than a Series C COO. Palo Alto Staffing has placed startup support talent since 1979, including first admin hires at companies that became household names. Temp, temp-to-hire, or direct, typically faster than you expect, with our fee in writing from the first conversation.
Startup job descriptions are fiction within a quarter; the company changes under the role. So we hire for trajectory, not a task list: judgment over pedigree, comfort with ambiguity over process fluency, and genuine excitement about your stage rather than tolerance of it. We also know the awkward realities: equity conversations with candidates who've never held options, stealth-mode confidentiality, and the difference between a founder who needs a gatekeeper and one who needs an accelerator.
Executive assistants to founders and CEOs · first admin/office hires · EA/chief-of-staff hybrids · office managers who become operations leads · support for the exec team as you scale.
◆ [2–3 anonymized placement examples; the PayPal/University Avenue story could anchor this page.]
Honest answer: temp-to-hire is often right for startups. Your needs change fast, and working together first de-risks both sides. The conversion schedule is in writing before the assignment starts, so you can plan the math from day one.
See how staffing agency fees workWe're not sure what the role should be. Can you help scope it?
Yes. Shaping the role is part of the search, and with startups it's usually the most valuable part.
Does the EA have to be in the Bay Area?
No. We place on-site, hybrid, and remote executive support nationwide, wherever your team is.
What does it cost?
A percentage of first-year base salary for direct hire, paid by the employer, quoted per engagement, in writing, in the first conversation.
How fast?
Temps within days when the fit exists in our network; realistic direct-hire timelines in the first conversation.