Recognition
Administrative Professionals WeekNo matter where you work, chances are your company’s success depends on some important people working behind the scenes. They’re known as “administrative professionals” – a group of employees that includes administrative assistants, executive assistants, secretaries, and office managers. Tag and Catherine Goulet |
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 [ 2007-04-22 ] |
Tag and Catherine Goulet
FabJob.com
While administrative professionals often work behind the scenes, the importance of their contributions is front and center for the executives they support. A large majority (85 percent) of executives polled in a recent survey said their administrative assistant is important to their success.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam and carried out by an independent research firm. It included responses of 150 senior executives from 1,000 companies.
Executives were asked, “How important is your administrative assistant’s role to your success?” Almost half of the executives (48%) said “very important,” while more than one-third (37%) said “somewhat important.”
“Behind every successful business leader is an outstanding assistant,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Administrative support roles are expanding, and managers now rely on their assistants more than ever for project management, research and budgeting tasks, in addition to their traditional responsibilities.”
With Administrative Professionals Week starting today and running until April 28, managers should start planning how they will acknowledge the contributions of support staff.
The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) and OfficeTeam recently conducted a separate survey of more than 300 administrative professionals to determine how they have been recognized during past Administrative Professionals Week (APW) celebrations. Here are a few examples:
“My boss acknowledged my contribution through a company announcement and reimbursed me for a professional development seminar and dinner.”
“There was a huge banner and all kinds of presents in my office.”
“My manager nominated me for the administrative professional of the year award.”
“My company provided financial support for my education.”
“My manager stood up at an APW event to tell everyone how important administrative professionals are to the company.”
While many administrative professionals will appreciate any kind of recognition this week, it’s always a good idea for managers to ask administrative professionals how they want to be recognized.
If you’re not sure how to recognize that special administrative professional who makes your life easier, possibilities range from flowers and lunch with the boss to a gift certificate or cash bonus.
“The most effective forms of recognition -- such as the chance to attend a professional conference or seminar, or recognition in front of managers and colleagues -- have a lasting impact,” Domeyer said.
If you’re interested in breaking into a career as an administrative professional, another recent survey by IAAP, OfficeTeam and HR.com, found that “soft” skills are often valued more by employers than technical expertise.
More than 400 human resources (HR) managers were polled in the survey and multiple responses were submitted.
The HR managers cited the following soft skills as being most in demand at their companies (the numbers in brackets indicate the percentage who stated that a particular skill was in demand at their company): organizational skills (87%), verbal communication (81%), teamwork and collaboration (78%), problem-solving (60%), tact and diplomacy (59%), business writing (48%), and analytical skills (45%).
Sixty-seven percent of the HR managers polled said they would hire an applicant with strong soft skills whose technical abilities were lacking; only nine percent would hire someone who had strong technical expertise but weak interpersonal skills.
The overwhelming majority (93 percent) of HR managers felt technical skills are easier to teach than soft skills.
“The results indicate the increasing complexity of the administrative function,” said Sandra P. Chandler CPS, IAAP 2006-07 international president.
“Today’s professionals often negotiate with vendors, plan meetings and special events, create presentations, and interview and supervise other employees. While office technology skills are very important, excellent interpersonal abilities are invaluable and usually difficult to teach.”
When asked which soft skills they would like to improve, IAAP members surveyed ranked analytical skills, verbal communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills above others.
With Administrative Professionals Week taking place this week, Chandler says now is an opportune time for managers to work with support staff to help them develop those skills, ideally by taking relevant courses.
No matter what job you do, we hope you take the time this week to show your appreciation to the people who support you at work.
Tag and Catherine Goulet are founders of FabJob.com. This article is an excerpt from their book Dream Careers. Visit www.FabJob.com to discover your dream career.
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