Today’s administrative professional is not the “office worker” of yesteryear. In fact, “she” is not the administrative professional of five years ago. Increasingly, the job is held by a man.
However, the shift in responsibility and required skills is the big news.
Traditional clerical skills are still valued and utilised on the job, but it’s not uncommon for today’s administrative professional to have responsibility for project management or for them to serve as the office tech front-line support. And often an administrative professional has significant financial responsibility.
Indeed, when it comes to business expenditures, administrative professionals increasingly have authority.
There is also new emphasis on teamwork. In the past, an administrative professional reported to and interacted most frequently with one manager. Today, she or he may still have one official boss but is more likely to interact regularly with a team – and may even supervise the team.
The shift from assistant to a managerial role has happened relatively quickly. New American Society of Administrative Professionals research shows that in 2008, only 7 per cent held non-traditional admin job titles; most were assistants. By 2013, more than 22 per cent held titles like manager and project coordinator.
“The admin professional is being utilised to manage projects, manage direct reports and even make decisions on behalf of their executives on a more routine basis,” says Jen Bogle, an administrative assistant at The Kroger Company, one of the world’s largest grocery retailers.
The role of the administrative professional has been affected by three drivers of change: the recession and its aftermath, evolving technology, and an improving economy.
It’s worth recalling how the fallout from the recession took its toll on organisations. The economy lost 8.4 million jobs in 2008 and 2009, including many middle manager positions.
There has been a lot of talk about organisations making do with less staff, which has become the new reality. Redistribution of work has not only affected remaining managers. In many instances, flatter organisations have meant administrative professionals have taken on greater responsibility.
Social and mobile technologies have contributed to a faster-paced work environment, but so has an improving economy. Amid fierce competition, organisations are positioning themselves, often with limited managers, to take advantage of growth opportunities.
“As the economy improves and workloads rise, companies need staff who can thrive during change and who are adaptable enough to jump in to help even if it’s outside their traditional job description,” says Robert Hosking, the executive director at Office Team, a leading staffing firm.
That staff includes multi-skilled administrative professionals, and there appears to be no shortage of job opportunities for these individuals in the foreseeable future.
But the question remains: is today’s administrative professional prepared for today’s admin job?
While recent research shows that 38 per cent of admins in the US have been in their current role for three years or less, suggesting a need for skills development, a recent OfficeTeam survey found that only 46 per cent of businesses offer or plan to offer subsidised training for administrative professionals in the next 12 months.
Meanwhile, when it comes to technical expertise, there’s no disputing it’s a job requirement – and that a training gap exists. A recent US poll asked admins what percentage of their workday is spent using Microsoft Office applications. An overwhelming majority (85 per cent) spend 61 to 100 per cent of their workday using the software.
Nevertheless, when asked to rate their level of expertise using Microsoft Office applications, only 13 per cent said they viewed themselves as experts – despite many admins being considered the office tech guru.
There is no doubt that today’s administrative professional, who has assumed middle-manager responsibilities, is striving to rise to the challenges of the position.
However, to more effectively contribute to the organisation – and its bottom line – they could benefit from additional opportunities for skills development.
Judy Geller is executive director of the American Society of Administrative Professionals. Executive Secretary Live (executivesecretarylive.com), the world’s leading international training event for senior and aspiring administrative professionals, will be held in Dubai this November
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