Administrative professionals often
work behind the scenes in a business. But for busy executives, the administrative professional’s contributions
are considered front and center. According
to a new survey developed by OfficeTeam,
a leading staffing service specializing in the
placement of highly skilled administrative
professionals, 85 percent of executives say
their administrative assistant is important
to their success. The survey included responses from 150 senior executives from
the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.
“Executives are increasingly relying on
their administrative staff for more varied
duties, including project management,
research and budgeting tasks — as well as
traditional responsibilities,” says Brandi
Alexander, branch manager of OfficeTeam,
based in The Woodlands.
Smart Business spoke with Alexander
about how executives can best support
their administrative personnel and how
administrative professionals can establish
a better working relationship with the executives they serve.
It seems that administrative professionals
are doing much more than ‘traditional’
duties. How has the profession evolved?
You don’t hear the term ‘secretary’ anymore. These workers are referred to as
administrative professionals because what
they do now goes beyond the scope of taking dictation or typing up reports. Some
have a staff reporting to them; they are
managing facilities and reception desks,
and sometimes other administrative personnel. They handle Internet research,
track budgets and juggle schedules. They
are often called on for support by other
executives in a business. Because of technology and the increased work demands
of executives, this has become a multifaceted career.
How can executives ensure that they have a
positive working relationship with their
administrative personnel?
The hallmark of a good working relationship is open communication and trust. An executive often works closer with his or
her administrative professional than anyone else in the company. The executive
needs to trust that the administrative professional can take on the workload, plus
handle scheduling and other administrative tasks. The executive also needs to set
expectations, communicating clearly what
needs to be done and when.
Working as an administrative professional is a complex job that can often go
unsung in a company. It is important that
the executive maintain a positive relationship by recognizing an administrative professional’s work. It can be as simple as a
verbal ‘thank you’ or a note written on a
sticky note. These efforts seem small, but
they go a long way in establishing a good
working relationship.
What are some other ways an executive can
recognize the administrative staff?
For work that exceeds expectations, the
executive can also give thoughtful gifts to
show appreciation, such as movie tickets
for the administrative worker’s family.
Another idea is having lunch brought in
to celebrate the end of a big project, or during the project when department personnel
need to eat lunch at their desks.
Recognition does not have to be elaborate or expensive, but should be viewed as
a token of respect and appreciation for
what the administrative professional does
on a day-to-day basis. The most important
thing is just saying, ‘Thanks for your help. I
couldn’t have done it without you.’
In our company, we celebrated Administrative Professionals Week (April 22-28),
by treating our admins to a big breakfast
and then sending them out for manicures
and pedicures. This kind of thing is important, because, let’s face it, a business can’t
survive without them.
How can an administrative professional
ensure that the working relationship with his
or her supervisor stays positive?
The key to being a successful administrative professional is being proactive. It is not
a passive job where you wait for the next
assignment to appear in your inbox. A
good administrative professional meets
with his or her supervisor and asks what is
coming up next and helps to prioritize
duties. The executive often has 10 or 15
projects and presentations going on at
once and often may not think about what
the administrative professional can do to
help. It is the job of the administrative professional to ask about priorities and projects coming down the road.
Can executives support their administrative
staff’s careers?
There are many ways to go about this,
ranging from online training and classes to
seminars and professional memberships.
Providing professional development
opportunities shows tremendous appreciation and respect for the profession. And it
also helps the professional advance his or
her learning skills — which is a win-win for
both the business and the administrative
professional.
BRANDI ALEXANDER is branch manager of The Woodlands-based OfficeTeam (www.officeteam.com), a division of Robert Half
International, which has more than 300 locations worldwide.
Reach Alexander at (281) 681-2940 or [email protected].