Confidence Levels Rising Among Office and Administrative Workers

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Aug 26, 2015, 01:42 ET

ATLANTA, Aug. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Randstad Office & Administrative Employee Confidence Index (ECI) rose 2.9 points from year-end 2014 to reach 57.6 in mid-year 2015, representing the second straight wave of increased ECI among this group. The online survey of office and administrative employees, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Randstad US, measures workers' perceptions regarding the overall strength of the economy, availability of jobs and personal employment prospects. Mid-year 2015 results indicate confidence levels among employees in this sector are rising—in fact, more than 1 in 3 employees (35%) say they believe the economy is getting stronger, and more than 1 in 4 employees (28%) believe there are more jobs available.

Perhaps due to increased confidence in employment opportunities, nearly 3 in 4 employees (74%) feel it is unlikely they will lose their jobs over the following 12 months. However, while personal confidence levels are high, more than half of employees (52%) say it is unlikely they will look for another job over the following 12 months. Additionally, more than 6 in 10 employees (62%) say they are confident in the future of their current employer.

A recent study by CafeQuill.com found over 4 in 10 administrative assistants (42%) have held their current position for six years or more. Only 5 percent of respondents say their workload has decreased, while 6 in 10 (60%) feel their workload has increased, and nearly 2 in 10 (16%) say their workload has increased substantially. The study also found that administrative professionals are expected to juggle many tasks including, but not limited to, the following: managing multiple calendars, planning meetings and events, training and supervising staff, preparing reports, screening calls and coordinating travel.

"Given the vital role office and administrative professionals play within all organizations, we believe job security will continue to remain very high for these workers," said Traci Fiatte, Group President, Randstad US. "However, it's important to note that as the business landscape continues to evolve, professionals within this sector also need to evolve and adapt at pace—these aren't the same jobs they were 30 years ago, and employers' needs and expectations have changed.

"As more companies shift towards a lean business model to maximize efficiency and reduce costs, candidates pursuing these types of jobs should be prepared to demonstrate aptitude in problem-solving and time management, in addition to their ability to adapt quickly and learn new skills. Randstad continues to see an increased need for qualified, technologically-skilled administrative professionals, and we expect this demand will continue to grow."

Click here to visit our Workforce360 thought leadership site for a more detailed analysis of the current economic situation.

Mid-year 2015 Report Highlights:

Workers are confident about employment prospects

More than 1 in 3 workers (35%) say they believe the economy is getting stronger.
Roughly 3 in 10 workers (28%) say they believe there are more jobs available.

Workers' personal confidence is high

Approximately 3 in 4 workers (74%) say it is unlikely they will involuntarily lose their jobs over the next 12 months, and more than half (52%) say it is unlikely they will look for another job.

Workers are confident in their employers

Roughly 6 in 10 workers (62%) feel confident in the future of their current employer.

About Randstad Office & Administration
Across the board, Randstad helps companies match the right people with the right jobs. We provide the expertise, the qualified talent pool and the dedicated commitment to making superior matches at a reasonable cost to companies. And we do it on the basis that best suits your needs. Whether you're looking for administrative or clerical support, our exceptional resources allow us to fill an extensive range of general office positions with the highest caliber talent. We make it our business to develop office staffing solutions that work.

About Randstad US
Randstad US is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad Holding nv, a $22.9 billion global provider of HR services. As the third largest staffing organization in the United States, Randstad provides temporary, temporary-to-hire and permanent placement services each week to over 100,000 people through its network of more than 900 branches and client-dedicated locations. Employing over 5,300 recruiting experts, the company is a top provider of outsourcing, staffing, consulting and projects and workforce solutions within the areas of Engineering, Finance and Accounting, Healthcare, Human Resources, IT, Legal, Manufacturing & Logistics, Office & Administration, Pharma and Sales & Marketing.

Learn more at www.randstadusa.com and access Randstad's panoramic U.S. thought leadership knowledge center through its Workforce360 site that offers valuable insight into the latest economic indicators and HR trends shaping the world of work.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Randstad from January 13-15, March 11-13, April 15-17, and June 9-11, 2015 among 3,978 participants ages 18 and older of which 441 were employed in office and administrative positions. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Industry-level ECI estimates referenced prior to 2015 were based on six monthly waves of aggregated data. The mid-year and year-end industry ECI estimates in 2015 are computed using four waves of periodic data collected across the indicated timeframe. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE Randstad US