Survey: Administrative Assistants Save Their Bosses 8 Hours A Week
- Administrative professionals free up an average of 101 minutes a day for their managers
- 100 percent of executives say their assistant is important to their success
- 3 in 4 managers (75 percent) feel administrative professionals' responsibilities have increased in the past 5 years
- 64 percent of executives say support staff have a better career-growth track than five years ago
Apr 11, 2018, 08:17 ET
MENLO PARK, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A good assistant is worth their weight in gold, suggests a new survey from staffing firm OfficeTeam. Senior managers said their administrative professional's efforts save them an average of 101 minutes a day. That's more than eight hours each week — the equivalent of a full work day.
In addition, all respondents reported that their administrative professional is important to their success at work. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of them said their assistant's contributions are very valuable.
OfficeTeam is releasing these findings in advance of Administrative Professionals Day (April 25) as a reminder of why the achievements of office support staff should be acknowledged.
View an infographic about the administrative role's impact and growth.
"Most executives would be hard-pressed to get through a day without the help of their assistant," said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. "Administrative professionals go out of their way to make things easier and more efficient for those around them. There's no question they deserve to be recognized for their daily contributions."
The Changing Administrative Role
These days, support staff are taking on more than standard administrative tasks. Three in four senior managers (75 percent) said office support workers' responsibilities have increased in the past five years. In addition, 64 percent feel administrative professionals have a more promising career-growth track than five years ago.
Ways Administrative Workers Have Surpassed Expectations
It's not uncommon for support staff to help on things outside their traditional job descriptions. Senior managers provided these examples of administrative professionals going above and beyond:
- "Analyzed data and identified potential clients for the company"
- "Trained fellow employees on technology tools"
- "Helped review resumes, post jobs and organize interviews"
- "Mentored new employees"
- "Worked with the HR team to set candidate compensation packages and send offer letters"
- "Gave birthday cards and flowers to each team member"
- "Worked on the employee recognition program, veterans initiative and candidate recruitment"
- "Chased a delivery van to retrieve a missing package"
Administrative professionals have transferable skills that can benefit various company departments. Executives surveyed identified finance and HR as among the top areas office support workers are most likely to transition into.
For ideas on giving thanks to staff during Administrative Professionals Week (April 22-28) and year-round, download 20 Easy Recognition Tips to Help Employees Work Happy.
About the Research
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 600 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees in the United States and Canada.
About OfficeTeam
OfficeTeam, a Robert Half company, is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has 300 locations worldwide. For additional information, visit roberthalf.com/officeteam. Follow roberthalf.com/officeteam/blog for career and management advice.
SOURCE OfficeTeam