The Landscape for Administrative Professionals Is Changing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a dramatic impact on many jobs and job descriptions. For administrative professionals, AI’s looming presence is prompting a kind of evolution that will only increase their value. While the job outlook for administrative roles is expected to decline 10% over the next decade, these professionals are finding new ways to contribute to a company’s mission and goals.
AI and other technology will change job descriptions for administrative professionals. These tools can handle repetitive tasks like scheduling meetings, generating reports, data entry and securing travel arrangements. That leaves administrative professionals free to focus on efficiently and effectively managing the organization, facilitating communication with employees and clients, and helping to build a strong company culture.
How Administrative Professionals Help Improve Business Efficiency
Already, administrative professionals are doing more work than ever before. Over half support two to nine people in their organization, and 30% support 10 or more. The majority work for executive-level leaders, with 64% reporting to a VP level or higher. About a quarter manage their own direct reports, with the majority of those managing up to four people.
Administrative professionals are instrumental in protecting senior leaders’ time. By taking on tasks like scheduling appointments, drafting communication, managing recordkeeping, representing leaders at certain meetings and more, this leadership support helps senior leaders focus on driving growth and supporting key business goals.
In addition to leading internal projects and initiatives, administrative professionals help make sure companies run efficiently. They are responsible for procuring office products and services. They interact with many of the company’s systems and processes, including recordkeeping and organizational charts. They provide important insights in evaluating these processes — often recommending updates or changes — and ultimately make sure processes are implemented and operated effectively.
By handling these responsibilities, skilled administrative staff create opportunities for other employees to concentrate on larger business goals. As some of these routine tasks are picked up by AI, administrative professionals will be able to devote more time to more impactful responsibilities.
Administrative Professionals Facilitate Communication
Communication skills are essential to today’s administrative professional. Eighty-seven percent of administrative professionals cite written and verbal communication skills as the most important skill set they bring to their role. Administrative professionals are responsible for composing, preparing and distributing internal and external communication from higher-level executives. For internal communications, this often makes them an intermediary between leadership and employees.
In this workforce engagement role, administrative professionals can help senior leadership effectively communicate ideas and goals to the broader organization. At the same time, administrative professionals can promote greater understanding and transparency for employees of all levels, which helps make all employees better ambassadors for a company’s brand.
Administrative professionals play an important customer support role as well. They are often the first person a client or vendor interacts with and may become the person clients interact with most, whether by email or phone. As the face (and voice) of the company, their actions and attitude become a reflection of company branding, culture and values, and their strengths in client relationship-building can be critical to sustaining business.
Administrative Professionals Build a Strong Company Culture
Building and maintaining a strong company culture is crucial for retention efforts. Employees who feel a connection to company culture are:
- 3.7 times as likely to be engaged in work
- 5.2 times as likely to recommend the organization
- 68% less likely to feel burned out
- 55% less likely to look for other job opportunities
Just as administrative professionals are often the first point of contact for clients, they play an important role in shaping the company experience for other employees. Relationship building, staff morale or team-building activities, and networking are all listed in the top skills administrative professionals believe they need on the job.
Administrative professionals work with employees from across the company. This helps them take the pulse of the organization more accurately, getting feedback from workers in different roles and divisions. As a liaison between leadership and the team, administrative professionals are counted on to communicate issues within office culture and advocate for solutions that can improve morale.
This engagement with company culture supports tasks like organizing office-wide activities and meetings, two common responsibilities of administrative professionals. By organizing activities that reflect the needs and interests of the workforce, administrative professionals support greater engagement.
Access a Talent Pipeline of Top Administrative Professionals
As technology takes on more manual administration tasks, companies will need to invest more heavily in skilled administrative professionals who can support higher-level business goals and ensure business efficiency. Finding the right people to maintain channels of communication, monitor and build company culture, and embody the company brand is more essential than ever.
Corporate and clerical staffing providers like Aston Carter help companies access a deep pool of candidates from around the country with the background and niche skills to help drive business forward. Aston Carter specializes in placing corporate, operations and administrative professionals and is the number one provider of office and clerical staffing in North America.
Contact Aston Carter now to find the best available talent to meet your administrative professional needs for this evolving environment.
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