On Wednesday the 20th of April 2016 New Zealand acknowledges the Administrative Professional role within our working environment. This got us thinking at Beyond Recruitment about how much these roles have changed, and how critical they are to any organisation. Support roles or “administrative” functions keep a business running and the expectations of employers for these varied roles are ever changing, but just how much have they changed?
A Higher Demand for Upskill
As a team of recruiters, we know how important the administrative role is within any organisation. We understand the variety of skills and experience that organisations require and how much these roles have changed over the past few years. There is a level of expectation and emphasis from employers on people who work in administrative roles to upskill, and to keep their competency base and technical skills up to date in order to deliver a high quality service and/or outcome.
As business needs change, so do the support functions. Traditional positions such as Receptionists, Team Coordinators, Executive Assistants and Office Managers have all undergone major changes within their individual specialist areas. For example, Receptionists are not only the “director of first impressions”, as they now require a range of administration skills which may include a high level of organisational ability, computer savvy expertise and the ability to handle multiple customer interactions such as over the phone, face to face, email and even webchat!
A Change in Projects
The Project Coordinator and Project Administrator are two key roles that have taken on a career path of their own. Essential to a project, these roles require a high level of skill across a variety of technical systems along with strong coordination experience. Candidates are in high demand for temporary/fixed term contract roles and hourly rates reflect this. Project roles are prevalent across a variety of sectors from technology and finance to health, construction and professional services. These are a far cry from the traditional administrative support role.
The administrative professional is now able to see a clear career path for themselves. Many organisations have identified these roles as opportunities to progress people through their business, and are able to retain highly skilled talent as a result. Here at Beyond Recruitment we are delighted to be able to assist administrative professional candidates with their career choices, and help them find a job they love!
A Chance to Go Beyond
Our advice to the many Administrative Professionals out there is to keep learning, keep developing your expertise and skills. Your roles are constantly changing and there are many career opportunities across many different sectors available for your transferable skills. To the organisations wishing to employ administrative professionals – continue to provide the development opportunities and upskilling to your people, you will likely retain them for longer. If you would like to find out more about the recruitment services available within Administrative Professional roles, check out our website www.beyondrecruitment.co.nz or contact your nearest Beyond Recruitment office to find out more.
Lastly, we believe every day should be recognised for people working in “administrative” roles. So if you get a chance to acknowledge someone in your organisation on Wednesday 20 April – we are sure they will appreciate it – just like we appreciate them!
