A new report from the World Administrators Alliance is being hailed by the heads of associations from 29 countries and key figures from the administrative profession as a game-changer for administrators globally.
The Global Skills Matrix is a globally recognised framework for administrators and HR teams that, irrespective of country, makes it possible to identify levels of work for a given role, and career progression opportunities to realise the potential to an organisation of an effective administrator.
The World Administrators Alliance (WAA) is a non-profit trade association that represents administrative associations, networks, and administrators from across the globe. Its purpose is to guide, influence, develop and elevate the administrative profession to create a global community that works together for the benefit of all.
Six years ago, it was recognised by representatives of 29 countries that there was a clear need to provide a career progression model for the world’s administrators as a critical component to professionalising the role. In-depth research followed, and the result is a remarkable piece of work that looks likely to change the landscape of the administrative profession.
The research showed that:
- There were over 160 job titles for administrators
- 58% of administrators felt underutilised
- 73% felt their organisation didn’t understand the role or potential impact of using them properly
- 60% felt there was little or no opportunity for career progression within their organisation
There has never been a more important time for organisations to utilise their administrators to their full potential. Covid-19 has increased the need for management to be more agile and operating at maximum capacity. An organisation needs to ensure the ROI on their executives’ salaries is maximised. A career administrator with clear goals and objectives, combined with personal development and career progression opportunities, is a key component for achieving this.
But with most companies having generic job descriptions, no administrator specific, no clear career progression and no objectives or KPIs in place for their administrators, the potential impact of utilising their administrators is lost.
“One of the biggest factors causing ambiguity and confusion about the role of the administrator is a poor job description,” said Helen Monument, Chair of the World Administrators Alliance. “Far too often, job descriptions written for administrators fail to fully grasp the complexities of the roles and the numerous ways in which the administrator supports their executive/principal.
“In many cases, existing job descriptions are completely out of date, describing little more than the simplest routine, everyday tasks that administrators have performed for decades. Inaccurate job descriptions often contribute to a lack of understanding of the depth of the administrator’s role, which in turn leads to undervaluing the administrator in the organisation, ill-advised rationalisation or outsourcing of the administrator role in some organisations and a general failure to make the most of the potential of the administrator.”
Sarah Richson, widely recognised as one of the top 10 HR professionals in the world, commented: “It ties into performance – KPIs and goals for assistants. We want to encourage excellence at each level. Every assistant will have their own journey and should feel they can attain excellence at their level.
This ties into creating a world-class administrative function which underpins what the stakeholder goals and KPIs are for each business.”
Lucy Chamberlain, Founder of Award-Winning Search & Recruitment company C&C Search, offered: “Currently, those in administrative support roles can feel isolated and confused about where they stand within an organisation – never truly understanding their position and worth. This matrix combats these problems head-on and means that administrative professionals will be able to clearly identify a role, understand their position and be of better service to their organisation. Not only this, but a clearer job description and job title will mean candidates can apply to roles that better suit their skills and experience and will result in much more targeted and more effective shortlists, reducing the time spent searching for that perfect candidate.”
