Benefits April 24, 2006

Survey Sheds Light on Appreciating Admin Professionals

April 24, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - With Administrative Professionals' Day fast approaching (April 26), a survey from Simply Hired shows how admins want to be shown they are appreciated.
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According to a news release on the survey, admins prefer to be called administrative assistants and least prefer the titles of secretary or receptionist. Fifty percent of administrative professionals say they are “Career Admins” – meaning their work is their calling.

Fifty-one percent of admins say that they have received a gift on Administrative Professionals’ Day, with 14% saying these gifts have been useless.

So, what should you get your administrative assistant this Wednesday? Those gifts ranked best by the admins surveyed, according to the release, include:

  • Paid day off
  • Gift certificate (spa, restaurant, AmEx/Visa gift card, Starbucks)
  • Cash/Raise
  • Lunch or dinner
  • A sincere thank you

Those gifts ranked worst by survey respondents include:

  • E-cards
  • Calendars, picture frames, knick knacks and other “executive gifts”
  • Cheap flowers (carnations, grocery store bouquets)
  • Obvious re-gifts
  • Nothing

Notable favorite gifts received by the surveyed admins ranged from a weekend cruise to the Bahamas to a Lance Armstrong LiveStrong bracelet which costs $1.

Other survey findings include:

  • 31% of administrative professionals say that they could do their boss’s job.
  • 42% of administrative professionals say that their boss could not do their job. Quoted from survey respondent, “I think he might get stuck on some of the easy things like making labels for folders…”
  • 30% report that they have had to plan personal travel/vacations for their boss.
  • 29% report having to lie or make up excuses for their boss to spouse, family, or friends.
  • 8% report they have had to do their boss’s taxes.
  • Other notable tasks admins have been asked to perform include: posting items for boss on eBay, buying an anniversary ring for boss’s wife, and working for boss’s friends.
  • 11% of admins describe themselves as merely “office eye candy” versus the 13% that describe themselves as their boss’s “bull dog.”
  • The number one gripe from admins is that their profession is not respected.
  • 66% of admins say that they would ditch their job for salary increase.

Simply Hired’s Admin Survey was performed online during April 2006. Results are from 212 respondents from across the United States.

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