Administrative Professionals Day: Make it Memorable
Updated: Mar 8
Nicole Deane, Executive Assistant in the office of the CFO at Canada Goose, shares her insights on the ever-changing role and tips on how to reward your hardest working employees for Administrative Professionals Day
National Administrative Professionals’ Day
is right around the corner! Also known as Secretary Day, or Administrative Assistants’ Day, in 2022 Admin Day falls on Wednesday, April 27th.
You may have noticed a boom in the last couple of years on LinkedIn of Executive Assistant advocates speaking up about how the role has elevated. We’ve come a long way since the “Mad Men” secretary days. We come with product and strategy knowledge, we take ownership of the office, we manage the managers, and we monitor company morale. We know the players and the game, and we’re pros at executive stakeholder management. We mean business and drive results for the business.
No longer are we in the background taking notes, now we have a seat at the table.
The evolution of the role moved from the career secretary to a career “stepping-stone” of sorts; a temporary “in” to companies to gain experience and build a resume. But now, a shift has happened with folks viewing the EA role, once again, as a permanent career position. People see it not only as that of a note-taker or scheduling assistant but as an opportunity to leverage their skills and add a bit of their own flair to the role. You see, Administrative Professionals need to have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit in order to really succeed. They typically live on an island all on their own. They have no “team” that they’re a part of, nor do they have anyone they can run to when things go awry. The only person they can rely on is, well, themselves.
The big pivot
As we reflect on the past 2 years, our working environments have shifted to more virtual/ work-from-home arrangements, and admin professionals have been instrumental in that shift. We’ve worked evenings and weekends, coordinating all the logistics and safety measures. It has taken a lot to transition into this new “normal”. The work we have done has supported you and your teams probably more than you know (because chances are we’re not going to tell you about all the little details and extra work we’re doing to make it happen).
Do you have an EA or Administrative Assistant that you count on to make your life easier? This is your day to honour the professionals who keep your world running smoothly. The masters of the day-to-day, driving an organized and functional workplace and making sure that everyone stays connected. Giftagram sees the importance of providing thoughtful, quality products to acknowledge the hard work and dedication these individuals provide, and who all too often get overlooked.
We don’t need to tell you your Administrative Professional is doing a great job; you already know that! But, if you’re looking for a few more reasons to spoil them, here are 6 that top our list!
1. The Face of the Executive Team
You count on your EA to present a positive and professional image to all visitors, suppliers, inquiries, and other persons. We are, after all, the face of you and your organization, and often the first point of contact people have when reaching out to you. We continue to build our knowledge of the organization while running your day-to-day management routines, thereby enhancing your effectiveness and the effectiveness of the organization.
2. Internal Communications Managers
We facilitate communication from department managers, business unit leaders, and project managers to make sure everything runs smoothly. We create and review documents, reports, and correspondence prepared for executive signature for format, content, grammar, spelling and make edits as necessary. And we create content for internal marketing channels.