Focuses on the training and development needs of admin professionals and features topics such as hard skills (software competencies, writing, communication, filing) and soft skills (teamwork, time management, leadership).
Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/652932
UPDATE PM #40065782 P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O R C A N A D A ' S O F F I C E S U P P O R T S T A F F Administrative Assistant's UPDATE INSIDE Admins Day April 26 � � � � � � � � 2 Respect goes further than thanks Opportunities on LinkedIn � � � � �3 Should you upgrade from free to paid? Some considerations Surviving a layoff � � � � � � � � � � � 5 Rosemary Hughes saw the shifting sands and took charge Outlook search features � � � � � � 7 They can save time, frustration Continued on page 4 By George Pearson The demand for administrative assistants and executive assistants remains strong in most of Canada. Demand for temporary admins is particularly high in British Colum- bia, according to Ashleigh Brown, regional vice-president, professional staffing services – BC for Robert Half OfficeTeam. "It's a very hot market," she says of the pro- vincial trend. "We measure our temps- out each week and it just continues to grow, double digits every week." She estimates that 40 per cent of temp place- ments eventually convert to permanent positions, with admins possessing soft skills especially valued by employers. "How presentable are they [admins]?" says Brown, citing questions raised by employers. "Are they [admins] able to articulate? Can they have a different perspective? Are they forward thinking? Are they a good self-study? Are they able to work independently once shown the task?" Temping is an effective way for employers and short-term admins to take the measure of each other, says Brown. In addition, taking on a temporary assignment is a route back into employment for out-of- work admins and sometimes the only way into a competitive market for recent business program grads who lack the two or three years of real-world experience typically demanded of employ - ers in their fulltime hires. In Halifax, Jennifer Adams, office manager for Strictly Staffing, is also of the view that taking on a tempo- rary contract is an advisable strategy for admins seeking to establish them- selves in their chosen career. "Everyone wants a full-time job," she concedes. "But a lot of times with our clients they will try people temporarily and then keep bringing them back over and over every time they have a need until they have that opening [for a full-time candidate]. Then the person is already trained, they already know how they work, the client loves them so it's just an easy, smooth transition into a full- time position." Do you have a wellness culture in your workplace? Companies that offer stress man- agement programs, flexible work schedules, better quality cafeteria food and relaxing spaces for breaks encourage employee engagement and productivity, according to a survey of 209 American human resources executives and managers conducted by the Economist Intel- ligence Unit for Humana, a major U.S. health insurance company. "Employers who put in the work to tailor their wellness pro- grams to specific employee needs and make them as accessible as possible may enjoy a competitive advantage in terms of attracting valued employees," concludes the report. Source: The wellness effect: the im- pact of workplace programmes. The Economist Intelligence Unit APRIL 2016 Hiring market for AAs and EAs remains strong Ashleigh Brown Credit: Gustavo Frazao/Shutterstock