Administrative Assistant's Update

APRIL 2017 4 This is not largesse on the employ- er's part, Hunnam-Jones points out. Employees and potential employees are more than ever demanding recog- nition of what they see as a reasonable work-life balance. Employers are listening, because attracting and retaining a motivated, skilled workforce is vital to their busi- ness success. To that end, they are offering not only competitive pay, additional negotiated vacation time and work ar- rangement flexibility, but also tuition reimbursement and support for the employee's professional development by paying for professional dues and allowing time for attending meetings. A deeper training investment Also, says Hunnam-Jones, "compa- nies have rejigged their onboarding programs, allowing a much better assimilation into the company and investing in training the person on everything that needs to be done in the company." This kind of investment in the employee, she says, is at least partly due to the demands of the millennial generation, "who demand it. They're continual learners." And the job of the administrative pro is steadily becoming more demand - ing and complex. While letter writing and data entry are increasingly auto- mated, executives now need support in project management, meeting planning and screening of calls and callers. At the very senior level, says Hunnam-Jones, soft skills such as judgment, tact, decision-making and prioritization are critical; so are well- honed communication skills. "You've got to know who's coming to knock on the CEO's door, you've got to be able to maneuver through that with political savvyness." Overall, she says, an admin is likely to be "coordinating sessions or meet- ings for the team, gathering relevant marketplace information and high- lighting critical points for the team, [offering] true support of the team in a true business manner." A closer look at soft skills A candidate's resume should note ac- tivities that reflect how the candidate has had to develop and exercise soft skills in the present or past positions. Those skills are likely to be tested in the interview through questions to discover how the candidate would handle a hypothetical example or how the candidate actually did handle a past situation. Keeping a tidy footprint on social media is a must, Hunnam-Jones emphasizes. Carelessness can easily knock a job candidate off the list. "Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you've got to be savvy in all of that. You've got to make sure you can't be tagged, you can't be traced because somebody somewhere thinks it's funny to put a picture up." Deep skills in Microsoft Office are generally a given requirement for an admin. There is high demand for experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer rela - tionship management (CRM). As Hunnam-Jones points out, employ- ees often are not aware that their organization has such software even when they are entering data in such a program. Clarifying that one's present employer is running such a system enables the employee to add that experience to the resume. The ability to conduct research on the Internet is a plus, as this frequent- ly shows up as a job requirement. As well, employers increasingly are asking for experience with an ac- counting system but this requirement is generally associated with entry-lev- el positions in small to medium-size companies and often combined with reception responsibilities. The admin also may be asked to run payroll or accounts payable, says Hunnam- Jones. "Excel is not enough," she points out. Employers often ask for Quick- Books or Simply Accounting or another bookkeeping program. For admins with gaps on their resumes, temping may be the best way to get into a company. "We call it auditioning for the job," says Hunnam-Jones. She said temping can often boost the career of an admin who needs to fill experience gaps. Employers compete for top talent Continued from page 1 Demand is high for top performers • It's a "candidate market," with more available jobs than prime candidates in some instances • High demand for skilled, experienced candidates • Soft skills such as tact, political savvy, decision making, initiative in high demand • Employers willing to flex on work arrangements, pay, vacation, tuition reimbursement to attract, keep talented employees • Candidates' social media footprint can validate or sink their job chances • Social media management skills in demand, especially at senior levels • Internet research skills increasingly sought, as well as ERP (enterprise resource planning) and CRM (customer relationship management) experience • Accounting skills increasingly demanded for entry-level positions

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