Administrative Assistant's Update

3 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE By Jennifer Lewington Admin professionals, more than many, understand the disruptive force of automation: phone recordings instead of a friendly receptionist; a computerized voice on an iPad that replaces a live assistant who sched- ules events or book reservations; or software replacing work previously done by legal assistants. A recent report from RBC Econom- ics predicts a "quiet crisis" over the next decade, with youth particularly hit hard by automation. "Half of all jobs will be disrupted by technol- ogy and automation," conclude the authors of "Humans Wanted," urging employers and employees to develop "human skills," such as critical think- ing, judgment and decision-making to navigate a fast-changing world. But the news is not all bad for admin professionals since many have what the RBC report, and others like it, say will be in strong demand for the future – namely soft skills, such as the ability to com- municate well, work with others and anticipate problems. "The vast major- ity of AAs and EAs tend to have very strong soft skills, as they are the gate- keepers between the public and an or- ganization or within an organization," says Mack Rogers, executive director of ABC Life Literacy Canada. Last year, his national non-profit or- ganization introduced a new program, UP Skills for Work, to help low-literacy learners develop core employability and workplace skills to make them marketable to employers. He says admin professionals al- ready demonstrate many of the skills and attributes – accountability, time management, presentation, stress management and confidence among them – increasingly in demand by employers. "The big question is 'what is your ability to manage up?'" he asks. "That is where an AA has the primary role in being a support worker for their organization or manager." With increasing automation a certainty, Rogers urges admin profes- sionals to get ahead of the curve by redefining their roles in an organiza- tion. "If the EA and AA get ahead of the game and leverage the [technol- ogy] tools to increase their [on-the- job] capacity, they can use automation to help them manage their roles and use more of their own soft skills," he says. "So focusing on soft skills is even more important." With computer-based tools able to book meetings, for example, an admin has more time to anticipate emerging issues and identify tasks to be done that ease the stress level of the boss. "It is about redefining who is the AA and what is [his or her] primary focus," says Rogers. He urges admin professionals to identify what automation can do for them so they can best support a man- ager or organization. "Don't try to resist [automation]," he says. Instead, he says, admins should ask themselves "with my soft skills, essential skills and technical skills, what can I then do with that [freed-up] time? It's about turning automation on its head and not being afraid of it but absorbing it." In that way, he argues, admins become the "gatekeepers of the tech- nology. No one is going to get rid of the person who knows how to use the technology." Automation propels workforce 'quiet crisis' 'Humans wanted': Admins please step forward Credit: Honza Hruby (Shutterstock) Mack Rogers Adaptability tops list of desired soft skills What soft skills are employers seeking? LinkedIn asked that question of more than 1,200 hiring managers for its 2017 Emerging Jobs Report and discovered these were the skills most desired: 1. Adaptability 2. Culture fit 3. Collaboration 4. Leadership 5. Growth potential 6. Prioritization "Several of these skills speak to a single theme: making those around you better," says Dan Shapero, LinkedIn's vice-president of talent solutions, careers and learning. "The best employees not only deliver against their own goals, but also lift the performance of their colleagues."

• Cover