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Each year, during the last week of April, we celebrate Administrative Professionals Day by showing our appreciation to the Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, Receptionists and other Admin staff who keep our businesses running behind the scenes.

While flowers and chocolates are always well-received, we wanted to provide some additional suggestions for how you can thank your administrative support staff this year.

These are just small gestures, but we also recommend every so often sitting down and having conversations with your administrative team directly and asking them what would make their working days even better at your organisation.

But in the meantime, here are our top tips for appreciating your Administrators!

Investing in Software

Streamlining or automating the more mundane elements of administrative work can help relieve some pressure for your team members. Using different tools such as Evernote or Appointlet can not only lighten the load, but free your employees up for more interesting or growth opportunities.

Software can help Administators with:

• Scheduling and event planning
• Project management
• Expenses and invoices
• Video conferencing
• Travel booking

The best thing is, these subscriptions are usually low-cost but can yield incredible results if embedded properly into your teams.

Offering Learning and Development Opportunities

If you conduct regular performance reviews, you should have a good idea of where your administrative team members want to see their careers go. They may be keen to move into a different part of the organisation but require either formal training or informal stretch projects to gain the experience needed.

In contrast, they may wish to remain in an administrative support role but gain additional skills that will help them thrive. For example, learning how to use new technologies or enhancing soft skills such as conflict resolution or public speaking.

Focusing on Health and Wellbeing

As an Administrator, life can get pretty hectic! Two days are never the same and it can sometimes feel like their to-do list is never-ending. So why not treat them to an experience that supports their physical and mental wellbeing?

A spa voucher or gift card demonstrates your understanding of their daily stress levels, and allows time for rest and recuperation. Another option is to give them the day off so they can spend time away from work however they choose. That could be catching up on errands they can’t get done during the working week or relaxing at home with a movie.

Supporting Important Causes

Administrative professionals often put themselves last, and prefer to look after everyone around them. You might consider asking them if there is a particular charity or cause they support, that you could contribute to on behalf of your team and business.

Another idea is to offer a Volunteer Day, so your Administrator can dedicate some time towards a meaningful cause. Not only will they appreciate the gesture, but they’ll also build skills such as teamwork and leadership away from their day-to-day role.

Need More Advice on Appreciating Your Administrators?

Here at Ryan Recruitment, we talk to administrative professionals on a regular basis so have a strong understanding of their motivations and challenges. We’re always available to discuss the best ways of retaining administrative employees or finding new talent to bring into your business.

We offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions for Business Support and Administration functions. Our pool of professional, reliable administration candidates is ready to take on exciting opportunities with businesses right across New Zealand.

Contact our team of specialists today.