In honour of National Admin Professionals Day (24th April 2024), we’re turning our attention to unsung businesses heroes across the globe: administrators.
The role of administrators has evolved significantly throughout the years. What was once a role defined by routine tasks such as typing and filing, has now transformed into a dynamic and critical component of every successful organisation.
Here we’ll be exploring the journey of the administrative role from its early days to the present, highlighting key changes and the skills now often required in this (sometimes under-appreciated) profession.
The Early Days: 1900 – 1930s
Secretarial roles were the norm for the early days.
Predominantly held by women, these positions were created to make life easier for existing (mostly male) staff.
Duties primarily included speed typing using a typewriter, minute taking, and managing correspondence.
This work was “basic” but important. It was highly repetitive but required a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail as well as an understanding of confidentiality.
Already, secretarial work was seen as a helpful facilitation for the more substantial work of male colleagues. There was a sense of hierarchy from day one.
1930s to 1960s
The boom of the business world meant that secretarial roles began to expand. Tasks such as bookkeeping, scheduling, and handling incoming enquiries began to fall to administrative employees.
In the late 60s, the fax machine was born, again transforming how firms could do business. Administrators would need to gain new skills consistently to keep up with the changing requirements of the office.
1960s to 2000
The 1980s saw the introduction on the computer- no internet just yet, but basic computing function was commonplace. Administrative staff were among the first to embrace the new technology, as it supported their function the most.
Computers couldn’t advertise or win new business, but they could be used for typing and to store information.
Again, admin professionals were quick to add skills to their toolkit: managing digital files, using spreadsheets and creating digital presentations.
2000 to Present Day
Modern computing and, of course, the internet, completely changed the way we all work. Admin professionals soon got to grips with more critical thinking, decision-making and technical skills, making them the true backbone to any organisation.
Today, administration staff handle finance functions, marketing teams, project management, data analysis, strategic planning and so much more.
Skills commonly expected from administrators these days include:
· Technical proficiency with office software suites, online calendars, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools
· Effective communication skills, both in writing and verbally
· Organisational ability to manage their own and often an entire team’s time, prioritise tasks, and organise workflows
· Problem-solving skills that enable them to be able to anticipate problems and devise effective solutions quickly
· Confidentiality and discretion, as many administrators are privy to sensitive information
For particular industries, even more niche skills are required, as well as the transferable ones above. In healthcare, administrators may need to be familiar with medical terminology and billing processes. In a law office, understanding of legal terminology and documentation will be necessary.
The Future of Administrative Roles
The role of administrative professionals is set to evolve even further with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into everyday tasks.
AI can take over routine tasks such as scheduling and data entry, allowing administrative professionals to focus on more strategic aspects of their roles.
This may also prompt a shift in the accepted norm of administrators being largely ‘female’ roles. It’s commonly assumed that only women can organise and multi-task in the ways necessary to be successful. But as these elements of the role are now handled largely by technology, the remaining aspects may encourage more men to join the profession.
The use of technology is seeing a general shift towards remote working too, which may mean a large boom in the use of freelancers; allowing businesses to employ multiple people to do individual tasks on a retainer basis.
The Power of a Great Administrator
From typewriters to AI, administrative professionals have continuously adapted to the changing demands of the workplace. Today, they are not just support staff but key contributors to their organisations’ success. As technology continues to evolve, so too will the role of the administrative professional; promising new challenges and opportunities in the years to come.