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Hiring Trends in Administrative and Customer Support

Firms hire for growth, but search for skills

46% of administrative and customer support hiring managers who report they are expanding their departments say company growth is driving their hiring decisions. To attract and hire skilled candidates, 44% of managers say they are evaluating candidates outside of their company’s geographic area to staff remote positions. 59% say it’s challenging to find skilled administrative professionals; 46% say the same about skilled candidates for customer service and call centre roles. Many hiring managers don’t expect to see their hiring challenges ease in 2024: 49% expect it will be difficult to find available candidates with the required skill sets.
Project and program management Project and program management

Customer experience Customer experience

Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365

Social media Social media

Companies invest more in customer service roles

Customers’ expectations for superior product and service support are higher than ever. A healthy percentage of businesses (39%) aim to increase hiring for customer-centric roles in 2024. Financial services and insurance firms — especially those digitizing more offerings — will likely be very active in hiring for customer support and service roles.
of administrative and customer support professionals say they’d be willing to come into the office full time if their employer offered a salary premium. of administrative and customer support professionals say they’d be willing to come into the office full time if their employer offered a salary premium.

say the hybrid model is the ideal work arrangement for their team. say the hybrid model is the ideal work arrangement for their team.

Salary range Benefits Flexible
schedules, remote
and hybrid options
Day-to-day
responsibilities
Company culture
and values
Salary range Benefits Flexible
schedules, remote
and hybrid options
Day-to-day
responsibilities
Company culture
and values

Industries hiring most

Financial services Health care Insurance Manufacturing Nonprofits Oil and gas

In-demand certifications and credentials

Canadian certified administrative professional (CCAP) Certified administrative professional (CAP) Certified associate in project management (CAPM) Microsoft Office specialist (MOS) Post-secondary credential (business administration)

Top technical skills

Customer relationship management (CRM) Data entry and database management Project and program management Social media management

Top soft skills

Bilingualism (English and French) Interpersonal skills Presentation skills Organizational skills

How can we help you get started?

How do we determine our salary figures? See our methodology. The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Our estimates do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognizing that professionals join companies at varied experience levels. Other data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. Respondents included hiring managers and employees from small (less than $50 million in revenues), midsize ($50 million to $1 billion) and large ($1 billion or greater) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Canada.