What is the function of support staff? The importance of admin and support staff in the office cannot be overlooked. Such professionals provide valuable clerical and administrative services, allowing work processes to operate seamlessly and for decision makers to focus on value-adding tasks and responsibilities.

Without office support staff, businesses would soon be left in a state of disarray, with mountains of incomplete and unfilled paperwork, scores of unanswered letters and telephone calls, and potentially a host of compliance failings. Office support workers are the individuals who keep everything ticking over, ensuring senior individuals can get on with their jobs.

Related: 9 steps to creating a healthy workplace

Today’s office support staff are often tasked with supporting busy marketing and sales teams, managing customer service and any potential complaints and even overseeing social media accounts on some occasions. Without this foundation, things could quickly fall apart, making it impossible for the organisation to function as designed.

Benefit of office support staff

In smaller businesses, there may just be a couple of staff with a broad administrative brief, while in larger businesses, the office team could comprise a large group of employees, each with their own distinct role.

Support staff are typically bright and resourceful individuals, capable of taking on a broad range of tasks and delivering a high level of performance. Employers are increasingly recognising the potential of their office support staff by giving them a wider brief and increased responsibility.

What should you look for when hiring administrative staff?

Employers are typically looking for admin professionals with interpersonal skills and a real customer focus. Office support professionals are assuming more external duties, whether this involves speaking to clients in person or being the 'face of the company' over the phone.

Those who are comfortable using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint are always in strong demand. An understanding of social media is also seen as a positive attribute.

Many organisations are eager to boost their presence on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram - and admin professionals may be involved in this process. Depending on the duties assumed by the IT and marketing teams, support workers could find themselves monitoring social media feeds and responding to customer feedback via these channels.

In order to thrive, office support staff need to be effective multitaskers, preferred candidates will have excellent organisational and time management skills, flexibility and a positive attitude.

Employers also still recognise the value of solid secretarial skills. Strong executive and personal assistance capabilities remain paramount within the profession, with organisations looking for experts in diary management, minute-taking, audio and copy typing, data entry and other related duties.

How much should admin staff earn?

Employers recognise the value of hiring skilled administrative professionals and incentivising them to stay with their organisation long-term. The salaries paid to office support staff is increasing – in order to secure the services and loyalty of admin members, many employers are offering more attractive remuneration packages.

In terms of senior support staff, professionals working as executive assistants, personal assistants and office managers can all expect to command higher salaries.

You can read more in the latest 2023 Robert Half Salary Guide to find out the latest industry trends and average salaries depending on your location.

 

For extra guidance we offer more hiring and management advice, or alternatively you can contact us and talk to one of our experts todays.