The traditional role of the British secretary is ‘dead and buried’, with
many PAs taking responsibility for key HR issues.
A poll of more than 1,200 administrative staff by recruitment specialist Officeteam
shows that secretaries who just take dictation, write shorthand and answer the
boss’s phone are now in the minority.
The study shows today’s multi-skilled secretary is more likely to deal with
office management (62 per cent), recruitment (38 per cent), and even managing
other staff (23 per cent).
Many also organise company events (71 per cent), set up conferences (64 per
cent), and write daily reports (58 per cent).
Steve Carter, managing director of Officeteam, said modern technology such
as e-mail and mobile phones had eclipsed the traditional ‘gatekeeper’ role of
PAs and enabled them to widen their skills.
The economic downturn is also contributing to the change in roles, with
secretaries being called on to fill many of the gaps left by redundancies.
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