What Soft Skills Does Top Administrative Talent Possess?

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Administrative talent keeps companies up and running. These office superstars are always one step ahead of the team — planning schedules, anticipating future needs and serving as the gateway to your organization. The role comes with a wide-range of responsibilities, but the best professionals handle these with such grace, they make it look easy. Of course the job is anything but simple, so it takes a very special person to manage it all.

If your company is searching for new administrative talent, don’t take this hiring decision lightly. In addition to hard skills — the ability to type a certain number of words per minute and using specific types of software — you need someone with the right soft skills. Many hiring managers make the mistake of choosing anyone with basic qualifications for an administrative role, but don’t learn the hard way that this approach won’t cut it.

5 Must-Have Soft Skills for Administrative Talent

  1. Trustworthy

From confidential business documents to personal financial data, your administrative assistant will have access to highly sensitive information, so choosing someone you can trust is a must. It’s important to have someone discreet on your team, who will keep private information under wraps and understands the importance of confidentiality.

  1. Good Judgement

You’re a very busy person, so when a quick decision needs to be made and you’re not available, your administrative professional will need to make the call. Hiring someone with common sense is a must because you don’t want to constantly have to maneuver your way out of bad judgement calls made on your behalf. This includes everything from creating a schedule that works with your day to deciding when to accept and decline meeting requests.

  1. Detail Oriented

In business, details are everything, so you need administrative talent who doesn’t miss a beat. From catching every grammatical error to taking exceptionally detailed phone messages, you want someone with great attention to detail. The most important information is often in the fine print, so choose a candidate who never takes the easy way out.

  1. Extremely Organized

The job of an administrative professional is multifaceted, so you need to hire someone who can keep it all together. If everything from your calendar to your inbox isn’t meticulously organized, you’ll miss valuable information — and that’s unacceptable. Top administrative talent takes pride in maintaining a perfectly organized system you can always count on.

  1. Sunny Disposition

Your administrative talent serves as the gatekeeper to your company. Whether they’re greeting clients at the front desk or on the phone, having someone with a positive attitude in this highly visible role is a must. The last thing you want is to lose business because people dread having to go through your cranky assistant.

Administrative professionals are the backbone of every organization, so choosing the right person is essential. Contact Barrington Staffing to gain access to the right temporary, temp-to-hire or direct hire candidate for your Los Angeles or Ventura County company.

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