{"id":3735,"date":"2024-02-08T10:56:36","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T10:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/?p=3735"},"modified":"2024-05-06T11:13:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T11:13:24","slug":"administrative-assistant-job-description","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/administrative-assistant-job-description\/","title":{"rendered":"How to write an administrative assistant job description [download template]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/administrative-assistant-job-description\/#Do_we_still_need_administrative_assistants\" >Do we still need administrative assistants?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/administrative-assistant-job-description\/#What_does_an_administrative_assistant_do\" >What does an administrative assistant do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/administrative-assistant-job-description\/#How_to_create_an_appropriate_administrative_assistant_job_description\" >How to create an appropriate administrative assistant job description<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/administrative-assistant-job-description\/#Administrative_Assistant_job_description_template\" >Administrative Assistant job description template<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/administrative-assistant-job-description\/#Takeaway\" >Takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>A knowledgeable and hardworking <a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/contractors\/category\/admin-support,40\/\">administrative assistant<\/a> can be a real asset to an organization. The ability to free up the superior&#8217;s precious time to make strategic decisions is not the only advantage. Assistants can also devote time to vendor and customer relations, <a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/contractors\/category\/admin-support,40\/market-research,135\/\">research,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/contractors\/category\/admin-support,40\/data-entry,132\/\">data entry,<\/a> talent acquisition, <a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/contractors\/category\/admin-support,40\/project-management,136\/\">project management<\/a> and many other crucial responsibilities needed for business progress.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, <a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-find-employees\/\">finding employees<\/a> for the assistant position is not a walk in the park. You would think that the unemployment rate is high so it should not be a problem. Yet, the percentage of people with illiteracy and doubtful numeracy skills is astoundingly high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_we_still_need_administrative_assistants\"><\/span><b>Do we still need administrative assistants?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the era of generative Artificial Intelligence and the progressing automation of multiple processes, one can be tempted to doubt the need for employing administrative assistants. After all, there are indeed, many <a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/ai-tools-to-collaborate-with-freelancers\/\">tasks that can be automated<\/a> thanks to the smart software available on the market. However, even though automation has reduced the demand for administrative assistants, plenty of organizations or managers still decide to hire them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why? As much as automation is helpful, there is still the need to program or oversee it. Let&#8217;s face it, often the superiors do not even know how many tasks must be performed, so their jobs can be made significantly easier. Not to mention, that there are many extracurricular clerical tasks that a machine cannot do. A good administrative assistant, on the other hand, can do the job perfectly. However, it must be the appropriate candidate to make hiring the assistant instead of using software profitable. Attracting qualified candidates who can take care of administrative assistant duties distracting you from crucial tasks for growing your business, calls for a comprehensive administrative assistant job description.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_an_administrative_assistant_do\"><\/span><b>What does an administrative assistant do?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Administrative Assistants not only &#8216;deal with paperwork&#8217; and<a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/administrative-tasks-when-working-with-freelancers\/\"> administrative tasks<\/a> as many may think. Their skills and responsibilities are far more advanced and require good organization, knowledge, flexibility, and the ability to successfully communicate and cooperate with others. What the position entails is hugely dependent on the industry and the needs of the superior. However, we can list several basic responsibilities that a good administrative assistant does without hesitation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Administrative Assistant responsibilities<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A good Administrative Assistant will cover the following responsibilities:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">greeting and signing in visitors, giving them directions or guiding them, and making them feel welcome;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">answering and directing phone calls;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">managing and organizing schedules using a digital calendar;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making and keeping detailed meeting notes;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">taking care and ordering office supplies, and stationery (paper, pens, ink, etc.);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making travel arrangements for superiors.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_create_an_appropriate_administrative_assistant_job_description\"><\/span><b>How to create an appropriate administrative assistant job description<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clerical errors may not only expose the organization to financial costs but most importantly may cause damage to their reputation and image. To avoid such unpleasant surprises administrative assistant roles should be filled with individuals who are capable of understanding and adhering to complex policies, industry standards, and regulations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The possession of basic budgeting skills, computer skills, and knowledge of office management systems are also not without significance. All these and other administrative assistant requirements should be included in the right job post description. What should such a description look like and what else should it contain? We have prepared a comprehensive plan below, to help you remember the most crucial elements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Introduction<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re starting to<a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-write-a-job-description\/\"> write a job description<\/a> remember that the the introduction should contain a brief overview of the role you are looking to fill. Furthermore, it should also describe an individual who would perfectly match the requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example: <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8216;We are looking for a driven administrative assistant to join our fast-developing, and friendly company. The ideal candidate is well-organized, attentive to details, and easily develops and maintains workplace and customer relationships.&#8217;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h4><b>Workplace description<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many employers forget that not only do they have to make a choice, but also the potential employees choose their places of work. This section highlights your workplace features. Describe what makes you stand out among other organizations, and lay out your company mission and values.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are unsure what the greatest assets are from the employee&#8217;s point of view, ask your current administrative staff members to describe what they like the most about working for your organization. Use these descriptions to attract applicants and they will be more likely to stay and succeed within your company.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Administrative Assistant responsibilities<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have already listed the basic responsibilities of a good Administrative Assistant, however, the role entails plenty more duties, that you might not even know about. They also differ depending on the industry, the nature of your business and its size, as well as organizational needs. Depending on these factors, you may be looking for someone who:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ensures efficient office operation by providing administrative support;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organizes and maintains filing systems (physical and\/or digital);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can operate a busy switchboard (answering phone calls and directing them to the appropriate department);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has basic reception duties (booking appointments, signing in for incoming packages, and assisting clients and other visitors);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can manage busy email inbox (responding to emails, digital queries, and correspondence);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">manages calendars for executives (making travel arrangements included);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drafts and edits letters, and other documents;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">updates information in spreadsheets and databases;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">maintains confidentiality, security and discretion while working with sensitive information;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">puts together meeting agendas and takes meeting minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">coordinates appointment booking, room setups, and catering.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">uses software skills (word processing, presentation creation, etc.) to produce and edit documents;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">meets deadlines, and adapts to changing priorities;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can operate and maintain office equipment;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cooperates with maintenance staff and outside vendors to ensure good working order of the office equipment;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">orders stationery supplies making sure the office is always properly stocked up;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cooperates and communicates effectively with other administrative staff and supports colleagues when in need;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ensures compliance with privacy policies and regulations;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the face of the organization and maintains its positive and professional image.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Working hours and benefits<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This section speaks about the position&#8217;s required hours of work, remuneration, and benefits that come with the position. Ensure that you stay within the salary range and benefit choice of other offerings. It would be an asset to make your organization stand out, however, it is not a necessity. Make sure that you stress the benefits that are the most attractive to your prospective employee, such as the annual number of paid holidays, additional health insurance, free or discounted training, and extra professional development opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Administrative Assistant skills<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Except for the responsibilities you are looking to assign, you are looking for specific skills such a person has. Thanks to listing them in the job description, you can narrow the search by explicitly stating &#8216;what the person you are looking for is like&#8217;. However, be mindful of listing too many skills. Good assistants have a very important characteristic, which is &#8216;a quick learner&#8217;. Put a note &#8216;optional&#8217; next to some less important skills, as your potential employee can catch up quickly, and will be less likely to get apprehensive about applying for the position.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Education and experience<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">List any official qualifications needed for the job here, such as a high school diploma or equivalent, specific degree type, and certain certification types (CAP, MOS, etc.). Also, list how many years and what type of experience is required or say that it &#8216;will be an asset&#8217;.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Call to action<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encourage qualified applicants to complete an online application form by hitting the &#8216;apply now&#8217; button<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Administrative_Assistant_job_description_template\"><\/span><b>Administrative Assistant job description template<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a bonus, we have prepared an example of an administrative assistant job description you can use for your search for the perfect administrative assistant to join your organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/.pdf\" download=\"administrative-assistant-job-description-template.pdf\">Administrative assistant job description template &#8211; Download PDF<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/.docx\" download=\"administrative-assistant-job-description-template.pdf\">Administrative assistant job description template &#8211; Download Word<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1PKygXWm1PTDRYjGTXwqpbz0L5fTynFKwReHulVv1Jls\/edit?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Administrative assistant job description template &#8211; Download Google Docs<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Takeaway\"><\/span><b>Takeaway<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While looking for an administrative assistant, it is crucial to prepare a well-structured and extensive job description. It should contain several sections, such as the company description, position&#8217;s responsibilities, candidate&#8217;s skills, experience, education, and qualifications as well as the list of benefits the company offers. A comprehensive administrative job description will simplify and shorten the process of selecting the perfect candidate. One of the portals that makes searching for the right candidates even easier is Useme.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you are looking for a contractor, who would provide you with admin support, you can post a job offer on our portal, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/contractors\/category\/admin-support,40\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">choose a specific freelancer and outsource administrative jobs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Useme helps you sign contracts, oversees the documentation and procedures, as well as makes your settlements significantly easier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-8f32bd25-0fca-4b48-97de-9b746f559642\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-8f32bd25-0fca-4b48-97de-9b746f559642\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-8f32bd25-0fca-4b48-97de-9b746f559642\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n<![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com\/cta\/redirect\/27198211\/8f32bd25-0fca-4b48-97de-9b746f559642\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-8f32bd25-0fca-4b48-97de-9b746f559642\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com\/cta\/default\/27198211\/8f32bd25-0fca-4b48-97de-9b746f559642.png\" alt=\"New call-to-action\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to shortlist the right administrative assistants? By preparing the right job description. Today, we would like to share with you the knowledge on how to prepare a comprehensive administrative assistant job description. We will also give you an example of a ready administrative assistant job description.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":3739,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-employers"],"modified_by":"\u017baneta","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3735"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4072,"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3735\/revisions\/4072"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/useme.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}