Digital disruption has changed the face of office and administrative work, but not only in the ways we expected. New job opportunities have been created for those with knowledge of the latest workplace tech. Unfortunately, the talent shortage remains a threat, and employers are struggling to find candidates with the new skill sets they need to get the job done.
Here, we’ve analyzed the latest hiring trends for office and administration, outlined the challenges they pose to you and offered solutions about what you can do to address each one.
While new workplace technologies may have reduced the need for office support personnel in certain areas, new data obtained from Burning Glass shows that there still is some demand. In just the past year alone there were:
customer service representatives: 711,940 postings
administrative assistants:587,068 postings
receptionists: 133,557 postings
executive assistants:76,285 postings
Unfortunately, it appears as though these positions are proving hard to fill.
Indeed, the role of office workers is changing. New technologies are being implemented into the daily workflow faster than ever, and it's becoming more difficult for existing employees to keep up with training. As a result, the skills gap is growing.
37% of employers said that the growing talent shortage and skills gap would be the primary external challenge facing their organizations.*
If you're looking to hire office and administrative personnel, expect to encounter challenges. The shortage of talent in the space is significant. In fact, it's one of the most severe across all careers, coming in third behind only healthcare and business and finance.
To find the talent you need in this climate, you'll need to rethink your approach. Here's how we recommend you adjust your hiring strategy based on the latest trends.
areas with the greatest talent shortages:
healthcare: 1,153,617 openings
business and financial operations: 985,214 openings
office and administrative support: 461,263 openings
how this affects you:
holds your business back from growing
solution:
reevaluate skills
be realistic about job requirements
Bachelor's degrees are becoming required for an increasingly higher number of positions. And while college-educated employees can certainly be valuable assets on your team, requiring a diploma for jobs where it previously wasn't warranted could be hurting rather than helping.
Let's look at bookkeepers, for example. According to Burning Glass, 37 percent of job postings for bookkeepers asked for a bachelor's degree — yet only 19 percent of bookkeepers actually have one.
It seems the perceived skills gap so often bemoaned by today's hiring leaders, could actually be, in part, a product of their own doing. While a bachelor's may be viewed as the new high school for some, applying that requirement to every role will only increase hiring headaches for your organization. So think carefully about each position you're looking to fill, and make a decision on whether or not a college degree is really necessary to get the job done.
37% of job postings for bookkeepers asked for a bachelor's degree— yet only 19% of employed bookkeepers actually have them.
upskill away
With fewer skilled job seekers on the market, making external hires to address your staffing needs may not be in the cards. But that doesn't mean you have to put your business on hold until candidates come calling.
Upskilling your existing workers is an easy way to get around the skills gap, and it can even improve your employee engagement and retention levels, too.
here's what to do:
Look at all the new hires you were planning to make to identify the skill sets that made them attractive candidates.
Conduct an analysis of your current team's strengths to identify gaps that need to be addressed through training.
Work one-on-one with your employees to learn which directions they'd like to take their careers, and put them in upskilling programs that align with those goals.
how this affects you:
reduces your ability to attract top talent
solution:
speed up your hiring process
With the talent market as tight as it is today, timing is everything. Top talent is on the market for as little as 10 days, so you need to act fast when hiring needs arise.
Unfortunately, 53 percent of the employers we surveyed who've worked with us to find office and administration talent said it typically takes them two to three months to fill a direct-hire position on their own.*
If you're part of that 53 percent, you'll want to drastically reduce your hiring timeline in order to stay competitive for the best candidates.
Forecast future talent needs: Learn about your company's upcoming plans so you can anticipate headcount and start cultivating a talent pipeline.
Look in the right places: To use your candidate-search time most efficiently, target channels frequented by your ideal candidates. Think social media for millennials or job fairs for Gen Z.
Partner with a staffing agency: Staffing agencies have access to established networks of pre-vetted talent so you can find qualified candidates faster.
how this affects you:
makes it harder to find skilled candidates
solution:
be different about how you differentiate
Differentiating yourself from the competition is important, and our polling of office and administration employers showed that a majority of them agree and are making concerted efforts to stand out. Unfortunately, a majority of them are choosing the same method of differentiation, which may end up defeating the purpose:
Building a great employer brand is an important talent-attraction tool to have in your arsenal, and if you haven't already, it's well worth the investment. But if you're looking for an edge, you need to go where your competitors aren't. Our survey findings uncovered other "paths less travelled" that you can take to help your business stand out.
Compensation and benefits: Only eight percent of employers said this was a differentiator for them. Use an online salary calculator to see what the going rate is for salaries in your area, and listen to what today's talent has to say about the kinds of benefits they want.
Growth opportunities: Only six percent of employers said this helps set them apart. If you're already upskilling, you'll be on the right track. But beyond just skills, employees also want to work for organizations that can communicate clear pathways to advancement.
Flexibility and work-life balance: Only 7 percent of employers are prioritizing this in their differentiation strategies. Offering flexible scheduling, along with remote work options and unlimited vacation time, is an attractive incentive for
many of today's job seekers.
The increased adoption of workplace technologies has created a serious skills gap in office and administration, and the talent shortage that's ensued has ballooned to be one of the biggest out of all occupational segments. To stay competitive for office and administration talent in this climate, remember to:
Reevaluate skills: Align job requirements with the realities of the role and upskill your existing team members to compensate for talent not available on the job market.
Accelerate your hiring cycles: Forecast your talent needs in advance, source for candidate on the right channels or partner with a staffing agency to find great talent, fast.
Stand out to talent: Differentiate yourself from competing employers by improving compensation and benefits, providing growth opportunities and offering flexible, work-life-friendly scheduling.
Addressing these hiring trends will make you more competitive for talent, but if competition seems to be especially pronounced in your local market, then targeting your approach even further could give you the extra edge you need.
Tailoring your hiring strategy to align with the unique characteristics of each position you're looking to fill can help your hire more effectively. Visit our How to Hire page below to get tailored hiring advice for some of today's most in-demand office and administration positions.
* Randstad US, "randstad office and administration: client survey executive summary." 2019