Job Description for an Administrative Assistant - Assignment Example

ANALYSIS OF THE JOB There comes an inevitable step in every person’s life, when one graduates school, college or university and starts searching for a job. Some look for better conditions, such as working hours, location and free lunch, others- for exclusive benefit packages that will allow them to plan not only professional growth, but their personal life as well. No matter what job one finds and what benefits uses, each will pass the traditional career stages, which may finally point to the person’s perfect job. The following paper will illustrate the manysidedness of certain job position and will outline a compensation and benefits package that best fits to this position. Further, the traditional career stages will be examined and the plan that will help to avoid declining employee performance during certain stages in the career will be worked out. Job description for an administrative assistant To appoint the best person for a certain job position, it is essential to understand the nature of that job. Here the job analysis helps to develop such understanding, exploring the tasks that will be performed in a job, the competencies that are required for doing those tasks and the link between the tasks and competencies. Job analysis can also be used to identify not only job requirements, but also fields that need development. For the administrative assistant in the newly formed organization, there should be created specific job description, because such person will deal with everything in the company and will be its ears and eyes. The description of job duties should be practical, clear and accurate to effectively define company needs. The main purpose of the job: To provide administrative support and perform general administrative duties to the company business partners, both internal and external. The administrative assistant is required to: possess at least one foreign language; to be able to coordinate visitors coming, create agendas and transfer maps; organize business trips (purchase tickets and book accommodation); be able to prepare documents for obtaining visas (to prepare all necessary document that precede visa getting: the invitations, the company guarantee documents, etc.); support company expats and missioners (to prepare all necessary document that precede getting residence permit and the registration in the apartment: the official invitations); assist in creation of corporate business policies and procedures that relate to the position; assist in budgeting the expenses and making the reports of the services and goods related to the position; check and track the correctness of the documents provided by the third parties: the waybills, tax invoices, the write off acts etc.; assist in checking of the correctness of the agreements from the suppliers. Other requirements include computer literacy and experience in the internet search; operation of SAP system; be a team player, be ready for the new challenges and be accurate and precise in details. Compensation and benefit package When creating the job description for the candidate, the companies usually examine and include the compensation and benefit packages that are determined to all the employees of the company. Moreover, the employers usually offer extensive benefits to attract and retain talented people. Such may be the health and life insurance, which are the benefit of the majority of people who work and it highlights an employer as the one who is desirable for candidates’ selection. For the administrative assistant, health insurance is one of the main requirements when one seeks for the job. Another benefit that fits the position of assistant is the paid time off from work. Due to the specific tasks the assistant performs, there is always a probability that such person will have some work to do after paid hours. Usually, employers provide certain options for paid time off, including numbers of days for compensatory one. Paid holidays, vacation days, sick leave days and paid personal days are also welcomed by the employees as benefits of certain job and they should be examined and discussed during the selection process. With the wide range of duties the administrative assistant has, one should be provided with the short term disability insurance, which ensure receiving of a percentage of income for the period one cannot perform one’s duties, because of the sickness or injury. Another comprehensive assistant benefits package includes dental insurance, which is offered to help cover the costs for one’s dental care obtaining, whether it is the preventative or emergency case. Once offered at reduced rates, it will attract other employees in work in such a company. Medical insurance would be incomplete if employees could not be examined on a regular basis at their office. It would give them the opportunity to take care of their health without the necessity to leave working place. Such examination and further recommendation are vital for people whose work, as assistant’s, is the key on for the company. Such key person, even with the backup, will be able to obtain necessary information concerning one’s health being at work, not wasting time in getting to the doctor. Life insurance as an appreciated component in a package not only for the assistant, but for all the employees of the company. Companies that want to retain their employees for a longer period, usually offer special benefits for their employees. Thus, to be fit, it is possible to include different programs, such as dancing classes or possibility to attend a swimming pool for female assistants. For men companies sometimes offer football sessions. Free lunch supply is also widely used and are the one of the plus sides of the benefits package. To motivate assistants and recognize one’s achievements and excellent work, the company may use bonuses system that will be welcomed as another benefit within the employee’s package. Traditional career stages There is a statement that each person should change its work or certain duties once in two years. After that period of time, the interest reduces and the qualification and skills are so formulated, that even with the best working conditions and best benefits, the employee is simply getting bored and wants to obtain new job or qualification. However, such an idea depends on the individual preferences and likes and may not be used to everyone. Traditionally, there are four stages in career of every person. Before getting a first job, many people have tried to identify the kind of work they would be interested in. This time lasts from the teenage to twenties. A person tries to assess one’s own interests, values, preferences and potential career opportunities. When a person is appointed to a new job and obtains new duties, one enters the Establishment stage of one’s career. It is the preparation for a specific job, adjustment to certain schedule and requirements. It is the stage of learning of the new environment to fit into the company and profession. This stage is considered to start when people are in their mid-30s. The first months of work do not usually bring much quantitative feedback, that is why newly hired employees find it hard to distinguish their performance from other employees, more or less talented and hardworking, who have similar responsibilities. This is also the stage, when most employees determine their belonging to a certain field of expertise or position at work. There are, however, some employees that are confident enough to recognize what their first work assignment will be. Such self- determination starts with personal responsibility of what one wants and needs. The meaningfulness and relevance of role is what a person needs at this stage. It is important to be acknowledged by the company and its values, be a member of a team, achieve success and recognition of the superior. The next stage, the Advancement or Maintenance, is about getting a sense of how far a person goes in one’s profession. When one reaches a certain level in the organization, that best optimizes one’s skills and talents, there appears a need to expand one’s position by taking additional responsibilities. This usually starts on the third year of work in the company. This is a period when the increase of compensation or new title is not enough. These things come naturally as a result of one’s work and performance. But what matters, is the will to take new challenges and the ability to develop new skills and qualifications. However, successful managers, especially in big companies, do not go beyond the rank of middle managers and stay at this stage for years. But they are perfect mentors, who are able to teach and support newcomers in launching their careers. The next stage of the typical career is the Disengagement, during which person starts pulling away one’s ordinary responsibilities and changing one’s priorities. This period is characterized by desire to leave the company in order to find alternative sources for achieving personal targets. This is the so called change of working philosophy, because a person looks at one’s previous duties from the other point of view. For many employees, this is a period not only of evaluation of their self- worth, but also by the perception of their career success. This perception is based on talents, motives and values that guide the person in making an essential decision concerning their career. It should be mentioned that in the modern and fast changeable time, these stages go through a considerably shorter period of time. The disengagement comes earlier, because employees, especially younger, try to seek new opportunities for their development and their interests change very fast. What is also important, that decisions about career are more frequent made in regard to the desire to balance work and family. By the time, when an individual reaches a certain level in career, this becomes no priority question, because one thinks of self- identity more than about achievements in career. For the administrative assistant, who worked at one company for two and a half years, this is already the disengagement stage of one’s career. It is characterized by some pulling away from work, as all processes are set and usually performed automatically with no interest. The person wants changes and further development that is why everyday duties become less important. It is not common for every single employee, however, a desire for self- realization and understanding of meaningfulness of one’s duties pull certain people to change, which are not always possible while performing work within one and the same company. Having a lack of expertise and not enough experience and skills at the beginning of one’s career changes in some years of work. All possible trainings are held and there are no more areas for improvement. Professional development stops at a certain level for the administrative assistant. These are the main factors that make specialist want to change position and job place, notwithstanding the friendly environment that surrounds the person and recognition one obtained. Besides, if disengagement stage comes to the thirties, female employees think more about family matters which may postpone their further career due to the maternity leave. For the companies to attract and then retain talented people, it is not enough to create unique opportunities during the selection period. The compensation and benefit package may include not only medical insurance and engagement of employees to the after work activities, such as the team buildings or attending of fitness centers. For many potential employees, future work means development of their skills in order to become experts in certain fields. If included in the benefit package, this will pull in more skillful employees to the company. For those employees, who work for the certain organization for a couple of years, special attention should be paid to, because the company may suffer from their stagnation and disengagement that will be shown negatively on the performance of their duties. This is usually be caused by the absence of enough motivation, no new responsibilities and not enough salary. While such employees know what their worth, their work is not appreciated and recognized as an important to the company. Another reason for disengagement of a certain employee is the ignorance of the management, particularly of the supervisor of the employee’s attempt to take part in training session or be transferred to another position. To deal with it, the employee may be assessed, his duties may be revised and more responsibilities may be awarded. Big companies create special development programs for the newcomers and employees who work for a longer period of time. Such programs and development session encourage the current employees, give them additional skills and motivate them for the further achievements. References Assessment & Selection, Job Analysis. (n.d.). U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Retrieved August 25, 2014. DeNisi, A., & Griffin, R. (2014). HR2 ([2e éd.]. ed.). Mason: South Western Cengage Learning. Sims, R. (1999). Keys to employee success in coming decades. Westport, Conn.: Quorum. Writing Effective Job Descriptions | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2014. Read More