“Miss, please take this dictation.” Or: “Six coffees for the conference room, please.” It used to be common practice for a boss or a department head to be assisted by a female secretary with many secretarial tasks – she was something of a ‘surrogate mother’ and ‘girl Friday’. A male secretary, on the other hand, was very rarely to be found. Secretarial work was regarded as a traditionally female profession and reflected the gender roles of the time, which – fortunately – have now largely become obsolete. Nowadays, both men and women can be found in the role of assistant, no longer just handling minor tasks but also carrying out larger and more complex duties, thereby supporting their superiors.
A profound change in the job profile of secretaries
Executive assistants or office managers today often take on managerial responsibilities as their boss’s right-hand person. Instead of merely carrying out standard secretarial tasks such as handling correspondence and processing post, numerous new responsibilities have been added, such as preparing presentations or independently organising specific projects.
This increase in secretarial responsibilities has two implications: on the one hand, applicants for this role must possess a wide range of qualifications, some of which are highly demanding. On the other hand, however, it also offers them career progression opportunities that did not exist in the past.
Depending on the type and size of the company and your line manager’s position within the corporate hierarchy, you will take on roles that were previously reserved for the boss, such as training and briefing other staff, or acting as a stand-in at meetings where the manager’s presence is not strictly necessary.
A team player rather than a lone wolf
The general shift in most companies – away from working in isolation towards teamwork – has not bypassed the secretarial profession either. Whilst she essentially still acts as an assistant to her line manager, she also works in project teams and often takes on the role of coordinating and leading them. In addition, they prepare annual reports or project findings and create corresponding presentations.
Representational and managerial duties
If the boss is a senior executive in a large, internationally operating company, further demanding responsibilities are added to the purely secretarial tasks. Assistants and office managers, for example, take part in meetings with clients and thus represent their employer externally.
In such cases, in addition to a confident manner, foreign language skills are an essential requirement. A perfect command of spoken and written English is the minimum requirement. However, at least one further foreign language is often required so that, if necessary, the assistant can stand in for the boss.
An executive assistant also takes on managerial responsibilities by delegating tasks to other secretaries or trainees, or even managing an entire office department.
Soft skills that secretaries must master
Assistants must not only possess a wide range of professional skills, but also master a number of soft skills. One of the most important qualities is empathy – both interpersonal and situational. As secretaries are constantly interacting with people, they must be able to adapt to all kinds of people and situations, and also be able to judge when to take a back seat and when to assert themselves. Furthermore, there must be a balance between discretion and strong communication skills, appropriate to the situation. In addition to verbal communication, written communication is also extremely important. Foreign languages are a major asset, as many companies operate internationally.
Secretaries often have to work behind the scenes and coordinate tasks. To do this, they need not only an overview of the bigger picture, but also strong organisational skills and a high degree of self-organisation. Furthermore, they often have to stand in for their superiors, which is why a confident manner is also essential.
A steady nerve is a must, particularly in stressful situations. A sense of humour can be a great help in mastering difficult situations and secretarial tasks. Furthermore, particularly at management level, authenticity is a key factor in performing one’s job successfully. Generally speaking, the same soft skills that are crucial for managers are also important for assistants.
Communication with your line manager
Communicating with your line manager can sometimes be a delicate balancing act. Female assistants in particular, but also male assistants, sometimes have to deal with disrespectful comments. It is important that the working relationship is built on a foundation of mutual respect. Tact is required here. On the one hand, you must not accept such comments; on the other hand, you must be careful how you deal with them.
An overview of today’s secretarial tasks
The role of a secretary is extremely varied and encompasses a wide range of tasks. Anyone choosing this career must possess a number of skills, have a healthy degree of independence and personal responsibility, and be able to remain calm even in stressful situations.
The complex field of secretarial duties primarily includes the following typical professional activities:
- Handling external and internal telephone calls (outbound, inbound)
- Appointment organisation and coordination
- Processing and managing incoming and outgoing post
- Correspondence by post, email and other electronic means of communication
- Proficiency in Office programmes (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.)
- Various clerical tasks (including general correspondence, file annotations, reports, etc.)
- Filing and records management, database maintenance
- Reception and support services for visitors and guests
- Organisation and management of office supplies
- Gathering and analysing information
- Preparation and production of reports and presentations
- Organisation, preparation and support for meetings and events
- Taking minutes at conferences and events
- Organisation and settlement of business travel (hotel, flight and other bookings)
- Preparatory work for accounts and payroll
Depending on the company and sector, this list can be expanded to include numerous other tasks.
The boss’s private appointments
Should an executive assistant arrange the boss’s private appointments? Generally speaking, bosses leave themselves open to challenges under employment law if they have assistants arrange their private appointments. However, the question is not quite so straightforward to answer, as secretaries are expected to relieve managers of as much work as possible. Arranging a doctor’s appointment or ordering flowers for a friend’s birthday are tasks that can certainly be taken on from time to time. Under no circumstances, however, should private appointments account for more than a certain proportion of internal company tasks.
Outsourcing secretarial tasks
But what happens if an assistant is unavailable, for example because they are on holiday, are off sick for a prolonged period or are on parental leave? In such cases, it is usually not worthwhile for a company to hire a replacement to carry out secretarial tasks.
Outsourcing secretarial tasks is a good option here, provided you use a competent service provider. This saves you the trouble of searching for a suitable candidate and the relatively lengthy recruitment process. A service provider such as COLLECTION Business Centre not only carries out the work competently, but also on more favourable terms than if you were to incur additional staff costs by taking on a new employee.
Outsourcing for Start-ups
Outsourcing is also an excellent solution for start-ups, small businesses and individuals who, either at the start of their business or as a general matter, wish to avoid the expense of running their own secretarial department. COLLECTION Business Centre offers its clients a comprehensive office service, which includes a professional secretarial service as well as virtual offices with their own business address. The latter ensure that you can offer your business partners and customers the best possible service without having to be physically present all the time. You’ll be given your own telephone number and a company sign in the entrance area, so that you can be reached by post and telephone at any time.
If required, you can hire your own office and meeting rooms on a daily basis or for longer periods; these are fully furnished, feature an impressive design and, of course, are equipped with all the technology required today. With its current branches in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Vienna, COLLECTION Business Centre has easily and quickly accessible locations throughout Germany and Austria, all of which are situated in attractive, central city locations – a perfect presence that meets all the requirements of a professional secretarial service and will also impress your business partners and clients.
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