Let’s explore one of the biggest trends in the admin industry—an issue that is holding many professionals back. Despite their essential roles, administrative professionals often struggle to gain the recognition they deserve, leading to missed opportunities for growth and development. By addressing this trend, we can better understand the importance of valuing and empowering administrative staff to enhance their impact within organizations.
The solution? Admins themselves must take ownership of their value and communicate it effectively. When more administrative professionals learn to articulate their worth in business terms, they not only elevate their own careers but also create a lasting ripple effect that transforms the industry as a whole.
The Problem: Why the Admin Role is Undervalued
Lack of Visibility – Many administrative tasks happen behind the scenes, making it difficult for executives and colleagues to fully grasp their impact. If work isn’t directly tied to revenue generation, it’s often seen as a “nice-to-have” rather than an essential function.
Leaders Struggle to Define Admin Value – Executives are experts in justifying their own value, but they often lack the language or perspective to advocate for administrative professionals. Without clear articulation, admins risk being undervalued, underpaid, or overlooked for advancement.
Admins Aren’t Trained to Speak in Business Terms – Administrative professionals aren’t typically taught how to frame their responsibilities in terms of business outcomes, such as efficiency, cost savings, retention, or profitability. Without this skill, their work is often described in vague or task-based terms, making it harder to justify raises, promotions, and respect.
The Industry-Wide Impact – If admins don’t take control of the narrative around their roles, the industry as a whole will continue to face challenges in recognition, compensation, and career progression.
Why Admins Must Take the Lead in Changing the Narrative
Career Advancement – When you can clearly define your impact in business terms, you increase your chances of earning promotions, pay raises, and new job opportunities.
Professional Confidence – Understanding your value gives you the confidence to advocate for yourself in performance reviews, interviews, and networking situations.
Industry-Wide Change – When a critical mass of administrative professionals begins speaking in value-driven terms, companies will start hiring, compensating, and promoting assistants differently.
Improved Leadership Relations – Executives and managers will develop a clearer understanding of an admin’s strategic role, leading to stronger working relationships and greater professional respect.
The Framework: How to Define & Communicate Your Value
Shifting the way you talk about your role starts with a strategic approach. Instead of listing tasks, administrative professionals need to present their work in a way that demonstrates its impact on the business. Here’s how:
Step 1: Adopt a Business Mindset
Think of yourself as a consultant within your company. Consultants don’t just complete tasks—they solve business problems and drive efficiency. By viewing yourself in this way, you gain more control over how you position yourself and the work you do.
One of the biggest mindset shifts is realizing that you have a say in what services you provide. Defining the scope of your role helps you set professional boundaries, preventing burnout and ensuring that your work aligns with business goals.
Step 2: Identify & Define Your Services
Start by reviewing your job description and breaking it down into distinct services. Many job ads now categorize responsibilities by service area—something you can use to your advantage when refining your own role.
For example, consider this job listing:
- “Managing executive calendars and correspondence with key stakeholders.”
- “Booking travel, managing expenses, and handling event logistics.”
These broad responsibilities can be categorized as:
- Calendar & Email Management
- Travel & Expense Management
- Event Planning & Coordination
Instead of listing tasks, describe these as services that add value to the company.
Step 3: Use the Value-Based Formula
To effectively communicate your impact, use this simple formula:
What you do + Who you do it for + The business value it brings
Instead of saying, “Manage executive calendars and scheduling,” you can frame it as:
“Optimize executive schedules to maximize productivity, minimize conflicts, and ensure seamless coordination with key stakeholders—driving efficiency and strategic decision-making.”
This approach helps shift the perception of administrative work from task-based to strategic.
Turning Individual Action into Industry-Wide Change
When individual administrative professionals start articulating their value more effectively, it creates a ripple effect across the industry. Here’s how:
Improve Your Resume & Job Applications
If every assistant started presenting their responsibilities as business-driven services, hiring managers would begin to expect—and respect—this language. Use your resume and LinkedIn profile to reinforce this shift. Clearly articulate how your work supports business goals, rather than listing generic admin duties.
Transform Performance Reviews
Many assistants dread performance reviews because they rely on their executives to recognize their contributions. Instead of hoping for acknowledgment, prepare a case for your value. Present your achievements in a way that ties them directly to company success. For example:
❌ “Organized team events throughout the year.”
✅ “Planned and executed team events that improved employee engagement, reduced turnover, and strengthened cross-functional collaboration.”
This framing makes it clear that your work has a measurable business impact.
Encourage Corporate Training Programs
Companies that invest in admin training programs often see improved retention and efficiency. If your organization has multiple admins, advocating for professional development opportunities (like those offered by The Officials) can create a company-wide shift in how admins are perceived and valued.
Resources & Tools to Help You
Regularly Review Job Listings & Admin Profiles
More companies are now structuring job descriptions by breaking down responsibilities into clearly defined services. Reviewing these postings can help you refine how you describe your own work.
- Optimize Your Job Description: Look for patterns in job ads to improve the way you frame your role on your resume, LinkedIn, and performance reviews.
- Benchmark Against Other Admins: Review how other assistants describe their roles to strengthen your own positioning.
Leverage AI for Better Value Articulation
AI tools like ChatGPT can help you:
- Refine your job descriptions
- Reword responsibilities into value-driven statements
- Identify key business benefits of your services
Additional Resources
- Lynn Walder’s Title Recalibration Initiative – Full of structured and highly detailed job description documents for administrative professionals, this resource can help you identify services in your role and wording to help define them and the all important value.
- The Officials Goal Setting and Performance Review Course – Led by the talented Jillian Huffnagel, this course is the perfect resource to help you better articulate your value.
- The Officials Mentorship Programs – If you feel you need some one-on-one help to define your services whether you are updating your resume/CV or preparing for a performance review, then our mentorship program is just the thing.
Conclusion
Change starts with individual action—when administrative professionals redefine their own roles, the entire industry benefits. By learning to articulate your impact, you elevate your own career while paving the way for future generations of administrative professionals.
