Money matters most to PAís

Survey reveals salary is more important than a good working relationship

Almost half of all personal assistants cite their salary as the main reason to change jobs

Four out of five European PAs say they encounter stress in their job

One third of UK assistants feel guilty if they donít work long hours

Today is the 55th anniversary of National Secretariesí Day. To mark this occasion, OfficeTeam, a leading provider of specialised administrative personnel on a temporary and full-time basis, has released new research into the working lives of modern day personal assistants. The survey of almost 1,500 personal assistants and managers across the UK, France, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic reveals that the majority of personal assistants believe salary is more important than the working relationship they share with their boss.

The survey shows that over 79 per cent of personal assistants say salary is the most important factor in their job, compared to just 13 per cent who say itís the working relationship shared with their boss. Poor salary was also cited by 47 per cent of respondents as the main reason to change jobs ñ this trend was most common amongst workers in the UK (57 per cent).

The OfficeTeam survey also provides some useful insights into the changing role of personal assistants. Encouragingly, the majority (80 per cent) of respondents acknowledge that their boss shows them respect and appreciation for the job they do. According to the survey, the best ways for a boss to show respect is through demonstrating trust (66 per cent), saying thank you (58 per cent) and asking for an opinion (33 per cent).

FACT: 48% of personal assistants say they are seen as being valuable employees within their organisation.

Victoria Sprott, UK Regional Director for OfficeTeam, comments:

ìThe role of the personal assistant is changing; PAs are far more valued and respected than they were ten years ago and it is important that managers respect the relationships they share with their employees.

ìWhile salary is still the primary influence over job satisfaction and retention, managers that show appreciation and foster open lines of communication will continue to get the most out of their administration staff. The role of the personal assistant is taking on a far wider scope and itís important that managers get the support they need.î

According to the survey, the traditional roles and responsibilities of administration professionals are changing. When asked about the aspects of their job that will become more important in the future the most popular answer was project management, as nominated by 43 per cent of respondents. Other popular choices included facilities management (34 per cent) and event planning (29 per cent).

With widening roles comes added responsibility and pressure. In general 79 per cent of European personal assistants say they encounter stress in their job. Differences within Europe are quite large with twice as many personal assistants in the UK encountering no stress in comparison with Germany. The main reasons cited for stress are mostly time-related, such as getting short notice on jobs (20 per cent) and expected availability (19 per cent). Similarly, one third (33 per cent) of administration professionals in the UK say they feel guilty if they leave work on time and donít work long hours.