Why You Need Training Courses for Your Administrative Assistants

We asked administrative assistants how often their employer provides ongoing training. For 38%, there is absolutely no ongoing training; 45% reported that they receive training from their employer, but only when a need arises or if they push hard enough for it. Only 17% reported that there was a consistent plan in place.

The results clearly show that employers are falling short in this important area.

That, however, is a big mistake because prioritizing your administrative staff’s learning and development has a ripple effect that can be felt throughout your organization.

Let’s go through three ways that your whole team will benefit when you provide regular, meaningful learning opportunities for your administrative staff.

What to Look for When Booking Training for Your Administrative Professionals  

When considering training options, focus on practicality and relevance. You want training that is going to teach skills that can be directly applied in the workplace.  

Equally important is finding a training provider that values and understands the unique contributions of administrative staff. At Great Canadian Training (GCT), we recognize the indispensable role administrative professionals play in organizational success. That's why we've prioritized building a strong administrative team, knowing that their skills are essential for driving our growth and efficiency. 

Because of our conversations with our own team, as well as our experience helping many organizations, we know the unique challenges that support staff face when attending training. For example, we know it can be difficult to arrange coverage. That is why we stand behind our courses and ensure they are "Guaranteed to Run". You can book training with confidence, knowing that it won't be rescheduled or canceled.  

Three Benefits of Consistent, Proactive, and Meaningful Training for Your Support Staff

1. They Will Be More Productive

Today’s administrative professionals are expected to be much more than a receptionist or a typist. They are project managers, office managers, event planners, customer service reps, organizers, and so much more besides.

Often, administrative assistants take on the front-line strategic functions traditionally handled by HR or operations – things like onboarding new hires and event planning. They are very often also tasked with culture-related responsibilities like planning off-site events, managing perks like office snacks, and generally maintaining the office vibe.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they took on an even more important role, helping with the transition to remote and hybrid work, and keeping up morale.

When it comes down to it, admins are expected to keep things running smoothly, no matter what it takes. Think of them as a sort of “utility player” on a baseball team. They’re Jacks- and Jills-of-all-trades, expected to perform at a high level in a ton of different situations.

In short, they are the cornerstone of your organization.

It’s a lot to do. So being able to do things more efficiently and effectively is a must for today’s admin professional. Consistent, meaningful training is an absolute necessity to keep their edge and handle the pressure.

2. Your Organization Will Be Better Organized

Not only are admins keeping other people—and themselves—organized, but they’re also usually tasked with organizing digital and physical files, along with project tasks, budgets, and other duties.

More and more of us are working in a remote environment nowadays, where people are not working together side by side. Things can get misplaced or forgotten, falling through the cracks. Your admin is the key to knowing where everything is and being able to pull it all together.

Therefore, they need to know how to use digital tools to create processes and maintain those systems. Consistent and meaningful training is the only way to keep up with it all.

3. Your Team Will Be Able to Attract and Retain Top Administrative Talent

Since the spring of 2021, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been leaving the workforce or switching jobs in droves. For many, a big part of the reason is dissatisfaction with their employer.

Workers are opting to leave unsupportive employers and transition to jobs in which they feel that they are more appreciated and will have access to better resources.

Let’s look at today’s largest workforce – millennials. They have different expectations and demands than the generations of their parents. How do they feel about training? The answer is clearly summarized in this article: Why Does Training Mean So Much to Millennials?

Today’s professional, like most other millennials, expects to feel a sense of mentoring, a sense of belonging, and a well-defined career path.

You know how quickly your team can be negatively affected when your administrative foundation is weak. You also know the costs involved in onboarding new employees as replacements. Therefore, to attract and retain the very best of the best, you need to demonstrate that you are committed to their ongoing learning and development.

How Can Great Canadian Training Help?

At The Great Canadian Training & Consulting Company, we know that your staff are the backbone of your operations. They are the ones that everyone turns to when they need help. They are your secret weapon, with their finger on the pulse.

Nurture them, help them to feel valued.

Your admin staff needs to maintain a wide range of skills to support you and your team, from mastering Microsoft Office tools to strengthening their professional skills. Our courses are designed to guide them to greater success and an increased sense of attachment to your organization.

Training Courses for Administrative Assistants

You can view our courses that are most well-suited to developing your support team here, but we have broken these courses down into these broad categories:

• Software training, including many of Microsoft’s programs and working with various accessibility tools
• Professional skills training, designed to improve time management skills, communication skills and business communication (including business writing)
• Challenges within their roles, such as navigating difficult conversations or project management

Our software courses will help them become better organized by training them how to properly use key productivity software like OneNote, Outlook, and Planner.

Often, administrative professionals are on the front lines of your organization and are responsible for much of the oral and written communication directed at internal and external stakeholders. From taking meeting minutes to more effective customer service, our communication and writing courses will help them better develop this aspect of their role to benefit your entire organization.

Our professional skills training courses are beautifully designed to instill a sense of satisfaction in a job well done. We can help them improve their time management, navigate difficult conversations, or run small- to medium-sized projects. Our series of courses dealing with “Administrative Challenges” includes these and more topics that will help them work through various dynamics and challenges.

View all our administrative assistant courses here.

Upskilling Workshops: Administrative Support Training That Maximizes Your Staff's Time  

Your administrative assistants are the backbone of your organization, especially when it comes to using Microsoft's suite of applications. Not only do they use these programs in their daily workflows, but administrative assistants typically are often tasked with helping others use them too. 

Your administrative support team is likely already adept at using basic functions like crunching numbers in an Excel spreadsheet, drafting documents in Word and managing schedules in Outlook. However, keeping up with Microsoft's frequent updates and new features can be a challenge, meaning that your team may be falling behind.  

At Great Canadian Training, we see this challenge and that is why we offer specialized Upskilling workshops to address it. These workshops are short, focused sessions aimed at filling in the missing pieces and helping your team stay up to date. They're tailored to help your staff stay current and proficient in their use of these essential programs, ensuring they can make the most of the tools available to them. 

We also know that it can be hard to set aside the time for training - especially for your support staff. This is one of the many benefits to our Upskilling workshops. They optimize the time you have by concentrating on specific skills and functionalities that your team may not be familiar with.  

You can learn more about our Upskilling workshops here.  

Why Learn with Great Canadian Training?

Our classes are guaranteed to run. You can book with confidence; especially useful if you are arranging for coverage during training.

We offer excellent after-training support, so you get the most out of your training budget.

We are happy to customize our training to suit your needs, so you can get the most appropriate training for your money.

In general, as you’ve seen in the survey above, there is a big void to fill in training—and retaining—admin staff. Let us help you fill that void with our training that is geared toward their specific needs and wants.

• Guaranteed to run – you can book with confidence, especially if you are arranging for coverage.
• Get the most out of your training budget with after-training support.
• Customized to your workplace.

What would you expect your admin to do with this information? Don’t put off this important decision! Book today.