9 Out of 10 Administrative Professionals Say They Contribute More at Work Than 5 Years Ago; Suggestions for Administrative Professionals Week April 24-30.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Almost nine out of ten administrative professionals say they are responding to new job demands by contributing more to their organizations than they were five years ago, according to a new survey by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).

The survey, reflecting more than 3,200 responses from randomly sampled IAAP members, shows that 88% say their workplace contributions have increased in past five years. Along with greater contributions, more than three out of four - 78% - say their level of authority and autonomy for decision-making has grown over the past five years.

"These findings demonstrate the advanced roles and increasing value of administrative professionals in the workplace," said Jo A. Peay of Winston-Salem, N.C., 2004-2005 IAAP international president. "As management teams become increasingly lean and executives stretch their own responsibilities, the value of quality administrative support staff increases significantly."

The areas in which IAAP respondents say their responsibilities have grown the most are office management, coordination and supervision.

"While computer and technology skills are still very important for administrative professionals to master, the ability to plan, organize, supervise and implement projects and communicate with employees and the public is becoming more critical today," Peay said.

The workplace contributions of administrative professionals will be recognized during Administrative Professionals Week, April 24-30, 2005. Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, April 27. IAAP offers these suggestions for Administrative Professionals Week observances:

--Hold a company-wide training event for administrative support staff such as a presentation by a professional development speaker.

--Give a group recognition of administrative professionals by the chief executive.

--Provide registration for a professional development seminar to build the individual's technical, interpersonal or business skills.

--Support membership in appropriate networking and professional associations.

--Encourage study for and attainment of professional certification.

More than 4.5 million administrative professionals work in the United States and Canada, making this one of the largest segments of the office workforce. IAAP is the world's leading association for administrative professionals, with more than 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide. Further information is available at www.iaap-hq.org.