Most secretaries would welcome the opportunity to gain a professionally recognised PA qualification.
That is probably the most startling discovery from a new study of more than 1,000 secretaries and personal assistants by Kingston University in association with the Global PA Network, a training and development company for secretaries.
According to the report, three quarters of secretaries would jump at the chance to acquire an MBA-style qualification designed for PAs. Four fifths added that such a qualification would raise the status of secretaries.
A desire to be taken more seriously was widespread among those PAs polled. More than half said their jobs did not make use of their full abilities. Only one in five felt they had decent promotion opportunities. Over 70% reported having to perform ‘personal work’ for the boss. Of these, over one in three said they were asked to perform tasks beyond the call of duty. Among the most extreme requests were ‘bathe boss’ elderly mother’, ‘make curtains’ and ‘do research for his eight year old daughter’s homework’.
‘A nationally recognised qualification would clarify what the role involves,’ explained Professor Katie Truss, a professor at Kingston University and co-author of the report.
According to Professor Truss, the first step towards creating such a qualification is the establishment of standards against which it could be benchmarked. ‘This needs to be driven by central Government,’ she explained, adding that she hoped the BIS (Business Innovation and Skills department) would come on board. ‘We need a body to fulfil the same role as the Management Standards Centre, which has drawn up standards for managers against which management degrees benchmark themselves.’
The Times published an article on the research saying that secretaries should not complain about being asked to perform personal tasks for their boss because the role was essentially a ‘menial’ one. Responding to that assertion, Professor Truss replied: ‘The article struck me as deliberately provocative. It’s clearly incorrect to say that secretarial work is menial; it’s very important to most organisations.’
The article also implied that most PAs were misguided to think they could expect to improve their roles. ‘Our research showed that just one fifth of secretaries were satisfied with their promotional opportunities. Most secretaries are ambitious,’ observed Truss.
Rosemary Parr, director of the Global PA Network and co-author of the report, says there has never been a better time to professionalise the sector. ‘Secretarial roles have transformed in the last 10 years and secretaries deserve a qualification that reflects that,’ she said.