What HR Thinks

As the ASAP team prepared to attend the HR event SHRM, we asked our community what questions they'd like us to ask HR professionals. 

Check out HR's responses to some of your questions below. You'll hear more on the SHRM season of The Admin Edge podcast, and we shared more insights from professionals on our Career Corner blog:

• How to Make Your Case for Professional Development
• Why Leadership Training Matters

What skills should administrative professionals continue to stay on top of and why?

Stephanie, Director of HR, Maryland, Nonprofit

Some of the things that are essential for us are on the project management side. Being able to take on tasks and be autonomous, having those project deadlines and being able to map it out for themselves.

Porsche, HR Specialist, Virginia, Government

Written communication. You have to know how to work with Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Project management is essential, because admins are the foundation. If they don't have it together, then the rest of us are scrambling, trying to figure things out. 

Lydia, HR Director, New York, Nonprofit

Time management. In HR, you're constantly bombarded with multiple projects at one time, so understanding what takes precedence or what is more important than the other and managing your time so projects are done in a timely fashion is very important.

Lindsey, Talent Acquisition Manager, Texas, Oil & Gas

For me, as a recruiter, the first thing would be resume skills. I feel like resume writing is kind of a diminished practice these days. I know growing up, I learned in school how to put together a resume. I don't think a lot of people realize that's going to be your first impression.

Communication skills, how well they can get along with others. Excel skills, marketing skills and using Canva, event planning, travel planning. There are so many resources out there now that admins can take advantage of to develop those skills and continue to improve.

Laura, Head of HR, Massachusetts, Tech

Very quickly, being able to have that you're good at using AI to enhance the flow of work on a daily basis on your resume will be more attractive and help you rise to the top of a candidate pool.

But I think it's more about technical agility and critical thinking than about AI specifically. If you have someone who is tech-savvy, who knows what they don't know so they know what to get themselves up to speed with, it's really about that. 

Critical thinking is very important when using AI tools like ChatGPT. Having good judgment and self-agency is important, too — knowing you have control over these tools.

Do admins have a legitimate reason to fear that AI will take their jobs?

Laura, Head of HR, Massachusetts, Tech

Fear is natural, but I think the key thing to remember is that it's not going to replace people's jobs, but it will replace people who don't know how to use it.

Knowing how to use it is the key, and really embracing that change and viewing it as something that can enhance you and make you more effective.

Until we have actual robots doing things, I don't see how AI could replace an EA or administrative assistant. I think that what they do is very human-based. But AI will allow them to do things faster, like calendar mangement, which can be so tricky. Learning how to use AI for that to make your life easier, using it to get information at your fingertips — all those things can help make you better. Learn, learn, learn. Be at the front of it.

How do you view administrative professionals in your department and organization?

Porsche, HR Specialist, Virginia, Government

They are the backbone. They know things that we don't know, behind the scenes. They make sure we all stay on track.

Lydia, HR Director, New York, Nonprofit

I consider being in human resources an administrative role. To me, everyone in HR, whether it's an associate up to myself as a director, we play an important part in the administration of what's happening for the organization.

I don't ever look at an administrative assistant as someone who just gets coffee. My admin doesn't get me coffee; if anything, I purchase coffee for her. If I need something to be reported to executive management, she's the person I would go to.

I think admins are at the center, the nucleus. They're the glue that keeps everything together.

How can admins best advocate for advancement beyond a support role?

Stephanie, Director of HR, Maryland, Nonprofit

The first thing is, get your foot in the door, and then invoke change. 

Start looking at some of your day-to-day tasks, and what does that really encompass? What do you feel like the role is? Then look at positions comparable to your role and what their titles are and how that gap can be bridged.

Be a change agent. Go in and make the necessary suggestions. Write it out like, "Hey, these are some of the things that are gaps in my job description. These are some of the things that I do, so this may be a more appropriate title that aligns with the work I'm doing."

Building that rapport and making sure you have that relationship, the tone, and the timing are very essential. Make sure you read the room and know when it's a great time to broach that subject.

Laura, Head of HR, Massachusetts, Tech

I started out as an admin, so I know the mindset. You work for someone and you're loyal to them. But never forget that you work for the company, and not just that person.

You'll be better able to [advance] if everyone in the organization finds you great to work with, efficient, open, all of those things. Being a great person to partner with — I think that is the key.

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These transcripts have been edited for length and clarity.