The Co-Worker Employees Trust Most
If the office's administrative assistant — more than your boss — is the person you turn to first for help, you're not alone, new research shows.
A study by the office supply retailer Staples revealed that the administrative assistant is the most trusted office employee, ahead of both the boss and human resources specialist. In addition, two-thirds of employees think the administrative assistant is the biggest team player in the officer, compared with less than 50 percent who feel the same about their supervisor. They are also nearly twice as better than the boss at boosting employee morale.
“The majority of respondents described office administrators as the superhero who can ‘save the day,’” said Mike Edwards, Staples executive vice president for merchandising.
[Hold the Flowers! What Your Assistant Really Wants]
The research shows their loyalty is far reaching, with more than one-third of administrative professionals having "covered up" for their boss, and 20 percent reporting it happens on at least a weekly basis.
Overall, the workload for administrative assistants is growing. The study shows that 70 percent have had the number of people they support increase over the last year, up from 30 percent a year ago.
Seeing that, more than half of the employees surveyed think their office's administrators are under-compensated.
For the second year in a row, daytime TV host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres is the most-sought-after celebrity boss, with nearly 70 percent of administrative professionals wanting to work for her. Reality TV star and mom-ager of the Kardashian clan, Kris Jenner, was the least desirable celebrity to assist.
The research was based on surveys of more than 500 employees and administrative professionals.
This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
