9 Ways to Celebrate Administrative Professionals Day
For all the hard work they do, Admins deserve a day of recognition and appreciation each year. This year, try some of these ways to celebrate Administrative Professionals day to let them know how much you appreciate their help.
1. Give them a personal card
Cards are underrated, but that may be because some people give cards that don’t say anything personal in them. If you opt to get your hard-working Admin a card, make sure you put something thoughtful and personal inside. Cards can be a great way to show someone you care, so long as you put in the effort that demonstrates your appreciation, i.e. more than just one sentence.
2. Get them a plant or flower
If your admin has a green thumb, a plant or potted flower is a great long-lasting gift that brightens up any office space. Office plants promote health by improving air quality and have been shown to decrease stress and improve productivity. They’re thoughtful and helpful (which, incidentally, is a compliment that can be reused in the hand-written note you’ll include with the plant).
3. Decorate their desk
Our office goes all out for birthdays with streamers, balloons, window decorations, funny little toys, snacks, sodas, and more, and our employees generally love the enthusiasm. You can do the same for your admins with $20 worth of decorations from your local party store. Put it all up after they’ve left for the day or in the morning before they arrive, and they’ll be pleasantly surprised by the festive feelings their desk inspires.
4. Take them to lunch
Everyone likes free lunch, particularly if they get to choose the location. Let your admin pick the place or have your group of admins come to a consensus on a place they’d all enjoy, and treat them to a meal. Get appetizers and offer dessert to make them feel extra special. They deserve a calorie splurge for all the hard work they do throughout the year.
5. Bring them special coffee in the morning
Even if the local coffee shop is out of the way while you’re heading to work, take a little extra time to swing by and get your admins their favorite drinks. They’ll appreciate that you thought of them so early in the morning and will enjoy the quality of the $4 cup more because you were thoughtful enough to get it for them.
6. Write a bunch of compliments on different note cards and hide them around your admin’s office
Place a couple in obvious spots so they can enjoy a little instant gratification on Appreciation Day itself, but then stash a few more in good hiding places around their office. Don’t tell them that you did it, either. Your admins will enjoy randomly discovering your praise and positive thoughts about them for weeks to come (or months, depending on how organized they keep their desks). As one of the more long-lasting ways to celebrate Administrative Professionals Day, it’s a great method to continually show your appreciation.
If your admin isn’t the kind of person who’d enjoy compliments hidden around her desk or office, you can write out some compliments and mail them to your admin at weekly intervals.
7. Give them the afternoon off
I know that it’s hard to get anything done without your trusty admins at your side, but you can probably make it through one afternoon without them. Your admins will be grateful for the unexpected free time, and may even be doubly productive when they come in the next day. Plus, there’s just nothing quite as satisfying as relaxing the way you want while getting paid for it.
8. Training/class of their choice
Mandatory training is already a part of being an admin, but what about teaching them what they want to learn? Richard Branson said, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so that they don’t want to.” Letting your admins pick a class or seminar of interest and footing the bill accomplishes both of these things. They learn something and appreciate not having to pay for it, and you get more skilled staff.
9. Publicly recognize them on your company’s intranet, website, or social media
Recognition, especially the public kind, is free, effective, and great at dissipating any marginalization your admins might feel. Everyone likes having their hard work recognized and public praise has been shown to improve employee engagement. Recognize your admins’ accomplishments and you’ll reinforce their value to your company.
These are just a few of the many ways to celebrate Administrative Professionals Day. No matter what you do, your admins will feel special knowing you took the time to show your appreciation.
About Tammy Cohen
Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record. To learn more about Tammy, visit www.tammycohen.com.
About InfoMart
InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.