current hiring trends for administrative jobs.

Administrative Assistants demand in Canada is on the rise. 

In fact, 41,700 new administrative jobs are expected to become available between now and 2028. 

However, this sector isn’t immune to the labour shortage, and researchers estimate there’ll only be 34,700 job seekers available to fill these positions.

New administrative assistant trends in the job market are emerging, making recruitment even more challenging for employers. The role of a standard admin worker has significantly shifted in recent years. 

Admin jobs that once involved primarily clerical work now require accounting, HR and IT elements. 

As AI technology takes over more daily tasks, workers also take on new company responsibilities.

In 2024, companies will continue changing how they hire, manage and retain admin workers. 

This is partly due to the shift to remote work, but it’s also affected by the growing number of Gen Z professionals in the market who are looking for administrative assistant jobs.

With all these changes, it’s more important than ever for employers to develop robust hiring practices. 

To make this step a reality, employers must first understand how job trends in the administrative sector are shifting. 

administrative trends in today’s job market

There are thousands of open administrative assistant jobs across Canada, particularly in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. 

The increased administrative assistant demand in Canada has pushed up the average salaries for these skilled professionals. 

It’s also helped strengthen some job market trends in the administrative sector. 

Here’s a look at the leading administrative trends and demand in Canada.

1. remote work—the new normal

Remote admin jobs are now a permanent fixture of the admin sector in Canada. One survey found that just 24% of financial services professionals want to work from the office. 

Given the current economic climate, employees have the upper hand; companies that can’t accommodate employees’ desire for flexibility may struggle with recruiting and retention.

Employers must focus on attracting and retaining talent with solid ethics and sophisticated communication and time management skills. 

As companies recruit from across Canada, bilingual candidates will be in high demand. 

2. work-life balance

With the administrative assistant demand in Canada, workers are rethinking how work fits into their lives. 

In fact, a healthy work-life balance is the second most important driver for employees looking for new job opportunities—68% of job seekers cite it as a top priority in 2024. 

Employers must find ways to build flexibility into the workplace, such as hybrid work options, work-from-home jobs or part-time opportunities. 

They should also focus more on mental and physical well-being in the workplace, not only for administrative roles but for all roles.

3. focus on gender equality

While many admin jobs, including secretaries and data-entry workers, have traditionally been held by women, this is no longer true.

Men have slowly been entering administrative roles for decades.

Employers should create gender-neutral job descriptions to attract candidates in a tight labour market. 

This practice can help increase diversity in the workplace—another top employee priority, particularly among younger workers. 

It also creates a bigger talent pool, which can help companies overcome hiring challenges for administrative roles.

4. employees want to make a difference

By and large, Millennials and Gen Z workers are more socially conscious than their predecessors. Social purpose and value are essential to these professionals.

They’re so committed to social purpose that they’re willing to forgo pay raises to maintain it. 

According to a recent study, 47% of the Millennials surveyed were willing to give up a pay raise of over $9,000 yearly to take a more meaningful job.

Employers must be transparent about company goals and community outreach opportunities to give these younger employees a sense of purpose. 

They should highlight how employees’ work adds value to help workers feel connected to the business.

5. growing gig economy

The gig economy is in full swing. 

About 13% of Canadians work gig, and more than one in three Canadian employers hire gig workers. This includes freelancers, consultants and digital assistants.

For many employers, gig workers help fill skills or labour gaps without the risks and costs of hiring new employees. 

With the high administrative assistant demand in Canada, employers can use these gig workers instead of hiring full-time or part-time workers.

6. new technologies are transforming admin roles

Business robots and robotic process automation (RPA) will be pivotal in alleviating admin employees from repetitive tasks that often consume their valuable time and energy. 

These technologies excel in automating tasks like data entry, record-keeping, and appointment scheduling, allowing employees to focus on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. 

By companies harnessing the power of software-driven automation, organizations can optimize efficiency, reduce errors, and enable their workforce to channel their talents toward innovation and higher-value activities, ultimately fostering productivity and growth.

7. demand for upskilling and reskilling

In 2024, upskilling and reskilling administrative professionals will be a priority for businesses in various industries. This is partly due to new technologies; employers need tech-savvy workers with strong IT skills.

The complexity of today’s administrative roles also motivates the trend toward upskilling. 

In addition to clerical work, admin professionals may need to submit payroll hours, handle minor technical issues or even complete various accounting tasks. 

Depending on the industry, employers may also look for administrative assistants with proofreading skills and experience in database management.

Instead of searching for candidates with all these skills in a competitive job market, employers opt to provide training. 

Professional development has benefits beyond hiring — it can also help companies boost job satisfaction and reduce turnover.

8. value of soft skills

With technology handling many basic admin job duties, employers are prioritizing soft skills. 

In today’s remote work environment, administrative professionals must be creative, organized, detail-oriented and able to solve problems. 

Communication and teamwork skills can also help dispersed teams stay productive.

Employers need to integrate these soft skills requirements into new job descriptions. This will help attract administrative assistant candidates with the necessary skills and improve hiring outcomes.