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Admin pros are in demand, and salaries here can top $59K

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Skilled administrative professionals are in demand in Delaware for 2018.

Salaries here are 5 percent higher than the national average, and candidates have their pick of jobs.
Entry-level admins can expect to earn $29,400 to $40,425 in Delaware, while senior admin assistants here are likely to earn $40,950 to $59,062, according to Robert Half.

“The demand is very strong in Delaware, said Jeanie Sharp, the company’s regional manager in Wilmington. “Retention is a key factor for hiring managers. Once you get a quality candidate through the door, you don’t want to lose them.”

It’s a good time to be a job seeker, and the competition for qualified administrative professionals is hot. “The demand is very strong in Delaware – so much so that many companies that offer temp-to-hire work are actually having to move to full-time faster “¦ to keep the candidate happy,” Sharp said.

Of course, many office support positions have evolved so that traditional admin duties are only part of the job description. Employers often seek social media skills, plus software skills beyond Microsoft Office.

And, companies are putting increased emphasis on communication skills, work ethic, adaptability, positivity and comfort with multitasking. They want people who are quick studies.

And, for public-facing positions, candidates who are multilingual have a leg up. Spanish tops the list of requested languages.

“We are seeing a strong emphasis being placed on technical skills, but also on soft skills,” Sharp said. “Having strong leadership qualities, communication skills and general business knowledge will really help you stand out.”

The company’s to-do list for managers who want to snag and keep the best candidates:

“¢ Move more quickly. Too many companies draw out the hiring process unnecessarily. More than two-thirds of applicants surveyed said they lose interest if there’s no follow-up from the hiring manager within two weeks of the interview.

“¢ Hiring managers who aren’t transparent about the job description during the hiring process can risk losing new hires early in their tenures.

More than three-quarters of workers 18 to 34 said they are likely to leave their jobs when they don’t feel recognized. If managers aren’t focused on retention, they will lose their top admin professionals, a costly loss at a time when unemployment is low and skilled candidates are at a premium.

Your competitors may be offering more than salary and health insurance. On average, employers offer newbies 14 days of paid vacation plus nine paid holidays. About 46 percent offer health-care flexible spending accounts, and about 42 percent offer them for dependent care. About 41 percent offer wellness programs. Sixteen percent offer long-term-care insurance. And, for employees with four-legged dependents, 7 percent offer pet insurance.

Employers may also offer flexible work schedules (62 percent,) telecommuting (34 percent,) or compressed schedules like a 4/10 workweek (17 percent.) In addition, 20 percent of companies surveyed offer
profit-sharing. Employers, on average, match 3 percent to 4 percent of employees’ 401K or RRSP retirement contributions.

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