Getting off cheap

[Katie G]

Something I'm noticing in my organization lately....

I was perusing the job postings on our organization's internal site (just for laughs) and it seems as though a number of departments are trying to get off cheap by hiring administrative assistants for jobs that really should be managerial positions.

For instance, one department was advertising for an AA to handle ALL of the financial matters of the department.  A/P, A/R, fund accounting, reporting, etc.  Now, knowing what I know about the size and complexity of that department, that sounds like more of a managerial position than AA.  

A young woman in our area is leaving due to this.  She took a job as an AA in our marketing department after she was made redundant at her former employer.  She settled in for little more than half the salary she had been making -- but she has been expected to do full-time marketing in addition to her assistant duties (which included "helping" other departments -- Diamondlady knows how that goes!).  

The workload got too much for what she was being paid and she's submitted her letter of resignation.  I say, they had no business hiring her for one position when they fully intended to use her for another.  

It seems as though they're trying to save money by hiring an AA at half the salary and expecting managerial expertise.  

I know infor many of us, the line between management/professional expertise and assisting gets very blurry, and that a number of us tend to "specialize" in one thing or another, to the point of having degrees and certifications in certain areas, but this practice I'm noticing seems to be a bad idea.  I know in my organization, they're wondering why they're having a hard time filling these positions!

Is this just a quirk where I work (we are having financial issues) or are others noticing this as well?

[gee4]

If that was the case Did, I would be pretty narked.  I didn't come out of school and college with qualifications to have some AA come in and do my job and more for half the salary.

The thing that annoys me is employers still don't realise potential.  Nearly 2 years down the line I am still trying to prove my worth.  Don't the people who interviewed and hired me pass on how good a successful candidate I am?  And if not, why not?

[marieh2000]

I've noticed it in some of the positions advertised in the local newspaper.  One in particular wanted someone to be in charge of payroll, A/R, and A/P, yet was only willing to pay them $8.00 per hour. Maybe I've been doing this too long, but to me that seemed more like an entry level, bottom floor salary.  

Marie

[gee4]

Thanks heavens NI is different then.  That does not happen here.  If a manager is required for a particular post they must have experience.  Likewise if an assistant is required there is no need for a degree - all in perspective.  If I applied for a payroll job but didn't have experience, I wouldn't even get an interview.  Personally I think that is the correct way, otherwise we could all get any job we wanted and never strive to achieve anything because we would already be there.

[raindance]

A heavy workload and high-level responsibility are not the same thing, although they (sometimes) go hand-in-hand.  

I am surprised that a company can get away with employing people who are unqualified to work in, say, a financial post that might, at least in the United Kingdom, require Chartered Accountant status, but there's always a first time.  If a workplace is organized (i.e. has a staff union) that situation would be a case for equal pay for work of equal value.

In my own job, I have recently acquired two extra work streams that will require a lot of thought in setting up and implementing procedures, never mind carrying out the work streams.  And then there's my boss who says - about our Admin Assistant - "oh whenever you are away "Jane" can do your work"!  Hello?  This is a person who is not long out of school, can't spell, can't put together a letter, expects her work to be closely supervised, and can't even collate papers for a meeting in the order shown to her.  Yep.  She can do my work with pleasure, but she would do my boss's head in very quickly.

[itsme_calista]

I think it's the general climate that pushes this sort of behaviour sadly.  I'm a firm believer in "pay peanuts, get monkeys" but this message just doesn't seem to filter through to the people who make decisions.  

When a company tightens it's belt the first thing that suffers (IMO) is the admin staff, we're not seen as bringing in revenue, we don't get the same training opportunities as other staff, and as you say during crunch times, cheaper staff are required but expected to have the same output as a highly qualifed member of staff.

Not a lot of solutions to it though  Well not without a lot of banging heads together!

[movinonup]

This is not happening where I work.  Our accounting, management and technical positions all require college degrees.  The executive assistants here have college degrees.  The engineers must have Masters degrees.

I think you need to be aware, though, that just because I currently choose to make my career in an admin position doesn't mean I don't have a college degree.  I have a 4-year degree from a prestigious university, with a major in business and a minor in marketing.  

I have held supervisory positions in the past, but found the support from the management side just wasn't there.  So I switched back to support positions.

My situation is such that I do not want to "take my work home with me."  I take on a lot of responsibility, but I leave the management decisions to others.  

However, I might just reconsider if I saw an ad on my company's website for a coordinator who wants to move up to office manager or executive assistant position.


Movinonup