"Happy Administrative Day to the person who could take us all down with the click of a mouse."

Observed each year- every Wednesday of the last full week of April, which falls on April 27th this year- Administrative Professionals Day is the best opportunity to celebrate and shower all dedicated administrative professionals and colleagues with appreciation and recognition. Despite not being a national holiday, it's still a chance to show gratitude and thoughtful acknowledgment for the many contributions of these individuals. But this doesn't mean they don't deserve our year-round thanks.

Each office has administrative professionals who form the foundation of all healthy workplaces, and many executives agree that they would be lost without them.

Previously known as Secretary's Day, Administrative Professionals Day has been celebrated for years. While there are some changes, such as the modern remote and hybrid teams, the purpose remains the same: to recognize and celebrate the efforts of all administrative professionals.

Even with many team members working in a remote setup, there are still ways to show appreciation for the admin professionals in your organization. The list is endless, but here are a few thoughtful tips for expressing your love and recognition.

The Value of Office Administrative Professionals

"And so while the great ones depart to their dinner, the secretary stays, growing thinner and thinner, racking his brain to record and report what he thinks that they think that they ought to have thought," Arthur Bryant.

With the current hybrid workplace as the norm, admin professionals' roles and efforts are more crucial than ever. The pandemic disrupted many workplaces, giving administrative professionals the responsibility to work harder and ensure all employees stay engaged, connected, and productive.

Even before the pandemic, these individuals often went above and beyond to ensure the work environment was efficient for all employees, forming part of an organization's success story. However, these individuals often go unnoticed and their roles underappreciated. This holiday provides the perfect opportunity for managers and colleagues to recognize their merits in whatever way is appealing.

8 Ideas to Celebrate Administrative Professionals' Day

Showing appreciation for admin professionals has no one-size-fits-all kind of list. Try out different things and whenever possible, ask them what they'd like or how they'd want to feel appreciated. Here are a few practical ideas to show your appreciation and celebrate the contributions of these workplace professionals.

1. Provide a group gift

If your office is managed by a devoted team of admins, you can celebrate the entire group by showing them that the office acknowledges and appreciates their efforts and contributions. After all, they are the backbone of a successful team.

When giving a group gift, the best way is to pool resources and get gifts with a personal touch. You can give each admin a box of a baked surprise treat in each person's favorite flavor. Surprise a chocoholic with a box of fudgy brownies, chocolate cookies for the dessert lover, and butter pecan baked cookies for nut fans.

2. Improve the workspace

It's not uncommon for every employee to complain about something in their working space, especially in a hybrid or remote workplace. Improving the workplace is a way to enhance productivity and job satisfaction. This is crucial for APs too. During this important holiday, let them know that you want to appreciate them by improving and making their workspace more comfortable as a show of care. You can add a standing desk for more comfort, an ergonomic chair, or an extra efficient monitor for their work computer. It's also better to ask first. They'll appreciate you asking and investing in their job satisfaction.

3. Show some generosity

Administrative Professionals Day is an opportunity, among many others, to pamper these team members with some treats that are a little more indulgent. Show a bit of generosity by buying them a ticket to a fun event like a concert, live band, or ball game. You can never go wrong with even just a spa, gift voucher, a bottle of wine for imbibers, or a ticket to the movies. Such generous and specific gifts show that you take time to understand and respect what they like, and they work for both on-site and remote teams.

4. Organize a get-together for the entire office

Tangible employee appreciation gifts are great, but gathering the entire office for a get-together function in appreciation of APs is also a good idea. Take the opportunity on this day to bring the whole office together during the lunch hour or a few hours within the day and express your thanks to all devoted admins. You can also use on-site get-togethers or virtual happy hours to swap stories of the efforts and many contributions your office APs make to the organization.

5. Buy gift cards

Cards are often underrated and underappreciated, but that might be because some people don't write anything when giving cards. This makes the cards lack a personal touch or any special message. Cards with thoughtful messages signed by other colleagues can go a long way in making APs feel appreciated. Administrative Professionals don't just help the managers, the entire office benefits. So, the best, inexpensive way to show appreciation is to buy multiple gift cards, deliver to each employee in direct contact with the admin, and ask them to write a message appreciating one specific effort they recognize. Do the same thing virtually with e-cards.

6. Give them time off

It's often hard to get things done around the office without your dedicated APs in, but you can easily make it through a single day or two without them. There's nothing more a hard-working AP would appreciate than a day off work. This should be a fully paid, guilt-free time off for relaxation. By giving them a day off to rest and take care of themselves, you enhance their productivity while showing how much you appreciate and care.

7. Recognize their efforts publicly

Everyone likes shining bright in public with their hard work being acknowledged. Public praise enhances employee engagement and effectively dissipates any form of marginalization your APs might be feeling.  Share compliments, celebrate achievements and express gratitude for your admins on social media, the company website, and the intranet.

8.  A heartfelt "Thank you."

You don't have to spend money you don't have on gifts and treats, and sometimes even thinking of a touching way to express your gratitude is hard. That's okay. You can afford to invest at least some time to personally thank your APs for the help they've given you and the entire staff over the year. It's a small gesture and costs nothing, but it shows them how much they mean to you personally and the office. It can also solidify the relationship between you and your APs.

How Can Host Help?

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John F. Kennedy

Your devoted, hard-working Administrative Professionals will recognize and appreciate any act of kindness, gratitude, and acknowledgment, no matter how small or big. Even with a limited budget, you can still celebrate an administrative professional on Administrative Professional's Day.

At Host, we ensure your teams get the best virtual experiences, especially on special days. Contact us to find out how we can make your administrative professional's day virtually.