Administrative Professionals Day is fast approaching. It’s time to thank your admins. Administrative professionals work hard to support your business and you. Unfortunately, they often hear more negative feedback than positive. Good admins and virtual assistants serve as an extra pair of hands and eyes for busy solopreneurs like you. They help your whole business run more smoothly, so they deserve thanks. It’s not always easy to figure out appropriate ways to thank administrative workers, though, especially if your administration is handled virtually through a resource like Virtual A Team. Traditional gifts like flowers and lunch work fine in an office, but are outdated and don’t work for virtual assistants. That’s why we’re going to help you out by sharing these tips.

Here are seven ways to show your admins how much you appreciate them on Administrative Professionals Day and throughout the year:

Tell them Thank You

The easiest answer is one of the best. Remember to thank your admins. Be specific about the value they add to your business. You can talk about the pressure they take off of you, the work ethic they show, or some specific successes they’ve had. If your admin is someone you see in person regularly, they might appreciate a genuine thank you card. Otherwise, stick to however you usually communicate. If there’s a messaging system or email address that you contact them by, use that, if appropriate, to send them a heartfelt acknowledgment the work they do. However you decide to thank them, your admin will feel great to have their hard work acknowledged.

Acknowledge their contributions

Make sure that the right people know you have a great administrative team. If there’s an online professional network they’re a part of, such as Linkedin, leave them recommendations or reviews. If you’re speaking with a client or business partner, give credit where credit is due. Make sure to sing your admin’s praises and they will know that you value them. When they have a big win or complete a difficult project, you can recognize them on online profiles, your website, or in an office thank you. If you’re hiring through an agency or network, let their other clients, referees, or managers know through the appropriate review channels. Remember, your virtual assistant is also a business owner, help them by finding new business this Administrative Professionals Day.

Give them what they need

Make sure that your admin is getting everything they need from you. Are your instructions clear enough? Do your admins have the tools and support they need to do their best at their job? These are questions only your admins can answer, so don’t be afraid to ask! You can show them how much they are valued through your effort to make little changes. This effort can help them feel secure in their decision to work with you. If you aren’t sure how to give your admin everything they need, take a look at some of our tips on hiring a virtual assistant.

Need some actual gift ideas? Check out our article: The Best Ways to Thank Your Virtual Assistant.

Give and Take Feedback

Relatedly, if your admin expresses a concern to you, take it seriously. Issues that may seem small to you can sometimes be easily resolved. Even small changes can make a surprisingly large difference to your administrative team.

On the other hand, if you have a critique for your admin, be sure to communicate it clearly and positively. The important thing to keep in mind when preparing criticism is to balance the good with the bad. Maybe you have a problem with how they structure their emails. Keep in mind it may not be something they have considered or have much experience with. Consider suggesting solutions (such as examples of how you want them to format emails). Also remember to compliment what they do right (if, for example, you appreciate how responsive they are). If you stick to positives like these when you point out an area for improvement to your admin, they’ll feel hopeful about the changes they need to make.

Show them their value

Make sure you are paying your admin what they’re worth. Keep in mind when their last raise was and when they’re due for another one. This may not apply if you work with a resource like Virtual A Team, in which case you know that your assistants are paid appropriately. However, if you have staff that you pay directly, keep an eye on market rates to make sure that you’re paying them according to the value they bring your business. As great as your team is, it will be hard to keep administrative professionals who know they would be valued more elsewhere for the same work.

Ask them how they’d like to be thanked

Maybe none of these options seems quite right, but you have a decent rapport with your admins. Tell them how grateful you are, and ask what you can do to thank them. Your admin might be able to offer some insights on what would make them feel valued, and there’s no harm in asking. Perhaps you brought them on for a specific project for your company and they are moving on. In that case, you could thank them by being a reference or leaving a recommendation on their online job profile. Maybe they have had an eye on another project with your business and would be a great fit, but you hadn’t thought to offer it to them. You could consider them for the role.

Get Advice

If you’re really lost on how to show your admins you value them on Administrative Professionals Day, or you first need some administrative professionals to join your team, reach out to Virtual A Team. We can help you strategize on a better employee recognition program, figure out what professional development opportunities you could offer, or even add to your admin team through our network of virtual assistants.

Virtual assistants can save you time and effort, and we can bring you just the right insights to make sure your business continues to be a great success. Wherever you source your administrative support this year, make sure to celebrate Administrative Professionals Day by taking a look at how you reward your admins.