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Secretariesa tarnished image

Secretariesa tarnished image Eleanor Macdonald, Principal of EM Courses, highlights a current problem area—the employment and training of secretaries. One of the most ill-defined areas of employment at the present mind of their boss, with the inefficient ones. They are not time is that of the secretary. Although there are generally then given the status or opportunities which serious approach accepted standards of basic skill training, there is such an to their work merits. Unthinkingly managers often class the acute shortage of secretarial staff that many firms are forgoing girls in the office as poorly motivated, with a limited view of these standards and making do with poor performance in the work; so even the good ones are treated as if they had order to obtain 'pairs of hands'. This results in many girls little intelligence and are not a genuine part of the depart­ who are able to do no more than a little typing getting away mental team. In other words the bad ones make it tough for with the title, and regrettably the salary, of a secretary. the good ones. Further, many managers who are not good at delegation grossly under-utilise their secretaries. Viciou s circle This state of affairs is highly undesirable on many counts. Driving her round the bend The inefficiency which results from such poorly trained staff The worst aspect of this is the manager who does not need a inevitably leads to lowered output, which in turn creates a secretary, but feels that it is part of the manager's image to further staff shortage. There are claimed to be 20,000 secre­ have one - a secretary being as much a perk as a car. Again tarial vacancies in London alone at this moment. Where there there are many managers who do need a secretary but who is a labour shortage salaries and wages rise. Firms in London do not know how to delegate. They work in a perpetual state are paying £1,500 to £1,700 to girls straight from even of rush and stress. If they gave a little time to an intelligent abbreviated secretarial courses. The girls do not, of course, re-structuring of their jobs, the secretary, probably longing have any experience and, whatever their potential, they to take on more interesting duties, could become a real support cannot be worth that money at the start of their careers. and both the quality and quantity of their joint efforts would Another factor which has encouraged high costs is the use be improved. If secretaries were given job descriptions in the of temporary staff, who are always paid more than the perma­ same way as executive and managerial members of staff, it nent girl in the same position, although, of course, the would become apparent how time and resources are wasted. temporary herself gets only a percentage of the fee the firm The secretary herself would have clearly apportioned duties pays to her agency. This often upsets salary differentials and and objectives and the boss would be forced at least to notice is one of the causes of restlessness among permanent girls. them. Temporaries are for the most part job-hopping, and perma­ Behind delegation lies not only the manager's capacity and nent girls get very irritated when they discover that firms, willingness to analyse his work and re-group it, but also the albeit from necessity, are paying out for temporaries perhaps a training of the girl to take on more responsibility. Everyone third more than they are being paid. needs to grow into responsibility; it is impossible to change The permanent secretaries would not find this so unaccept­ over-night from a minimum support role to a purposeful able if the temporaries were efficient and accurate, ready to decision-maker. Secretaries are no exception. They need help with the general departmental duties, bringing with them initially: an intelligent understanding of the requirements of an ●an acceptance by their bosses that they can do more than office - but in many cases they do not. It seems that vast type, file and take messages: in other words, confidence. numbers of temporaries, I hasten to add not all, by the very ● encouragement and the opportunity to learn, at a rate unstable way in which they work do not involve themselves compatible with their learning pace, the wider aspects of in the office at all. They do what they are asked and no more. their chief's job. The manager must give time to gain time. Most of them do not seek to give a service, because with no ● on-the-job training which, carried through with consistency follow-up next week or the week after there is nothing to be and target-setting, will reveal the more formal training gained or lost by the extra effort involved. needs which the secretary may have. This is not to say that there are not good temporaries and that there are not times when they are necessary - holidays, Then is the moment to consider a planned external or sickness relief, also giving married women the opportunity to internal company training course. These two different types work the shorter hours they need. But when government of training fulfil different purposes. An in-company exercise, departments are prepared to pay temporaries £65 a week and a two- or three-day course to enable the secretary to stand work is still lagging behind, and being inefficiently turned out, back from her job and reconsider systems, attitudes and it can be said that the situation is out of hand.* objectives, is ideal provided there are enough secretaries in the Another damaging effect of the employment of temporaries organisation to form cohesive groups at different levels. It is not profitable to try to devise a training programme that will and the all-too-frequent acceptance of low grade, inex­ help the twenty-year-old girl, fresh from shorthand typing perienced staff is the damage to the image of the genuine duties, and also be a challenging experience for a long secretary. Many able secretaries are lumped together, in the established, near-executive secretary. Far better to send the * Editor's note: Shortage of secretarial and typing staff in government girls on well-balanced external courses at differing levels. departments is inevitable because of the Civil Service insistence on a External courses are likely to be more costly, as they may well career structure for these jobs, whereby wage-for-age and Iength-of- have to include travel and hotel expenses; but this in itself is a service scales are in operation. Whitehall obviously cannot compete with London commercial houses on these terms. Continued on page 116 114 Education & Training, April/May 1974 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Education + Training Emerald Publishing

Secretariesa tarnished image

Education + Training , Volume 16 (4/5): 3 – Apr 1, 1974

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0040-0912
DOI
10.1108/eb001809
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Eleanor Macdonald, Principal of EM Courses, highlights a current problem area—the employment and training of secretaries. One of the most ill-defined areas of employment at the present mind of their boss, with the inefficient ones. They are not time is that of the secretary. Although there are generally then given the status or opportunities which serious approach accepted standards of basic skill training, there is such an to their work merits. Unthinkingly managers often class the acute shortage of secretarial staff that many firms are forgoing girls in the office as poorly motivated, with a limited view of these standards and making do with poor performance in the work; so even the good ones are treated as if they had order to obtain 'pairs of hands'. This results in many girls little intelligence and are not a genuine part of the depart­ who are able to do no more than a little typing getting away mental team. In other words the bad ones make it tough for with the title, and regrettably the salary, of a secretary. the good ones. Further, many managers who are not good at delegation grossly under-utilise their secretaries. Viciou s circle This state of affairs is highly undesirable on many counts. Driving her round the bend The inefficiency which results from such poorly trained staff The worst aspect of this is the manager who does not need a inevitably leads to lowered output, which in turn creates a secretary, but feels that it is part of the manager's image to further staff shortage. There are claimed to be 20,000 secre­ have one - a secretary being as much a perk as a car. Again tarial vacancies in London alone at this moment. Where there there are many managers who do need a secretary but who is a labour shortage salaries and wages rise. Firms in London do not know how to delegate. They work in a perpetual state are paying £1,500 to £1,700 to girls straight from even of rush and stress. If they gave a little time to an intelligent abbreviated secretarial courses. The girls do not, of course, re-structuring of their jobs, the secretary, probably longing have any experience and, whatever their potential, they to take on more interesting duties, could become a real support cannot be worth that money at the start of their careers. and both the quality and quantity of their joint efforts would Another factor which has encouraged high costs is the use be improved. If secretaries were given job descriptions in the of temporary staff, who are always paid more than the perma­ same way as executive and managerial members of staff, it nent girl in the same position, although, of course, the would become apparent how time and resources are wasted. temporary herself gets only a percentage of the fee the firm The secretary herself would have clearly apportioned duties pays to her agency. This often upsets salary differentials and and objectives and the boss would be forced at least to notice is one of the causes of restlessness among permanent girls. them. Temporaries are for the most part job-hopping, and perma­ Behind delegation lies not only the manager's capacity and nent girls get very irritated when they discover that firms, willingness to analyse his work and re-group it, but also the albeit from necessity, are paying out for temporaries perhaps a training of the girl to take on more responsibility. Everyone third more than they are being paid. needs to grow into responsibility; it is impossible to change The permanent secretaries would not find this so unaccept­ over-night from a minimum support role to a purposeful able if the temporaries were efficient and accurate, ready to decision-maker. Secretaries are no exception. They need help with the general departmental duties, bringing with them initially: an intelligent understanding of the requirements of an ●an acceptance by their bosses that they can do more than office - but in many cases they do not. It seems that vast type, file and take messages: in other words, confidence. numbers of temporaries, I hasten to add not all, by the very ● encouragement and the opportunity to learn, at a rate unstable way in which they work do not involve themselves compatible with their learning pace, the wider aspects of in the office at all. They do what they are asked and no more. their chief's job. The manager must give time to gain time. Most of them do not seek to give a service, because with no ● on-the-job training which, carried through with consistency follow-up next week or the week after there is nothing to be and target-setting, will reveal the more formal training gained or lost by the extra effort involved. needs which the secretary may have. This is not to say that there are not good temporaries and that there are not times when they are necessary - holidays, Then is the moment to consider a planned external or sickness relief, also giving married women the opportunity to internal company training course. These two different types work the shorter hours they need. But when government of training fulfil different purposes. An in-company exercise, departments are prepared to pay temporaries £65 a week and a two- or three-day course to enable the secretary to stand work is still lagging behind, and being inefficiently turned out, back from her job and reconsider systems, attitudes and it can be said that the situation is out of hand.* objectives, is ideal provided there are enough secretaries in the Another damaging effect of the employment of temporaries organisation to form cohesive groups at different levels. It is not profitable to try to devise a training programme that will and the all-too-frequent acceptance of low grade, inex­ help the twenty-year-old girl, fresh from shorthand typing perienced staff is the damage to the image of the genuine duties, and also be a challenging experience for a long secretary. Many able secretaries are lumped together, in the established, near-executive secretary. Far better to send the * Editor's note: Shortage of secretarial and typing staff in government girls on well-balanced external courses at differing levels. departments is inevitable because of the Civil Service insistence on a External courses are likely to be more costly, as they may well career structure for these jobs, whereby wage-for-age and Iength-of- have to include travel and hotel expenses; but this in itself is a service scales are in operation. Whitehall obviously cannot compete with London commercial houses on these terms. Continued on page 116 114 Education & Training, April/May 1974

Journal

Education + TrainingEmerald Publishing

Published: Apr 1, 1974

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