7 Meaningful Ways You Can Show Your Administrative Professionals Appreciation

Life is busy. And at work, we can occasionally take for granted the person who helps us keep it all together. From scheduling meetings to booking conference rooms, and from stocking the break room to every other project where we throw our hands up and say “we need help,” the name we don’t forget is that of our administrative professional.

Gift cards, unexpected flowers, lunch on the company card… these are all great, but what if there were other ways to say thank you? Given our “new normal,” which includes working from home and social distancing, we have highlighted a few specific gifts that seem especially appropriate during the COVID-19 crisis as well as some general ones. This Administrative Professionals’ Day, consider the following meaningful gestures of appreciation for your office admin.

The Gift of Necessity – With extra-long delivery times at all major online supermarkets, it is time to go specialty. There are so many vendors who deliver quality products right to the comfort of your own home. I have personally used a few, including The Fruit Guys, Omaha Steaks, and a local NJ produce company, Just Farmed, just to name some examples. You can order anything, from cheese from Wisconsin to ice cream from Atlanta. And when in doubt, ask your admin! Provide a few options and allow them to let you know which would be of greatest use during this difficult time.
The Gift of Subscription – We are all trying to find new ways of entertaining ourselves these days. There are only so many movies you can watch. Now is the time to stimulate your brain and learn something new. Companies like Master Class, LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare, Udemy, and Lynda can help pass the time in a productive way.
The Gift of Donation – There are so many organizations in need at this time. Ask your admin which cause he/she feels strongly about and make a donation in their name. A little money goes a long way in times like this, and what better way to put some money to good use.
The Gift of Free Time – Give your admin the day off! Just because your admin may be working from home doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t appreciate the day off. Too often, we forget that people have lives outside of the office. It feels good to have a day to yourself, especially now due to the current circumstances; a day off to catch up on stuff their family needs or just having a mental wellness day can be very rewarding. An extra paid day off says, “relax, we know you work hard!”
The Gift of Thanks – Collect thank you notes from a group of employees and put them together on an e-card, or put together a video collage thanking your admin and send it along with an electronic gift card using a delivery service. Because your admin interacts with so many people in the office, their co-workers will likely want to show their appreciation. Imagine how you would feel reading each note and knowing that your hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The Gift of Experience – Today, you can pretty much try anything. Sip and Paint, escape the room, hatchet throwing, and more! You name the experience, it’s probably on Groupon! Even though things are currently closed, they can take advantage of these experiences once things open up. Give your administrative professional a gift they can enjoy with a friend. Chances are they will come back and share the stories of that experience with you. Not only will it be fun for your admin, but when they recall that experience, they will think about how it was the result of working for an awesome company.
The Gift of Choice – Sometimes, it is hard to know what someone will like. But, who says you have to guess? Send an email, or whatever form of communication works best for you to your admin saying something along the lines of, “I would like to do something truly special this Administrative Professionals’ Day to show how much I appreciate your hard work. Please choose from the following ideas, and let me know which would make you the happiest.” (Hint, hint, some great suggestions are in numbers 1 through 6.) Surprises are nice, but sometimes options are even nicer, especially now that everyone is trying to cope with the current pandemic in their own way.

And no matter the gift you choose, remember that a simple thank you always goes a long way.