Administrative professionals play an essential role in helping organizations run smoothly and effectively.
From healthcare to hospitality to heavy construction, they can be found keeping things organized and handling many critical daily tasks in almost any industry, making it possible for management and staff to tackle other vital responsibilities.
Administrative Professionals Day, created in 1952 and celebrated on April 23, is an opportunity for management to recognize these hard-working employees, who often play a large role in the success of the organization behind the scenes.
When your administrative people feel appreciated, they will be more productive, engaged and loyal. An infographic published by Work.com indicated that 69% of employees would work harder if they were better recognized.
Unfortunately, employees in these roles can go somewhat unnoticed too often at organizations, with the spotlight shining brighter on those they support. Administrative Professionals Day is your chance to rectify that, and give these unsung heroes at your company the credit that they deserve.
With that mind, here’s some Administrative Professionals Day ideas that will help you make the admins on your team feel seen and valued.
Celebration ideas for Administrative Professionals Day
Whether you’re celebrating the contribution of one administrative professional or a dozen, it’s always a good idea to mark Administrative Professionals Day by doing something memorable for them.
Here’s a few ideas to surprise your admins with some extra appreciation.
1. Host a team bonding event
Team bonding activities are great to build up morale and engage your employees, and can make great Administrative Professionals Day ideas. You could host a fun game, such as a trivia quiz, scavenger hunt, or other event. These activities don’t have to be too complicated or expensive, and you can easily find tips and templates online to help you.
Failing that, simply organizing a lunch or drinks and some social time might be enough to make your admins feel valued. Not only that, but it will allow you to involve the other members of your team, and give them a chance to say thank you to your administrative professionals.
2. Provide an opportunity for professional development
Many administrative professionals are likely keen to continue learning new skills, and motivated employees love staying up to date on the latest practices and technologies. Some of your employees might already have professional online training programs or seminars on their to-do list.
Have an informal conversation with employees and discuss which skills they are currently working on improving or looking to develop. Once you are mindful of the areas they would like to focus on, look for partnerships or subscriptions that your company can use to give them access to these certifications.
You could also offer reimbursement for professional memberships to learning sites or online courses. Providing growth opportunities for your administrative professionals can have a direct positive impact on your company’s image as an employer, and avoid the time and costs involved in finding and training new employees to operate like a veteran at your company.
3. Offer them some R&R
Your admin personnel work hard throughout the year. It can be difficult for them to find time to unwind. Why not reward them with an afternoon off to rest and relax? Giving them some flexibility to log off early will help them recharge and decrease their stress levels.
Some organizations honour Administrative Professionals Day by giving them the full day off. If you choose to implement this, make sure everyone at the company is aware of the holiday, so that teams that rely on administrative help can still manage a normal workday.
Administrative Professionals Day ideas for remote staff
For many companies, Administrative Professionals Day 2024 will be celebrated remotely. Since you can’t take your administrative employees out to lunch or greet them with decorated desks, you may need to find other ways of showing your appreciation from a distance.
Here are some of the best celebration and gift ideas for Administrative Professionals Day in a remote company.
4. Special Delivery!
A great way to show your administrative staff how much you appreciate them is with a written message. While you can easily send them something online through email or a recognition program like Guusto, getting an actual letter in the mail is so rare these days that it might be a nice surprise. Of course, you’ll have to make sure you time your mail right so that they receive it on time.
If you want to take it up a notch, companies like SnackNation offer a range of care packages with treats and goodies that make great gift ideas for Administrative Professionals Day. These providers will often offer both readymade selections and curated orders, so you can easily find a package to suit your admins’ tastes.
5. Show gratitude on your company portal
Make some public shoutouts to the admin people in your company communication portal so everyone can see it!
Public recognition is a great way to draw the entire company’s attention to the contribution your administrators make. Adding pictures of your teams, including some taken at past company events, will help to augment these posts. Public praise is a proven way to improve employee engagement.
Also, your other employees may not be aware of Administrative Professionals Day, so posting a message on your company’s dashboard can encourage more peer-to-peer recognition from them.
6. Social Media Spotlight
In addition to your company’s internal communication portals, you might also consider spotlighting them on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram. Your social team can create posts with profiles of your admins highlighting their personalities and all their hard work.
While this is a great Administrative Professionals Day idea for the right people, do approach it with caution. Some employees may not want posts about them on public platforms, so make sure they are comfortable with it first.
7. Send a Video Tribute
Another great option is to send your admin staff a thoughtful video, thanking them for the role they play in your organization. This message could come from your HR team, from the Admins’ managers, or even the CEO.
You can also use a service like Tribute, that allows you to easily gather video messages from several managers and compile it into a nice video montage.
Best Gift Ideas for Administrative Professionals Day 2024
Sending your administrative staff a gift so they can treat themselves to something they enjoy is a great way to make them feel valued and appreciated. Even if you’re planning a celebration of some kind, buying them something small can be the cherry on top of their day and make it more memorable.
Here are some of our best gift ideas for Administrative Professionals Day.
8. Spa Days
At most workplaces, administrators help to keep everything organized and running smoothly. This can be a tough job, and sometimes it may be a bit stressful.
So why give your employees something that helps them unwind and take care of their wellbeing on Administrative Professionals Day? A complementary massage or spa treatment could be just the ticket, giving them the chance to put their feet up and pamper themselves.
You can buy a gift card for a spa you know of, or for a service like Spafinder (one of Guusto’s reward options) which helps people find and book spas in their local area.
9. Travel gifts
Your admins might love a weekend break, or a gift for Administrative Professionals Day that can help fund their next big vacation.
Through a service like Guusto, you could give them gift cards for AirBnB or Hotel.com, or even for airlines like Delta and Southwest. Either they can put it towards a trip they have planned, or it could spur them on to take one.
10. Streaming Subscriptions
Subscriptions to streaming services have become an increasingly popular Administrative Professionals Day gift idea over the past few years, as many employees appreciate being given something they can enjoy again and again.
Depending on your admins’ tastes, you could gift them a subscription to a TV and movie platform like Hulu, a music streaming service like Spotify, or even a gaming provider like Microsoft XBox. Whatever option you choose, they’ll get hours of pleasure from your gift.
11. Unique Experiences
As great as it is to buy employees something they can repeatedly, sometimes a special memory is even better. The Global Experiences Card, offered as a reward through Guusto, allows people to purchase various experiences, covering everything from classes to historical tours to once-in-a-lifetime adventures like skydiving, with hundreds of options in various cities around the world.
12. Charity Donations
If you’re struggling to find good gifts for Administrative Professionals Day, why not give something back instead?
Many employees will appreciate having a charity donation made in their name, particularly if it’s a cause that you know is close to their heart. If you use Guusto’s charity donation option, you could even let them choose the charity they want to donate to, and we’ll do the rest.
13. Swag
Swag is always fun! Branded hoodies, t-shirts, travel mugs, and other goodies can all go down well with your staff on Administrative Professionals Day.
Do be mindful, though, of getting something your employees will find useful, and that feels substantial – receiving just a pen and nothing else might be a bit of a letdown for your team. Also, choose a provider that will deliver quality merchandise, rather than swag that feels cheap. Guusto’s swag partner Axomo is a great bet!
14. Treat them to a meal
Whether you or your manager take them or you simply give them a gift card to enjoy with family and friends, another thing your admins might appreciate is a nice meal on you. This could be at a high end restaurant, a family chain like Applebee’s, or even just a gift card for Uber Eats, depending on what you’d think they’d prefer.
15. Offer some retail therapy
If none of these other Administrative Professionals Day gift ideas seem right for your team, simply giving them a gift card for a retailer might be the way to go.
You can choose a retailer you know specific admins will like, or use a service like Guusto to give them the choice. Then they can treat themselves to a new outfit, the latest tech gadget, something to spruce up their home, or anything else they fancy.
16. Personalized Gifts
If you have the time and inclination, selecting each admin’s gift personally can be an excellent way to show you care. Speak to the employee’s manager or other close colleagues to get a sense of what they might like.
Of course, this is a very time-consuming option, and probably only realistic if you are working in a small company with only a handful of administrative staff.
17. Let them choose
On that point, why not just let your admins choose whatever they want?
With a platform like Guusto, employees have the option to redeem their gift cards for all of the above options, plus a whole lot more. We’ve got everything from restaurants and bars, to high end fashion outlets, to amusements and attractions across 60,000+ global merchant locations. You also have the option to get creative and add custom rewards specific to your company.
This is especially useful if you’re looking to recognize a number of employees in your company for Administrative Professionals Day 2025. Guusto allows you to bulk send up to 1,000 gifts at once. So, your team gets a quick and easy solution to reward your employees, and your admins each get to choose a gift that they really want and will value. It’s a win-win.
Working on a tight deadline for your Administrative Professionals Day Gifts?
If you’re looking for great Administrative Professionals Day gifts with no hassle, Guusto’s got you covered! With our platform, you can create a free account right away.
Once you’ve funded it, you can send gifts to employees instantly, making it perfect for those in a time crunch.
Your employees can redeem their gifts at 60,000+ global merchant locations, making it easy for everyone to get something they really want.
Click below to sign up today and get started:
Alternatively, you can book a demo to learn more:
Go beyond Administrative Professionals Day and make recognition a habit
While showing your appreciation to employees on important calendar days like Administrative Professionals Day is all well and good, the real value of recognition comes when it becomes an integral part of your culture, day in, day out.
If that’s what you’d like for your company, check out The Ultimate Employee Recognition Playbook. In this free guide, we detail how to plan, design, and implement an impactful recognition program at your company from start to finish. Fill out the form below to download your copy.
***Editor's note: This blog was originally published in April 2020, but has been updated to reflect current trends, and expanded with additional insights.