The results of a new psychological study commissioned by Avery UK with Executive Secretary Magazine have revealed marked differences in the abilities, experiences and personalities of PAs and their colleagues in the office. The study, which compared PAs with the rest of the UK working population, uncovered a number of extraordinary findings. The in-depth research looked at numerous factors of working life including PAs personality traits, stress levels, responsibilities as well as their IQ, qualifications and emotional intelligence levels, comparing each aspect to the rest of the working population. The results were striking.

1. Did you know it takes
someone very special
to be a PA?

2. Why did Avery UK
complete this research?
• Avery UK is proud to work with PAs and make their lives a little easier with their wide
range of products and software.
• Working with Executive Secretary Magazine, Avery wanted to find out more about
the role of the PA including the type of people working in the profession and how the
role has changed.
• Around 300 female PAs, and around 300 female office workers who were not PAs
took part in the online survey.
• The results were analysed by a psychologist from BrainChimp.
• The aim was to see how PAs compared with their colleagues in the office in terms of
stress levels, job satisfaction, career opportunities, intelligence and individual
personality traits.
• The results were surprising and showed marked differences between the skills of PAs
and the rest of the working population.

3. The Results

4. 11%
13%
10% 11%
8%
15%
13%
9%
15%
17%
26%
18% 18% 17% 17% 17%
14% 14%
12% 12%
Proportion who are high in each personality trait
Not a PA PA
The characteristics
of PAs versus non-PAs

5. The main
characteristics of PAs
PAs were significantly
higher than non-PAs
in conscientiousness,
meaning they are
more responsible,
diligent and
pro-active.
PAs are higher in
extraversion so they
are more gregarious,
outgoing and
optimistic than
non-PAs.
PAs are higher in
agreeableness. Traits
include being friendly,
warm and trusting.

6. Working outside normal hours comes with the job. I am always
on the phone 24/7 and have my laptop with me. You’ve got to
get the work-life balance right.
Dalya Bernstein
The number one skill for a PA is interpersonal skills. It’s really
important to be able to adapt your style to get the best out of
the person you are working with.
Rebecca Eccles
Other office workers could learn from assistants’ interpersonal
skills. Treat everyone the same, like a real person.
Look behind the title.
Janice Anderson
The main
characteristics of PAs

7. Having emotional
intelligence skills
is so important as
you are the eyes
and ears.
Sometimes you
have to read
between
the lines.
Janice Anderson
PAs have higher
Emotional Intelligence
PAs are lower in
neuroticism than other
office workers. Traits of
low neuroticism
include being less
stressed, irritable and
pessimistic.
PAs have a higher
Emotional Intelligence,
which means they are
better able to
recognise and manage
emotions in
themselves and others.

8. In the role of an assistant you have to have high emotional
intelligence as you are dealing with very important people who
expect a certain level of interaction. You have to be very aware of
how your messages will be received.
PAs are often the invisible glue that bonds a team together. The
skill is being the eyes and ears for your manager. You can help
your manager have a better relationship if you have a good sense
of how others are feeling.
Laura Ahmed
PAs have higher
Emotional Intelligence

9. PAs work significantly more unpaid
overtime than non-PAs. When asked
“How often do you work more than your
agreed hours (e.g. weekends)?”
16% of non-PAs answered “Never”
compared to just 3% of PAs.
3
16
PAs Non PAs
The % of PAs and non-PAs
who never work overtime
People do work extra hours
but they are doing that because
they are making their work the
best it possibly can be.
Teely Webb
PAs do more unpaid overtime
than other office workers
%
%

10. 27
14
PAs Non PAs
The % who work more
than their agreed hours
almost every day
27% of PAs do more than their agreed
hours almost every day, compared to
14% of non-PAs.
68% of PAs said they work additional
hours at least once a week.
I don’t think as PAs we spend
enough time looking after
ourselves. We spend so
much time looking
after other people.
Leeanne Graham
PAs regularly work more
than their agreed hours
%
%

11. PAs are more satisfied
in their jobs
Despite the longer
hours PAs are working
there is no significant
difference in work
stress.
Both PAs and non-PAs
score an average of 2.0
on a scale of 1 to 3 for
work stress.
PAs are more satisfied
in their jobs, scoring
3.75 on a scale of 1 to
5, compared to 3.44
with non-PAs.

12. PAs are a great positive bunch,
they are a supporting and
welcoming group.
Laura Ahmed
PAs deal with so many people in
so many different areas. We are
often helping people with
something urgent or problematic.
Fatiha Zeghir
I’ve had some amazing
opportunities along with the role
and I just feel very, very lucky.
Dalya Bernstein
My favourite thing about being a
PA is being that person everyone
knows, and that everyone comes
to. I really enjoy the office
environment.
Leeanne Graham
PAs are more satisfied
in their jobs

13. What are the
opportunities for PAs?
PAs are significantly less likely to
agree with the statement
More than half (51%)
disagreed compared to just
37% of other
office workers.
My current role helps
me to develop as a
person
There are opportunities
for me to advance in
my current role
PAs agree significantly more that
with 60% of PAs, versus
45% of non-PAs, agreeing
with the statement.

14. I think one of the challenges for the PA industry is
sometimes PAs need recognition that this is not just a job;
it’s a career they have chosen.
Teely Webb
My hope for the PA profession as a whole is for us to continue to
encourage each other. As long as we continue to do that our profession
will continue to grow.
Leeanne Graham
What are PAs like
in the workplace?

15. PAs are significantly more likely to
agree with the statement
“I am happy in my job”.
72% of PAs agree, compared to
58% of non-PAs.
72
58
PA Non PAs
% which agree
with the statement
“I am happy in my job”
I’m not surprised to hear that PAs are
happier in their role. You become a PA
because you love helping people.
It’s a passion.
Leeanne Graham
We are happier in our jobs as we
are providing something positive.
Fatiha Zeghir
PAs are happier
in the workplace
%
%

16. Agreement with the statement
“My boss appreciates me”
is significantly higher for PAs than for non-PAs.
52% of non-PAs agree with this,
compared to 77% of PAs.
77
52
PA Non PAs
% agree with statement
my boss appreciates me
I’m really lucky, I really like
the guys I work for and I do
feel appreciated.
Sometimes as an industry
we aren’t very good at
accepting praise.
Laura Ahmed
PAs feel more appreciated
by their bosses
%
%

17. PAs are often given tasks they
haven’t received training for
18% score in the high range,
compared to 11% for non-PAs.
21% of PAs
agree strongly with the statement
compared to
11% of other
office workers.
PAs are significantly
more likely to be
overworked.
Sometimes I am given
tasks which I haven’t
received training for

18. Some of the hardest things about being a PA is the jobs you don’t necessarily
have training for but are expected to know. For example, if you don’t have a
background in finance but still have to do budgets. It is difficult if you haven’t
had training in something, but you can find out the information you need, it
just means a little bit more research.
Teely Webb
I do think PAs take on tasks that they
haven’t been trained for. As well as being
challenging, it’s quite exciting.
Rebecca Eccles
PAs are often given tasks they
haven’t received training for

19. What does the PA
Personality involve?

20. What can others
learn from PAs?
Other people in the
workplace could learn a lot
from PAs, there’s always
something a PA would know
that maybe others wouldn’t
know they knew.
Dalya Bernstein
PAs often don’t complain as
much as other workers.
Laura Ahmed
Other office workers could
learn from assistants’
interpersonal skills. Treat
everyone the same, like a
real person, look behind the
title.
Janice Anderson
Never say no or I don’t
know, just say wait a
second and call
someone.
Fatiha Zeghir
Other office workers can
learn from PAs in terms
of inter-personal skills.
Rebecca Eccles
The best piece of advice I
have been given is to
keep asking questions,
it’s not something that
comes naturally to PAs as
we don’t like to ask for
help.
Leeanne Graham
It’s up to you to drive
your own career.
Teely Webb

21. We are so excited to have been involved in this piece of research, which is
quite simply one of the most insightful pieces of research into the
Assistant and their role within their companies, conducted in the last 10
years.
The role of the Assistant has changed beyond recognition since the
recession, with Assistants filling the gaps left by the middle management
that were made redundant. In many cases, Assistants are taking on huge
amounts of extra work but with no more pay.
This survey proves that Assistants are dedicated, loyal, diligent and savvy
- in many cases, much more so than other members of staff that receive
significantly more recognition, training and remuneration.
It raises questions that must be addressed by the businesses that are
happy to utilise the Assistants' unique traits evident in the results of this
survey, but don't choose to invest in personal development or provide
appropriate career progression with the associated pay increases for their
administrative staff.
Lucy Brazier, Executive Secretary Magazine
What does Lucy Brazier
think of these results?

22. There is a lot that many of us could learn from PAs, from their
interpersonal skills to their passion and enthusiasm. We would
go as far as to say that PAs are one of the biggest personnel
assets to an organisation, they’re positive, intuitive, willing to
go the extra mile and can often adapt quickly to new tasks with
little or no training. It’s a desirable skill set for any employee to
have. If there were more staff in the office with these traits, it
could mean a more productive, efficient and enjoyable
workplace.
Our research has shown that many PAs do feel appreciated by
the executives they support - but perhaps some extra
recognition is due from the wider business community for the
PA role. Many of the PAs we spoke to were keen to stress what
a varied and challenging role it is and expressed a desire for it
to be seen as a career and not a job to fall into.
Fiona Mills, Marketing Director, Avery UK
What does Avery UK
think of these results?

23. • PAs work significantly more unpaid overtime than the rest of us but they are still
positive and no more stressed than the general working population.
• PAs are frequently asked to complete tasks they have no training for – yet they
are happier in their jobs.
• PAs have the same IQ as the rest of us but their EQ is higher, meaning they are
better at dealing with people.
• PAs are a company’s biggest asset – they are willing to go the extra mile and can
jump straight into something new with little or no training.
• They are happy and appreciated by colleagues and especially appreciated by their
boss.
So it takes someone very
special to be a PA…

24. • There is a certain personality type for PAs - PAs are more agreeable,
extroverted, conscientious and emotionally intelligent, and less
neurotic.
• PAs are happier with their lives, they are happier in their jobs, and they
are more satisfied with their jobs. They are no more or less stressed in
their work than non-PAs.
• PAs are more satisfied not because of the nature of the job, but because
of who they are - they are less neurotic and more conscientious, and
this means they enjoy their work more.
So it takes someone very
special to be a PA…

25. Thank you
Thank you to all the PAs who took part in this research
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