Welcome to the Global Skills Matrix 2026
Five years ago, we introduced the Global Skills Matrix as the first globally recognised administrative capability framework for the profession. It gave us a common language, mapped career pathways, and established that administration is a profession that grows in strategic value.
It has now been downloaded more than 14,000 times in over 120 countries.
But the world of work has shifted. AI has moved from experimental to embedded. Hybrid operations have reshaped how organisations function. And administrative professionals are now routinely performing work that sits at the heart of executive decision-making.
In 2025, the World Administrators Alliance conducted a comprehensive global survey. 3,221 administrative professionals from 69 countries responded, and what they described was a profession that has changed materially since 2021.
59% report increased responsibility. 60% now routinely manage projects or programmes. 38% support governance or board-level preparation. 42% have integrated AI tools into their workflow. And yet 51% have no clear career pathway within their organisation, and 43% say their job title doesn’t reflect what they actually do.
This is not a capability gap. It is a classification gap, and the Global Skills Matrix 2026 has been built to address it.
Helen Monument, Chair, World Administrators Alliance
Lucy Brazier OBE, Research and Framework Development Lead
What the Global Skills Matrix 2026 is
The Global Skills Matrix 2026 is the most comprehensive evidence base ever produced on the administrative profession. Built on research from 3,221 professionals across 69 countries, it provides a reference architecture for organisations, HR leaders and administrative professionals to define, structure and develop administrative capability.
It is not a career guide. It is an organisational design tool.
The Global Skills Matrix 2026 defines five progressive levels of contribution, from foundational to executive operations leadership, based on the judgement exercised, the complexity of coordination, governance exposure and organisational impact. Progression is determined by the scope of contribution, not by job title, tenure or the seniority of the person being supported.
It answers questions that no other framework has addressed. What level of work is actually being performed in these roles? Where does administrative capability sit within your organisational design? What does progression look like when it is based on contribution rather than the availability of a vacancy? For most organisations, working through those questions will reveal a significant gap between what their administrative professionals are actually doing and how those roles are currently classified and valued.
The Global Skills Matrix:
- Professionalises & increases the role value
- Makes becoming an administrator a viable & structured career choice
- Provides a framework when changing job, locally or globally
- Paves the way for specific & internationally recognised credentialing
It is useful for HR, principals, & administrators for clarifying:
- Career pathways
- Performance & salary expectations
- Growth & development opportunities
It helps administrative professional trainers to:
- Specifically target their offering at the correct level
- Gain a clear understanding of the training requirements at each level
It also identifies requirements when:
- Hiring administrators
- Providing a structure for advancement
- Scoping to maximize administrators performance & utilisation
Why now
The administrative profession has always been underestimated. What has changed is that we now have the evidence to prove exactly how wrong that underestimation is.
3,221 professionals across 69 countries told us that 59% are carrying significantly more responsibility than they were in 2021. 60% are routinely managing projects and programmes. 38% are supporting governance and board-level preparation. 42% have already integrated AI into their workflow. This is not a support function. This is operational infrastructure, and it is running inside almost every organisation on the planet.
For HR leaders and L&D professionals, the Global Skills Matrix 2026 provides a reference architecture that finally matches the reality of the role, with defined contribution levels, structured progression pathways and clear capability thresholds that make grading, development and succession planning measurable rather than guesswork.
For managers and recruiters, it brings clarity to a profession currently operating under more than 187 different job titles worldwide, where identical work sits under wildly different labels and career progression depends more on vacancy than contribution.
For administrative professionals, it provides the language and the evidence to articulate what they already know about the value they deliver.
And for any organisation currently wondering whether AI makes the administrative role redundant, the data gives a clear answer. As routine tasks become automated, the capabilities that remain, judgement, prioritisation, governance, strategic alignment, are exactly what experienced administrative professionals already deliver. The organisations that understand this will invest accordingly. Those that don’t will find out the hard way what they have lost.
The profession has reached structural maturity. The Global Skills Matrix 2026 reflects it.
Who it's for
For HR leaders and CHROs: benchmark administrative roles against defined contribution levels, integrate administrative capability into workforce architecture, and align grading, development and succession planning to evidence-based thresholds.
For CEOs and business leaders: understand the operational leverage that well-structured administrative capability creates, and the cost of leaving it informally defined.
For recruitment companies and hiring managers: bring consistency to a profession operating under more than 187 different job titles worldwide. The Global Skills Matrix 2026 provides a clear, sector-agnostic reference for assessing the level of work being performed, so that hiring decisions are based on contribution and judgement rather than title alone.
For L&D professionals and training providers: align development programmes, learning pathways and certification offerings to internationally consistent capability standards, with clear thresholds at each of the five levels so that investment is targeted, structured and measurable.
For professional associations: provide your members with a globally recognised framework that reflects the current reality of the profession, supports structured progression and gives administrative professionals the language to articulate their contribution at every level.
For administrative professionals: articulate your contribution in terms of organisational impact, identify your level, and make the case for structured progression based on evidence rather than assumption.
Download your free copy
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The Global Skills Matrix
Full Report
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The Global Skills Matrix
Executive Summary
The Global Skills Matrix 2026 is spot on. This should be your starting point for understanding, nurturing, engaging, and leveraging the administrative function in your organization.
Douglas ConantFormer CEO of Campbell Soup Company, named one of the Fortune’s Top 50 CEOs in the world
I have worked alongside the best in this profession at the highest levels of global business. The Global Skills Matrix reflects the true scope and sophistication of these roles. It is long overdue.
Ann HiattFormer EA to Jeff Bezos and First Chief of Staff to the CEO at Google
It ties into performance – KPIs and goals for assistants. We want to encourage excellence at each level. Every assistant will have their own journey and should feel they can attain excellence at their level. This ties into creating a world-class administrative function which underpins what the stakeholder goals and KPIs are for each business.
Sarah RichsonDouble award-winning global human development expert
The Global Skills Matrix is probably one of the most important and influential announcements from the administrative profession this century. Not only will the Global Skills Matrix benefit all levels of assistants it will also be of significant benefit to organisations who have never really treated the role as something that merited the same level of investment in career development and progression as other roles.
Richard Arnott, BA, FinstAM, FITOLDirector of BMTG UK & Author of the ACEA© programme
The Global Skills Matrix serves as the authoritative resource providing a definitive framework for administrative professionals. It is a hallmark piece of work that actualizes the vital roles that administrators play. Offering a malleable structure, with suggested role profiles and job titles, leaders and HR professionals will collectively be shouting with relief. Bravo to the leaders of the World Administrators Alliance for their game-changing contribution to the global workplace.
Bonnie Low-KramenInternational Speaker & Bestselling Author of "Be The Ultimate Assistant"
The GSM is the culmination of the hard work of the World Administrators Alliance. It is a game changer for the Assistants’ profession. It will give clarity to HR departments and managers. It will very much improve the recruitment process, it will give a clear career path for Assistants, it will help training companies enhance their courses. It is incredibly valuable. Well done, everyone.
Heather BakerDirector, Baker Thompson Associates
The Global Skills Matrix is ground breaking. It creates an excellent basis for an internationally uniform understanding of administrative functions as well as for their comparability. This is exactly what we need now. For the first time, assistant positions can be compared across organisations and countries, ranked consistently and recommendations made in terms of qualifications and professional development. A clear benefit for organisations and assistants likewise. As a recruiter for the assistant sector, I support the introduction and dissemination of the Global Skills Matrix in Germany.
Verena SchifferConsulting and Recruiting for Assistants
The Global Skills Matrix is a document that provides clarity within the administrative world where there are more than 160 different job titles for similar positions. The Matrix is an invaluable tool for recruiters, Executives and HR individuals, helping them define career advancement, and to identify different levels of work. It enhances the vision of an important role which has been invisible for too long. This is a serious, realistic, and full report to support and add value to our profession. With five levels, common job titles, skills and tasks, it makes recruitment simple and successful. The Global Skills Matrix has been created to be a relevant part of this new post-pandemic world where technical skills are essential, and business strategy and planning are important to grow and define the role. It is a comprehensive and well-done piece of work, destined to be part of the future of our profession.
Eva SotoNational Chairman, International Management Assistants – Spain
Free tools and resources
We have developed a number of free tools and resources that will help you to use the Matrix, and to communicate its messages to your executive, your peers, your HR manager, recruiting companies and educational institutes.
You can download these below:
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How to use the Matrix - A Guide for Administrative Professionals
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How to use the Matrix - A Guide for HR Leaders and People Teams
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How to use the Matrix - A Guide for Recruitment Professionals
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Request a Free 45-Minute Conversation for Your HR Team
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Request a Free 45-Minute Webinar for Your Event or Company
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Webinar Replay - This Changes Everything Panel Discussion (from 23 April)
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Global Skills Matrix Supplement from Executive Support Magazine
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Other Languages (Coming soon)
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Branding and Intellectual Property Guidelines
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Press Releases
Questions? Contact us below
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