{"id":3822,"date":"2025-08-22T03:15:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T03:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/?p=3822"},"modified":"2025-08-22T03:16:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T03:16:02","slug":"how-corporate-support-has-evolved-with-the-digital-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/how-corporate-support-has-evolved-with-the-digital-age\/","title":{"rendered":"How corporate support has evolved with the digital age"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Corporate support teams are transforming. From AI-powered HR platforms to salespeople becoming data scientists and office admins who haven&#8217;t touched real paper in months, the office of today looks very different to even a handful of years ago.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There\u2019s no question that the abilities of this diverse workforce are rapidly changing, and so are the skills required for success. That puts Australian organisations in a tricky position of needing to identify if there&#8217;s a gap between the people they have, and the people they now need.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">As a leader navigating these changes, here&#8217;s what you need to know.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">3 factors driving the evolution of corporate support skills in Australia<\/h2>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">1. Changing digital toolsets<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The digital toolset required by corporate support teams \u2013 across disciplines \u2013 has fundamentally changed. Modern, cloud-based tools aren&#8217;t just for <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">doing<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> great work, they&#8217;re for <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">enhancing<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> it. Systems and people have become colleagues.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some of the standout examples we see defining the change include:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HR leaders deploying \u2018people analytics\u2019 to watch pay and promotion trends, and to plan data-based hiring strategies.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Customer service specialists working directly alongside AI assistants, handling complex calls while their new \u2018colleagues\u2019 cover routine enquiries.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some sales researchers are even experimenting with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/ris\/Publication%20Files\/23-062_ed720ebc-ec4d-4bc3-a6ba-bad8cfbd9d51.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">using AI to replace market research surveys<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>What do you need to know?<\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Skills like \u2018AI proficiency\u2019, \u2018cyber awareness\u2019 and \u2018data literacy\u2019 aren\u2019t just for your IT people \u2013 they&#8217;re universal. The next time you&#8217;re hiring for your corporate support teams, add these to your candidate shopping list. More on this below.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">2. New work expectations<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We\u2019ve all felt the difference since COVID-19 \u2013 people saw that it was possible to work from home and remain productive, and it stuck. In fact, one survey found that 95% of workers now want at least some form of remote work (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexjobs.com\/blog\/post\/exploring-the-impact-of-remote-work-on-mental-health-and-the-workplace\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">FlexJobs<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">).\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s no surprise then that factors like work-life balance and flexibility are high on the list of desirable perks of the job. In sales, for instance, they&#8217;re in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seek.com.au\/loa\/datalab?driver=INDUSTRY&amp;driverOptions=Sales%20%26%20Business%20Development\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">second place<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (behind salary), whereas in office support <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seek.com.au\/loa\/datalab?driver=INDUSTRY&amp;driverOptions=Administration%20%26%20Office%20Support\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">they&#8217;re first<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>What do you need to know?<\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">From a skills point of view, you must ensure your people are adept at operating in a hybrid environment. Digital onboarding and virtual training are must-haves, as are remote admin systems and virtual collaboration tools. Leaders especially should have confidence in managing their teams both in-person and beyond.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">3. Automation redefining daily tasks<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jobs in corporate support don\u2019t look like they used to, which means job descriptions which still reflect the needs of yesterday won\u2019t take into account the requirements of today (and especially not tomorrow).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Put more simply, professionals don\u2019t have to do a lot of what they used to. For example, AI-driven tools can now autonomously handle as much as 80% of customer interactions with \u201chuman-level\u201d accuracy (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zendesk.com\/in\/blog\/zip2-ai-summit-2024\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Zendesk<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">). Additionally, data \u2018clerks\u2019 are being phased out, with those professionals upgrading to data \u2018specialists\u2019 and taking on broader databasing, ethics and AI-handling roles.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>What do you need to know?<\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When automation handles the menial work, modern corporate support professionals are free to advance to higher-level, more strategic thinking. This makes broader business understanding, knowledge of budgets, strategic alignment, compliance, ethics and EQ essential higher-level skills.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">Will AI ever fully replace corporate support teams?<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No, in our opinion this is very unlikely. In fact, highly skilled professionals are likely to become more valuable.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">AI is extremely powerful, but also severely limited. While it can handle repetition and volume, plus certain complex tasks like simple conversations, it still lacks the \u2018human touch\u2019. AI adoption might be on the rise (use of generative AI in Australia rose from 38% to 49% 2023-2025 &#8211; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/intl\/en-au\/company-news\/ai-adoption-in-australia-new-survey-reveals-increased-use-belief-in-potential\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Google<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">), but people still generally want to deal with people.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Where your teams can shine:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In sales, customers are happy to use AI to browse products, but they don\u2019t trust AI with their money (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2025\/01\/ai-consumers-could-vs-should\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">WEF<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">). When it comes to closing a deal, it&#8217;s vital to have someone real building that relationship and developing trust.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In HR, AI can parse large volumes of job applicants but it often overlooks key factors that make for a successful hire (like soft skills or culture fit). Here, skilled talent acquisition experts \u2013 or a specialist recruitment partner \u2013 are essential for understanding how to look beyond the CV.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">On the customer service front, AI has a mixed reputation. In some cases, research shows that it&#8217;s growing popular \u2013 52% of respondents to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hyken.com\/research\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">one survey<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> say they like that it improves speed and efficiency. In other cases, it\u2019s the opposite: 64% of customers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2024-07-09-gartner-survey-finds-64-percent-of-customers-would-prefer-that-companies-didnt-use-ai-for-customer-service\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">told Gartner<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> they wished companies wouldn\u2019t use AI, concerned that it makes it harder to reach a real person. To ensure you can delight all customers, you must be able to offer both.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">What to consider when hiring modern corporate support talent<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s clear that the next phase of corporate support is going to look very different to the way things are done now. Technology isn\u2019t slowing down, and neither is social change.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To ensure that your organisation is future proofed against the changes occurring right now, not to mention the unknown trends of the future, there are a few things to consider:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Invest in upskilling programs to encourage your people to continuously build skills for the future.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cultivate good data literacy so that everyone in the business can maximise the benefits of data-based decision making.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Don\u2019t neglect cyber security \u2013 every new piece of software is a potential vulnerability. Everyone plays a role in keeping the business safe; cyber awareness training is a must.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ensure that your leaders feel confident managing a hybrid workforce, supported by easy-to-use digital infrastructure that enables flexible working.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Encourage strategic thinking and familiarise people with the overall goals of the business. You\u2019d be surprised what your teams can achieve at a strategic level when they\u2019re given the opportunity.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Strategically redefine corporate support roles. Your task-doers are turning into process optimisers \u2013 this could necessitate new job descriptions, upskilling pathways or the recruiting of fresh talent.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">Missing key corporate support skills? Let\u2019s find them together<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At TalentWeb, we\u2019re Australia&#8217;s corporate support recruitment specialists. We know the clues to look for to ensure great people integrate seamlessly into the company DNA, and we\u2019ve built one of the largest networks in the country of highly talented people ready to find an exciting new challenge working for your team.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Learn more about <\/span><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/corporate-support-recruitment\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">our corporate support experts here<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, or <\/span><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/contact\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">connect with us<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to talk about your needs.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Corporate support teams are transforming. From AI-powered HR platforms to salespeople becoming data scientists and office admins who haven&#8217;t touched real paper in months, the office of today looks very different to even a handful of years ago.\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019s no question that the abilities of this diverse workforce are rapidly changing, and so are the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":3825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employer-advice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3822"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3829,"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3822\/revisions\/3829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/3825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.talentweb.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}