Why Your Most Valuable Employee Might Be Misunderstood by Their Title
What Do You Call the Office Backbone?
Image credit: McBoat Photography
You know this person.
They’re the glue on the team. The one holding everything together. The go-to for questions, tasks, follow-ups, and fires to put out.
On paper, they’re “just” the office administrator or account manager. But in practice? They’re also doing HR. And accounting. And systems management. And paid media. And more.
During a recent consulting engagement with a small business, I was brought in to help put “the right people in the right seats.” Which, in reality, means understanding not just job descriptions—but people. How they work, what lights them up, and where they’re being stretched too thin.
This one team member was immediately clear: overworked, under-titled, and on the edge of burnout. They were doing a dozen jobs because they were deeply capable.
When I spoke to leadership, they didn’t hesitate. This person was essential. Loyal. A team player worth keeping. So, we designed a role around their strengths and growth goals. We offloaded the admin work so they could step more fully into paid media—the area they were excited to develop.
And then… we hit a roadblock:
What do we call this role now?
The old title confused clients.
The new title didn’t fully capture their hybrid responsibilities.
And if this person ever wanted to apply for a job elsewhere—how would this one-of-a-kind role translate?
This wasn’t a branding issue.
It was an identity issue.
This is what happens when professionals outgrow traditional titles.
They’re not just doing more—they are more. They’re hybrid professionals.
And hybrid professionals don’t fit neatly into job boxes. They work across disciplines, wear multiple hats, and do their best work at the intersections of roles. But the workforce is still operating in a language of singularity—of narrow, legacy job titles that flatten multidimensional professionals.
So what do we do when the title doesn’t fit?
We start by asking better questions:
How does this person want to be seen?
What does the industry recognize?
Can we layer formal job titles with creative ones? (e.g., “Paid Media Specialist + Insight Anthropologist”)
This is the work of modern professional identity. It’s not just about roles—it’s about belonging.
Sometimes that means inventing new language. Sometimes it means naming yourself even when there’s no official job title to point to. And sometimes it means being okay with the fact that your career doesn’t translate cleanly—because it wasn’t meant to.
There may never be a perfect corporate job title for a hybrid professional.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t define who you are.
Have you ever felt boxed in by a title that didn’t reflect the full picture of who you are and what you bring?