The Job Role of an Administrator or Office Manager
An Administrator will control the day-to-day running of an office. The role can vary depending on the size of the business and structure of the office. Some administrators may perform non-admin functions such as accounting, budgeting, some Human Resources functions or social events organising. In fact, the additional tasks undertaken by an administrator can be diverse. A more senior administrator may actually supervise certain roles (e.g. secretaries and administrative assistants).
An Administrator or Office Manager’s role may include the following tasks:
• Managing or inputting to databases
• Diarising appointments with clients
• Supply Chain Management of Suppliers, Service Provider and Property Management
• Administration of the office supplies
• Processing with invoices and receipts
• Budgeting the office expenditure
• Getting maintenance done on office equipment and machinery
• HR Functions such as the holiday and sickness calendars.
• The Promotion of office protocols and staff initiatives (e.g. Paperless meetings)
• Telephonist
• Point of contact for your department
The role will vary but the main point of the role of an Administrator is to ensure that the office runs smoothly. Office Managers can be very influential as they may manage their own staff. This means that they will have additional responsibilities for interviews and other managerial functions.
What Makes A Good Administrator or Office Manager?
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The role can vary and change, so it is important that a good administrator can adapt to whatever challenges are presented.
However, some skills are likely to be required in any role:
• Good level of at Secondary Education or more.
• Communication skills both verbally and in writing.
• Filing and organising data
• Strong Microsoft Office Skills.
• Numeracy in order to handle financial information or tasks
• Respect confidential information
• Good interpersonal skills in managing others, interrelating with others and negotiating.
What Qualification Are There For Administrators
Administrators will need to have at least a good level of Secondary Education as a start. There are many Administration Courses out there for beginners to get into the field. You should check that the course syllabus covers all areas discussed. If you are ambitious and would like to be in a senior position like an Office Administrator or Office Manager, there are Office Manager Courses and Office Manager Diplomas. These will normally incorporate more management skills, to enable you to handle more senior positions.