What Does An Office Manager Do?
Office managers are professionals who are responsible for keeping a company’s support services running efficiently and smoothly. This can include performing a wide variety of tasks. For starters, they must see to it that that office supplies don’t run out and that malfunctioning equipment and machines are immediately fixed. Of course, they aren’t expected to do the repairs themselves but they are expected to make the necessary arrangements for the repairers to arrive and address the issue. As far as office supplies and stocks are concerned, they are responsible for preparing the budget and requisitioning these from suppliers.
Supervising the work of staff and personnel are also part and parcel of the work of office managers. They see to it that the rank-and-file personnel under them know their tasks and that they are producing the output required of them. This is a very important part of their responsibilities since office managers usually have to report to a higher executive. If there are any lapses committed by the workers under them, office managers will have to answer for these when they present their report to the supervisors above them. Office managers may also have to hire and orient new employees if the organization is small and doesn’t have its own human resources department yet.
Office managers are also responsible for ensuring that office facilities and operations are in compliance with the standards set forth by the government. They must see to it that environmental laws are being followed and that the building does not pose health and security hazards. They do this by inspecting facilities regularly and addressing any issues that might cause the company to violate these rules.
Office managers must also find ways to continue to improve the delivery of support services to help the organization function as efficiently and effectively as possible. Thus, they keenly observe and analyze how office operations can be enhanced. For example, if they find that there are better ways of procuring supplies then they can make recommendations to management so that changes in the present system can be made.
Keeping records and company documents are also part of the responsibilities of office managers. They must maintain a filing system that will make file retrieval and storage easier and more organized. They also provide guidelines on how the rest of the employees should fill out particular documents and gather records. With a unified recordkeeping system in place, the possibility of losing files gets reduced. They may have to work with information technology experts if the company is already keeping electronic records and storing files in computer systems.
More than ensuring better workflow, office managers play a very important role in motivating employees and keeping them productive. By improving procedures on how different things are done and paying attention to facilities and equipment that need to be changed, office managers make the workplace a more conducive place for all employees. Promptly addressing areas of concern that workers may have will add to the latter’s work motivation as well and help the company reach its business goals.
Career Spotlight: Office Manager
If you have always wanted to work in an office setting in a supervisory role, you can strive towards becoming an office manager. Also called an administrative services manager, your task will center o[...]
