Responsibilities of an Office Manager

An individual who holds the position of office manager has a wide array of diverse duties and responsibilities which must be performed on a daily basis. The office manager has a role in many different businesses and their exact duties and responsibilities will depend on the type of business, size of the business and role which they play within the business.

What Is An Office Manager?

An office manager is an individual who oversees the running of a business. This individual will plan, coordinate and also oversee various business functions which are performed by the other employees of the company or corporation. The office manager not only will supervise the work of other employees but they will perform a wide range of tasks themselves in their role as office manager.

General Responsibilities of an Office Manager

There are a number of general responsibilities concomitant with the role of office manager. These will vary from business to business but many of the responsibilities include hiring and firing of employees, ordering supplies, performing payroll duties, performing accounting duties, taking phone calls and performing general everyday tasks necessary for the efficient running of the business. Most businesses have one primary office manager however some may have two or more individuals who share the managerial duties.

Specific Duties of the Office Manager

An office manager will perform various specific duties in their professional role. In many businesses, an office manager is the individual who is responsible for hiring and firing the staff. They will place advertisements looking for employees and also perform the interviews of potential future employees. They may also be responsible for firing any employees who do not meet the requirements of the company.

One who is an office manager may need to order supplies for the company which they work for in their role as office manager. This will be a pertinent responsibility on the part of the office manager. In order to ensure that all supplies are ordered when needed, the office manager will most likely have to perform frequent checks on the supply cabinet to make sure that items are always in stock.

Frequently the office manager is also responsible for performing payroll duties for the business. The office manager will keep track of the hours which each employee works in addition to the set pay for employees. This individual will write out payroll checks and distribute such funds to the employees on payday.

One who works as an office manager may also need to perform accounting duties for the entire business. Not only does this relate to money coming into the business but money going out as well. They will perform the accounting and may even be responsible for the tax calculations when tax season comes around. This duty may be simple or complex, depending upon the business and role of the office manager.

The office manager is an individual who may also have a hand in the general office building structure as well. The office manager may pay the office building rent as well as bills relating to electric, gas and water utilities. Should renovations take place throughout the office, the office manager is the one who will most likely oversee those projects as the employer probably will not want to be too involved with projects such as these.

One who has the job of an office manager may also be responsible for performing clerical duties on a daily basis. Tasks such as answering phones, filing and typing up documents may be a daily occurrence which the office manager may need to handle. Depending on the business, these may be simple tasks which take a few minutes or lengthy ones which take a few hours time.

An office manager is often responsible for listening to complaints as well. These complaints may come from the staff members or outside parties who have issues with the business itself. It is up to the office manager to listen attentively, address the situation and come up with complete resolutions to the problem. Some issues may be addressed solely by the office manager whereas others will need to be addressed by the employers themselves.

Positive Traits Which All Office Managers Must Possess

One important trait which all office managers should have is that of adequate problem solving skills. Since the office manager is the individual who one goes to in order to have their complaints resolved the office manager must be a good problem solver by nature. Even if the office manager cannot solve the problem on their own, they must know who to go to so that the problem can be solved by someone, if not themselves.

An office manager should also be personable in nature. Since these are individuals who need to deal with others, both inside and outside of the office environment, it is pertinent for office managers to be good conversationalists. They must be at ease while conversing with others as this will enable them to get the job done in the most efficient way possible.

Good mathematical skills are another positive trait for office managers to possess as they will be working with numbers on a frequent basis. Not only do office managers have to perform payroll duties but they may need to perform accounting tasks as well. Those who have good mathematical skills will be able to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Another positive trait for office managers to possess is good multitasking skills. Frequently an office manager will feel himself or herself being pulled in every different direction so it is important for the office manager to know how to do multiple things at one time.

Lastly, office managers should be leaders by nature. They should be comfortable with filling a lead position and be able to resolve all problems which come their way. By being a natural leader, the office manager will be able to complete their daily duties in a timely and efficient manner.

Conclusion

Office managers have big shoes to fill in the business world. They need to be able to effectively communicate with others, solve problems on a daily basis and do all of these things while performing daily clerical tasks. If one is a natural leader, they are sure to excel in the position of office manager. The duties and responsibilities of this position are great, however, the results can be wonderful as well as the office manager is taking on a very important role in the daily business operations.