In order to operate smoothly and effectively, all organizations require punctual and efficient office and administrative support. This support is provided by office and administrative managers. Virtually in every sector of the economy, these workers are employed on different positions like teller supervisor, customer service manager, or shipping and receiving supervisor. An office and administrative support manager is a necessity of every organization.
The nature of duties of an office and administrative support manager include planning work and supervising staff, allocation of work assignment, issuing deadlines, and overseeing the work to ensure that the work meets the established quality standards and proceeds on schedule. He has to make provision for any unexpected staff absence which could create disruptions, and if the situation requires, perform the work himself. He has to oversee that all equipment and machinery used in the department are in good working condition. If any equipment goes wrong, either he must try to correct the problem or alert the concerned repair person. An office and administrative support manager assesses and requests the new equipment for his department, if necessary.
If a worker gives under-performance, he discusses with the employee to determine the reason and, if necessary, helps the worker to improve their performance, whether it is by sending the employee to some training course or through personal counseling. In order to improve situation the office and administrative support manager recommends transfer, demotion, or dismissal of the worker. An office and administrative support manager quite frequently acts as link between administrative support staff and the higher managerial, technical, and professional staff.
Office and administrative support managers are hired in many working settings and their work environment includes clean and well lit, as well as comfortable offices. Their standard working hours are 40 hours a week.
Mostly the office and administrative support managerial positions are filled through internal promotions. For promotion, a support worker must consistently prove that he is capable of handling additional responsibilities.
The education and training requirements for an office and administrative support manager includes postsecondary training. In most cases an associate or even a bachelor's degree is preferred for this position. Good working knowledge of the organization's computer system is treated as an advantage. In addition, he is required to possess the ability to pay close attention to details in order to pinpoint and rectify errors made by any of its subordinate staff. Mostly an office and administrative support manager is promoted from within the organization which requires several years of on the job experience. An administrative support worker having potential abilities to become manager may be given additional supervisory assignments. To elevate this administrative support staff to the supervisory/managerial level, he is sent for in-house training or takes course in time management, interpersonal relations, or project management.
The other skills required from an office and administrative support manager include strong teamwork, problem solving ability, leadership, and the best communication skills. Beside these he or she should be a person of determination and be a loyal, poise, and confident. He should be capable to organize and coordinate work efficiently, set priorities, and motivate others.
In May 2006, the median annual earning of office and administrative support managers was $43,510; the middle 50 per cent had earnings between $33,730 and $56,130 and highest 10 percent earned more than $71,340 while the lowest 10 percent had an earning of less than $26,530.
1.4 million jobs were occupied by office and administrative support supervisors and managers in the year 2006 in the US. An office and administrative support manager is required practically in every industry. The organizations that provided maximum employment to office and administrative support managers are those who have a large administrative support workforce, like schools, insurance companies, health care facilities, business service firms, retail establishments, government agencies, wholesalers, and banks. As per predictions of Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is expected to be a 6 percent growth in the employment opportunities for office and administrative support supervisors and managers through the year 2016 which is more slow growth than the average for all occupations; further there is expected to be keen competition for perspective job applicants.
