In most public institutions, the first person you meet, having barely managed to cross the threshold, is the administrator. These specialists are hired by hotels, beauty salons, restaurants and, of course, office facilities. They have many responsibilities, starting with communicating with guests and partners and ending with the processing of documentation.
Features
It is worth saying that the administrator is a very universal profession, which can include versatile responsibilities. The advantage for beginners is that it does not require any in-depth knowledge in a particular field.
Potential employers pay more attention to personal qualities. A potential candidate for the position of office administrator should be moderately sociable, be able to establish contacts with different people, correctly express their own thoughts. Also, an advantage will be the presence of interest in the chosen field of activity and the ability to show resistance to stress. The latter quality will certainly be useful to the future administrator. He will have to communicate with a huge number of visitors, among which conflict ones will certainly come across. However, even in such situations, the administrator must be able to remain polite.
It is worth noting that, depending on the company’s policy regarding recruitment, requirements for higher education, the ability to work with office equipment, etc. may be required.
The work schedule for this position is usually determined by the institution’s working hours, since it is the administrator who opens it in the morning and closes it in the evening. However, with round-the-clock work, a shift schedule is drawn up for employees. As a rule, offices in this mode do not work.
It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the administrator and office manager are different professions. The office manager actually directs the other employees. The administrator, unlike him, does not perform this function. It just performs its own functions, interacting with other office employees if necessary.
Main responsibilities
The office administrator, while at the workplace, must perform a considerable number of tasks that management entrusts to him. Let's list them briefly.
- Reception and subsequent distribution of telephone calls. During negotiations, the administrator must fix the information and pass it on to employees. If necessary, the call should be forwarded to another department.
- The duties of the office administrator include a clause according to which the employee should provide initial consultations to potential clients.
- The need to process incoming and outgoing documentation.
- Placement of vacancy announcements on specialized portals and in recruitment agencies. Also, the duties of the office administrator involve conducting initial interviews with potential candidates.
- The purchase of office supplies, as well as consumables, necessary to ensure the smooth operation of office equipment.
In addition to the duties listed above, the office administrator actually constantly interacts with people. These are potential customers and current employees of the company. It is this specialist who is responsible for scheduling employees.
Rights
The number of rights, unlike duties, is much less. So, what does the office administrator have instructions?
- Act on behalf of the company, representing its interests in collaboration with other enterprises.
- To interact with other employees within the assigned authority.
- Submit proposals aimed at improving the organization.
Office Admin Functions
While at the workplace, this specialist must perform a considerable number of tasks assigned to him:
- Office preparation.
- Maintenance of order.
- Customer service.
- Telephone service.
In fact, the number of functions may be greater. It depends on the job description of the office administrator in a particular institution.
Office preparation
Fulfillment of the assigned functions, as a rule, begins with preparation for a new working day. Arriving at his workplace, the administrator checks the work of office equipment, the availability of supplies and stationery. Next, the specialist should familiarize themselves with the list of visitors and create conditions for their meeting.
Keeping order
The administrator should not directly deal with cleaning and other activities to maintain order in the office. However, his responsibilities include the need to coordinate the work of maintenance staff. He must draw up a cleaning schedule, as well as indicate its duration.
Customer service
The duties of the administrator are also to negotiate with the visitors about the time of the visit, coordinate them with the head. The schedule of visits should be designed in such a way that there are no overlaps and no one has to spend time waiting. In addition, the administrator must meet visitors. It is he who creates the first impression.
Telephone service
This function is assigned to the administrator in order to free the manager from negotiations and not distract him from the work process. The employee can solve some issues on his own or make an appointment in accordance with the schedule of the manager. When performing these functions, the employee must always respect confidentiality without disclosing to outsiders the information available to him.
Sample
The job description of the office administrator may include different items depending on the requirements of a particular organization. However, as a rule, it will spell out the standard conditions that are taken as a sample.
- General Provisions
- Qualification requirements. As a rule, a specialized secondary education is sufficient for a potential administrator. Having experience will undoubtedly be an advantage.
- Responsibilities. No job description is complete without this item.
- Rights. The administrator, for example, has the right to make proposals for improving the activities of the enterprise.
- Additional provisions, which may include items that are not included in other sections.
It is customary to provide job description to a new employee for familiarization, the fact of which he must confirm with his own signature.
Workplace
The labor protection instruction for the office administrator presents some requirements for working conditions. For example, the workplace should be located in such a way that it is convenient for the employee to carry out his own duties. As a rule, it is located next to the manager’s office and allows you to monitor other employees.
You need to understand that when performing duties, the administrator, as well as other employees, often have to use office equipment. That is why it must be placed in such a way that it is available for short-term operation.
One of the important tasks that is not clearly stated in the job description of the administrator is to act as a liaison between the immediate supervisor and subordinates. Therefore, the employee should try to create a favorable environment and establish contacts with other specialists. It is important not only to correctly convey the instructions of the head, but also to be able to control the accuracy of their implementation.
For this reason, the ability to establish contacts with others becomes an important factor in achieving success in this position. This applies to both managers and subordinates. With regard to personal qualities, organization and stress resistance are considered to be rather important, which allows you to manage other employees and remain calm even when dealing with conflicting visitors.