6 reasons to hire an Office Manager

Establishing work priorities and coordinating and supervising the company’s administrative tasks are the main duties of the Office Manager. 
Except in large companies, where each department has its own director, in the rest of the companies, the duties of this position range from administrative tasks to budgeting and invoicing.
The Office Manager works to keep the day-to-day operations of the office running smoothly. Such a position requires the necessary flexibility to adapt and effectively resolve various situations that arise.
Their tasks and responsibilities will depend on the type of company they work for.
Law firms, clinics, logistics companies… Their immediate supervisor is usually the CEO, the senior manager or any other executive of the company.

Tasks and responsibilities of the Office Manager

• Management of the General Management’s agenda.
• Respond to requests and process requirements of the General Management.
• Create and coordinate invitations to meetings scheduled by the General Management.
• Management of: travel, purchase and control of office products, control of employee files…
• Monitoring and administration of databases and corporate platforms.
• General support to Human Resources requirements.

6 reasons why an Office Manager is needed

The office management strategy may work well when the staff consists of only fifteen or twenty employees. However, once the company moves beyond its start-up phase, the increase in personnel forces an adaptation of the strategy to the new situation.
Otherwise, the company is likely to start showing difficulties in keeping up with the pace of work. It is therefore essential to hire an Office Manager. Let’s find out the 6 fundamental reasons to make this decision.

Growth and management of Human Resources

As the company grows, so does its need for space, personnel and resources. All of this implies an increased workload to manage said growth.
The Office Manager is then responsible for drafting job descriptions, recruitment, screening resumes, etc. Once new employees are hired, the duties of the Office Manager also tend to include their training, preparing office manuals, or handling questions about benefits or paid time off.

Creation of an office culture

As one of the few people who regularly interacts with employees at all levels and in all departments, their position is ideal for fostering office culture. 
This is achieved by planning parties, retreats, happy hours or other participatory events. The accessibility and familiarity with the staff of the Office Manager enhance their participation and enthusiasm.

Administrative management

When tasks related to filing systems, rescheduling meetings or mail distribution are overwhelming, the Office Manager is essential to restore order. 
Thanks to their organization and efficient distribution of information, day-to-day problems are reduced. Delegating secondary tasks allows you to focus on the more important administrative details of the office.

Maintenance of buildings and facilities

Their work is often invisible. From monitoring contracts with suppliers to invoicing, to negotiating agreements on office software. 
This implies that they pay the electricity bill, they make sure that the air conditioning is working properly or that there are no dripping faucets.

Supplies and inventory

Related to the previous section, the control of the provision of essential supplies is part of their invisible management. The supervision of your monthly budget, billing control and replenishment of said supplies ensures that there is never a shortage.

Management of meetings, events and invitations

The Office Manager often represents the image of the company. Entertaining potential clients or receiving business partners are other important tasks. 
In the performance of their duties, the Office Manager is also responsible for the organization of company events:

• Sending invitations via e-mail.
• Making room reservations. 
• Catering.
• Collaboration with external partners regarding set-up, technology and other needs of the event.
• Reception of guests.

By taking on all these roles, the CEOs and the management team can focus on making a good impression and trying to make good contacts or close interesting business deals. 

At Cloudworks we hope that our article will help you understand the duties of the Office Manager. A fundamental role for those companies in the growth phase where the increase in personnel intensifies the work related to human resources and administration.

In some cases, good office management software helps to solve the workload. However, it is difficult to replace the knowledge, experience and human touch that such a professional can bring.