3 Key Office Manager Duties That Are Essential In Every Company

An office manager can be essential to keeping a small to keep a company running smoothly, especially in fast-growing startups where constant change in the workplace is the norm.  

Office managers tend to have an extensive set of duties that vary in scope and are likely to change often. That being said, quite often, regardless of what office you go to an office manager is likely to have some standardized job duties. Work that entails keeping a tidy office, answering emails, and interacting with staff are fairly standard regardless of the size of the company or office culture. 

If you’re hiring for the role of an office manager, having a list of specific duties for them to be responsible for is a good starting point. 

This article outlines the 3 main types of duties that most office managers in small and medium-sized businesses have today. By looking below at the typical duties of an office manager, you’ll have a better idea of what skills to look for in an office manager. 

1. Day-To-Day Administrative Tasks

At an office, there are always some standard tasks that need to be done. On your job posting and job description, this is what you’ll want to assure your office manager can and will do for work. As you can tell, your office manager has many duties and will need to have an array of skills that include being able to stay organized while also having a client-facing type of job. 

Some of these day-to-day tasks include:

• Writing and responding to emails
• Taking and responding to phone calls
• Keeping the office clean 
• Stocking the office with needed supplies 
• Speaking with staff and taking note of anything pertinent 
• Sending out any billing statements
• Posting jobs online 
• Screening calls, checking voicemails and being a gatekeeper 
• Checking the schedules of key personnel and helping keep them organized 
• Fielding any issues at the office and moving them up the ladder as needed 

2. Data Collection and Tracking 

In smaller companies, an office manager will function as a human resources department. These kinds of jobs can include: 

• Monitor and record expenses
• Organize expense reports
• Prepare and manage the office budget
• Maintain the bookkeeping system 
• Process accounts receivable and accounts payable
• Follow up on overdue accounts
• Handle and manage petty cash
• Record and monitor hours worked including overtime of your staff
• Monitor and handle vacation and sick leave
• Administer benefits 
• Compute and report your tax returns
• Distribute and track payroll checks
• Maintain databases of key info as assigned

This list gives you a good idea of what duties a professional office manager can handle. 

3. Coordinating With Other Employees

Along with working with the day to day and tracking essential records for your company, your office manager can also be the gatekeeper of the office. Instead of someone higher up taking care of the day-to-day with your staff, you can offload some of those duties to your office manager. 

Here are some of the office manager duties that involve working with the staff. These duties will require that your office manager has the skills and training necessary to speak with the team and be able to handle potentially upset staff personnel. 

• Recruit and help with the selection of new candidates
• Prepare and handle the paperwork for hires and terminations
• Conduct orientations for new staff members
• Identify and help organize training programs for staff
• Manage performance including evaluations and feedback of staff 
• Handle disputes and grievances
• Maintain and organize staff attendance reports
• Keep records of employee files
• Evaluate existing procedures & keep them up to date 
• Implement procedural improvements as needed 
• Prepare materials describing procedures and standards
• Communicate changes in policies and procedures with staff and clients
• Ensure adherence to policies 
• Correct any payroll issues and properly log any pay issues 

This list should help you get an idea of how an office manager can become an essential person to your company and help keep things in order at work.

The Best Office Managers Adapt To Change

One more thing to keep in mind as you’re outlining specific duties and responsibilities to delegate to an office manager is that as your company grows, their duties and responsibilities are likely to change. 

If your goal is growth, make sure you hire an office manager that is willing to adapt to that growth and adjust their day-to-day tasks as needed. 

Looking for a way to manage your workplace more efficiently? Check out what Eden’s Workplace Management Platform can do for your office.