Important Functions or Role of an Office Manager
Table of Contents
Important Functions or Role of an Office Manager
Since the office work is basically a service function, office manager performs a significant role in the performance of office work. The main functions of an office manager are explained below.
1. Staffing
An office manager is requested to recruit and select the office staff by the top management. For this purpose, he determines the number of staff required, their qualification and experience if any, decide the sources of recruitment, receiving applications, conduct the interviews and tests and finally select the right personnel.
2. Leadership
He has complete control over the work done in an office. An office manager is necessary for smooth, efficient and performance of office work economically in an organization. Being a leader of office, he is in charge of public relations and helps other departments to achieve their goals set forth.
3. Training
The need of training has been decided by office manager. Besides, the training programmes are also devised and imparted to the new recruits as well as existing staff. Orientation training programme has been provided to new staff and refresher course programme is provided to existing staff.
4. Coordination
The various activities of office staff are coordinate by the office manager. He has to bring coordination between the top management and the workers. He must please both the parties.
5. Work Measurement
An office manager devices methods of work measurement in terms of the output of the staff. It is a difficult task. The reason is that the office work cannot be measured in physical terms. Hence, it is the duty of office manager to decide the accepted norms of work measurement.
6. Motivation
The efficiency of staff is increased by providing proper motivation. The type of motivation can be decided by the office manager. The right type of motivation ensures effective and economical performance of work and lead to the promotion of the staff.
7. Discipline
The implementation of rules and regulation of office is in the hands of office manager. There should not be personal bias while implementing rules and regulations. He also attends to the grievances of office staff. In this way discipline is maintained.
8. Accounting
He has thorough knowledge on accounting. Every figure should be kept in finger tips.
9. Stationery Control
Office manager has to exercise proper control on stationery purchase and issue. For this purpose, he has to frame clear cut procedure for the purchase, for the issue and storage of office stationery.
10. Secretarial Services
All the accounts books are kept under the custody of office manager. An officer manager is responsible to conduct meetings, drafts reports and minutes etc. on behalf of secretary. In this way, he does the functions of secretary.
11. Costing
In small organization, an office manager is responsible to maintain costing records and do the costing work.
12. Organizer
The office work has been assessed and assigned to office staff according to their knowledge, ability, experience, qualification and the like by the office manager.
13. Supervisor
An office manager is head of office. Hence, it is the duty of office manager to supervise the office correspondences, procedures, policy implementation, record maintenance, filing, indexing and the like.
There is no hard and fast rule for determining the functions of office manager. Generally, the type and size of an organization are the deciding factors of functions of office manager. The functions of office manager vary from time to time and from office to office. The office manager is expected to perform his functions within the limit of authority and responsibility entrusted to him by the employer.
