The complete guide to office management
Office management is a big job and involves a lot of stakeholders. It's about more than handing out office supplies and handling other administrative tasks—it's actually about making sure that your modern office and everyone in it can work together harmoniously.In this guide, we’ll look at the demands of the job of office management, the skills required to succeed, how the role is changing, and how you can excel in this area.Office management is a job that focuses on improving productivity, efficiency, and collaboration within an office. It may involve a wide range of responsibilities, including handling office equipment, building a warm office environment, managing the office budget, welcoming visitors and new employees to the workspace, organizing activities in the office and off-site events for office personnel, planning and booking travel for staff, managing internal communications, acquiring office furniture, and more.Office Manager is a specific job title whose work will vary greatly from company to company, depending on the industry, the size of the company, and the make-up of other departments.There are a number of alternative titles for the role such as:Soft skills are vital for a good office manager, above all else. Office managers often serve as a go-between for different departments, from communication between upper management and staff, HR and employees, or between the company and other workers in the building, such as custodial staff.This is not to say that technical competencies are unimportant, these can certainly add value. As the office manager role continues to change over time, technical experience and education, such as the ability to quickly learn new digital tools or an understanding of labor laws, grow in importance. Many office managers today may hold a bachelor’s degree in business administration or have extensive experience with office administration — these are far from your traditional “secretary” positions.With that said, the main soft skills an office manager should focus on are:No matter the industry, there is room for an office manager position in most companies. However, the tasks assigned to this employee can vary greatly and may depend on a number of factors, not least of all the industry in which the company operates.The most common types of office manager are:In a corporation, office managers’ chief tasks often involve improving the performance of the departments working within the office. The environment in which employees work should be appropriate to the work they are doing, and also to the branding and culture of the company itself.Within corporate settings, office managers may be involved with the work of other departments, such as human resources (HR & staffing), finance, and even marketing.For large corporations, it is common for there to be multiple branches spread across the country, or even around the world. In this case, at least one office manager is usually hired to oversee the tasks at each branch, with each reporting to a more senior office manager, generally employed at the head office, who manages the overall operations of office management.Legal offices employ office managers to manage working environments for staff and clients of the company. Their responsibilities differ between offices, but the legal office managers are often tasked with handling incoming clients and other visitors to the building, dealing with administrative assistants, handling staff payroll, and working on projects in tandem with the HR team.One of the main responsibilities for a legal office manager is the office space itself. As these are often where current and prospective clients come to speak with their legal council, the working space must give the highest sense of professionalism.Working as a legal office manager generally requires a basic understanding of the law, particularly in any field in which the company specializes.In the healthcare industry, office managers are often employed in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and dentist’s offices.An office manager working in healthcare is still in charge of the working space, with a focus on creating an environment that is suitable for patients. Checking patients in, answering patient questions, scheduling appointments, and other related tasks are all common for medical and dental office managers. Waiting rooms should have a calming and safe aesthetic, and office managers must have a similar presence when dealing with patients.Medical office managers may also be required to have a certain level of relevant industry knowledge. Additional tasks for office managers in healthcare may include dealing with patient confidentiality, ensuring proper practices for disposing of medical waste, and possibly even supervising medical assistants.Many companies today don’t have a need for an office manager working full-time at a single location. The company may be small and only have a few hours of work per week to take care of, or they may operate remotelyFor companies like these, the role of a virtual office manager is becoming more common and vital to success. The responsibilities of a virtual office manager will depend on the company itself – what the company needs, how many hours the employee is expected to work per week, the company culture, and so on.With a virtual office, the office manager must still juggle most of the tasks of a traditional office manager – such as organizing travel, planning offsite company events, helping with projects for other teams, implementing videoconferencing tools. In this case, it will require dealing with teams spread across different locations. Office management has evolved considerably in recent years. These employees have transformed from receptionists and secretaries tasked with making photocopies and relaying messages, now to more strategic-level roles in the company.Many office managers now meet with senior staff regularly as they are charged with important decisions such as office location, productivity improvements, and more.Modern office managers are expected to have a more direct impact on the revenue generation of the company. Here are just a few examples of how modern office management has changed from administrative-heavy roles:With this extra responsibility and room for career growth comes higher expectations. A successful office manager should have:In a standard office management role, this is often the key responsibility. Striking a balance between form and function is important – ensuring a positive atmosphere that is still conducive to high performance.Example tasks:Often, the office manager will be asked to help HR with the rest of the staff. And in small, up-and-coming companies, there may be no HR team at all, and the entirety of these responsibilities can fall to the office manager.In these cases, a general office manager should not be considered, but rather someone with extensive knowledge of employment law should be brought in.In any case, involving the office manager in HR responsibilities may include softer tasks, such as hearing concerns and feedback from staff, as well as tasks related to wages and benefits.Example tasks:Company employees are often not the only people working within the office space. External contractors and employees of the rented building will often be present in the office, and their management generally falls within the purview of the office manager.Example tasks:Managing the events taking place within the office space falls clearly within the domain of an office manager. This often also extends to events outside the office, from team-building employee events to ones involving clients and prospects.Example tasks:Managing the travel of employees is a huge part of modern office management. There are a lot of moving parts to consider, and the workload for travel management can be immense and very chaotic at times.Unforeseen complications with travel can have damaging consequences for a company if not handled right, as it may mean missing out on an important industry event, or losing a big prospective client.Example tasks:Communication between senior management of a company and the working employees is extremely important for the productive work of a company. This is often tasked to the office manager. Even if a company has a communications department, or communication specialists within the marketing team, the office manager may be asked to help with this type of work.Example tasks:The importance of creating a safe work environment cannot be understated. This means the working conditions for employees must be safe, and the company should also be secure from potential external threats.Companies can see the direct impact of office managers on their working environment, and so the role is not likely to disappear any time soon. For office managers, the role is so demanding that it can lead to senior positions in the company from Chief of Staff to even Chief Operations Officer.If you’re an office manager looking to grow your skills and perform your job duties more seamlessly and with less hassle, consider how TravelPerk can help you manage event planning, employee travel, internal communication, and budgeting more easily.With TravelPerk, you can:
What is office management?
- Workplace Manager
- Head of Office Operations
- Facility Manager
- Administrative Director
Office manager skills
- Organizational skills and time management skills. Office managers have a large variety of demands, meaning that only the best-organized office managers will be able to perform well. Being able to create your own workflows, use project management software well, and manage your time are key to effective office management.
- Interpersonal and leadership skills. These allows office managers to help support happy employees, make a good first impression with visitors, and diffuse tense disagreements between teams. Great interpersonal skills will also serve you well as you work with many different personalities across departments, including administrative staff, secretarial roles, finance teams, and human resources teams.
- Communication skills. Good communication helps team members have a clear idea of what senior management is planning for the future, and what they expect from the staff.
- Negotiation skills. This can help improve any agreements the company may have with outside providers. For example, if you're changing office buildings, you'll need to have negotiation skills and decision-making abilities to get the best deal for your company.
- Financial skills. Many office managers have to manage an office budget, as well as other budgets, such as a company travel budget, event budgets, and more. Solid financial skills will help you take your company resources further.
What are the typical types of office management?
- Corporate office managers
- Legal office managers
- Medical and dental office managers
- Virtual office managers
Corporate office managers
Legal office managers
Medical and dental office managers
Virtual office managers
How is the concept of office management changing?
Modern office management
- Instead of simply managing a physical space or supporting other employees, office managers are often tasked with planning, executing, and analyzing their own projects – all with the aim of bringing real value to the company.
- Office managers today may spend more time on finding and establishing suitable employee wellness programs, usually in coordination with HR.
- Today’s office managers may be asked to wear many different hats. Not only may two companies have a very different set of expectations for the position, but the responsibilities for an office manager at a company may change significantly from week to week.
Modern office manager skills
- Experience and knowledge in the various software used by the company, such as communication tools, project management tools, scheduling tools, and more.
- Project management skills to juggle the many projects, deadlines, and communication threads.
- Ability to stay updated with industry knowledge, such as trends, regulations, and news.
- Flexibility and agility to adjust to changing needs, tasks, and problems from week to week.
- Problem-solving skills to be creative, help with many different tasks and projects, and meet business needs in real-time.
An office manager’s responsibilities within a company will depend on a lot of factors, such as the industry, the size, and the culture of the company. So this list will focus on the typical responsibilities of a modern office manager in a corporate office.The typical fields of office management can be broken down into:
- The office space
- Employee management
- Event planning
- Employee travel
- Facility staff
- Internal communication
- Safety and security
The office space
- Ensuring the aesthetics of the office space matches the brand and the people working there.
- Setting the culture, norms, and organization of in-office working.
- Setting office procedures for things like scheduling meetings, having visitors, etc.
- Creating an appropriate working space for employees to improve productivity and morale.
- Replacing broken, used-up, or obsolete equipment.
- Handling the meeting spaces used by different teams.
- Stocking break rooms or employee kitchens.
Employee management
- Managing perks and wellbeing programs.
- Understanding how employees in the office work best, and what their needs and wants are.
- Scheduling office activities to promote teamwork and boost morale.
- Working with HR on recruitment and hiring.
- Administering the payment and promotions of existing staff.
- Helping to create external motivation for employees via rewards, events, or on-site benefits.
Managing facility staff
- Communicating and coordinating with people such as maintenance workers, custodial staff, or delivery drivers.
- Communicating with the landlord or property manager.
- Establishing relationships with external supplies.
- Receiving packages or deliveries for the office.
- Being the “face of the office” for visitors, delivery staff, and so on.
Event planning
- Planning and organizing holiday celebrations at the office.
- Managing off-site trips, like workshops, team-building events, and retreats.
- Dealing with venues, vendors, booths, and itineraries.
- Establishing relationships with vendors and travel coordinators to manage events.
- Finding and managing a corporate event management platform.
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Employee travel
- Managing a travel budget for employees.
- Booking employee’s flights, transport to and from airports, and accommodation.
- Handling emergencies, such as cancelled or missed flights.
- Creating and/or enforcing a company travel policy.
- Managing a calendar of who’s traveling where and when to assess and reduce corporate travel risk.
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Internal communication
- Communicating the needs and the goals of the company to its employees.
- Updating employees on company changes, such as branding, hirings, and departmental updates.
- Hearing and taking into consideration the concerns and needs of employees.
- Running employee surveys and feedback forms and communicating the results to upper management.
Safety and security
- Organizing and undertaking drills, e.g. for fires or active shooters.
- Ensuring the building is locked up at night.
- Managing security teams or CCTV.
- Distributing and tracking keys and passes for employees and guests.
- Ensuring access to proper safety gear.
- Approving tools and materials to be used by the right employees.
- (In conjunction with HR) Dealing with inter-employee harassment, discrimination, or threatening behaviour, displays of anger and frustration from staff.
Take your office management to the next level
- Set company travel policies and automatically ensure they’re adhered to.
- Let employees book their own travel based on company travel policies.
- See and manage employee itineraries and bookings all in one place.
- Set and manage a company travel budget.
- Get up to 80% back on every canceled trip with FlexiPerk.
- Make event planning easier with events management
- Keep travelers safer with our Duty of Care solution
- Avoid being on-call with 24/7, 7-star service from our team for changes, cancellations, delays, and other trip interruptions.
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