What is office management?
Office management is the art of handling the process of planning, organizing, staffing, communicating, controlling, coordinating, and motivating a group, especially in a workplace setup. The function of office management is provided to efficiently and reasonably achieve business goals while improving the productivity of the team.
When we are talking about office management, it’s all about the aspects of efficient work performance. To keep it short and simple, just think about these two keywords: efficiency and advantage. When an office is properly managed, success, control, and employee satisfaction comes naturally.
The human resource department should be the first and foremost to know what office management means and how to apply it. In this way, they will be able to dispense the knowledge among all the teams. And so to stifle any confusion, here are the seven major office management functions that every HR personnel should know.
The 7 Key Functions of Office Management
1. Planning
Planning is the act of creating a concrete course for future actions. As the first step in the process, it is more about laying out plans and ideas and delegating them to the employees. This process of office management is created to provide stages or methods for the team to follow to secure consistency and productivity.
2. Staffing
The HR department plays an important part in this context. Staffing is a function of management that handles the selection, hiring, and training of staff. For this purpose, they determine the number of employees required and their qualifications and experience. They will also conduct the interviews and tests to decide which candidates to hire. Staffing also includes areas such as the promotion and retirement of the employees.
3. Directing
Of course, having well-thought-out plans is one thing — but implementing them is just as important and more crucial. Directing is part of office management and administration, which involves implementation and continued guidance. Continued guidance is necessary to ensure that the processes are consistent and employees are following them. Additionally, it includes systems and procedures in place to handle those who do not follow the processes.
4. Communication
Clear communication is a staple of every high-functioning operation. It is the key to building good relations within and outside the team. Through effective communication, the staff will understand the tasks and plans, and will therefore allow them to follow the office management plan. If the office manager is unable to communicate the needs of the company, sadly, it will be hard to obtain prime efficiency.
5. Controlling
Controlling refers to the function of office management that ensures that the high-level plans are followed. Keep in mind that controlling is not about micro-managing but leading. The leader must create performance standards where they can compare the actual performance to. This will make detecting anomalies much easier.
6. Coordinating
This can be a tricky part of office management since there’s always the need to coordinate within the team and even other areas of the business. Coordinating is done to ensure that every department is on the same page and are working harmoniously.
7. Motivating
Motivating may be often overlooked, but it is an integral part of a successful team. Motivation comes in two forms: self-motivation and external motivation. Of course, it is important to ensure that your employees stay motivated. But if they are not self-motivated, the job of the office manager is to externally motivate the employee. By doing so, the office employees will most likely maintain discipline and improve their performance.
How can the HR department implement it?
Office management starts in the HR department. To fulfill it, it’s always a good idea to get to know the people whom you work with. This will allow you to know who to turn to when there is an HR issue or when you need help with a difficult task. Make sure to always update your business records and invest in software that can help with your HR and payroll tasks.
Keep in mind that the success of your daily operations depends upon efficient office management. From the workplace environment to employee performance, it’s always ideal to work under these functions, so that harmony and productivity won’t be far behind.
Comments are closed.