An office requires the work of many different people to run smoothly. However, in some cases, it can be difficult to understand the duties and responsibilities of each role. For example: what is the difference between an office assistant and an office manager? Read on to discover the answer.
Office Assistant vs Office Manager: What Is the Difference?
The difference between these two roles is quite straightforward. An office manager is in charge of coordinating and supervising the work of administrative staff within an office, including that of office assistants. In other words, office assistant is an entry-level position, while office manager is a supervisory role.
In the next sections, we’ll take a closer look at the activities, responsibilities, and duties of both office assistants and office managers.
What Does an Office Assistant Do?
Office assistants are in charge of offering administrative support by performing a wide variety of clerical tasks in an office environment.
Even if this is considered an entry-level position, that doesn’t mean that it’s not important. On the contrary, office assistants play a crucial role because they serve as a point of reference for both employees and clients.
While duties and responsibilities of an office assistant may vary depending on the industry, some of the most common include:
- Field phone calls
- Sort and send mail
- Monitor and manage office inventory
- Schedule and organize appointments
- File documents
- Writing emails and other communications
- Greet public and clients
- Generate reports
- Create presentations
What Does an Office Manager Do?
Office managers monitor the work of the administrative staff of an office, including but not limited to office assistants.
An office manager creates and enforces policies, procedures, and guidelines that the other employees of the office are required to follow. Typically, an office manager reports to the head of the department or the director of the organization.
Some of the duties of an office manager usually include the following:
- Organize and monitor office operations
- Oversee office maintenance
- Manage office budget
- Develop office policies
- Manage calendars and appointments
- Prepare payroll
- Design filing systems
- Communicate with department heads (Human Resources, IT, etc)
- Offer administrative support as needed
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