Why Office Managers Aren’t a Solution for Executive Support
Administrative personnel are often the smallest department of a team. They fulfill important roles but they are usually categorized as a non-revenue generating department. As administrative demands grow for teams, managers, and executives, the first solution is to usually expand the responsibilities of an office manager instead of hiring an executive assistant.
Though, this is often not the best solution. Office managers typically focus on receptionist work, office supplies, bookkeeping tasks, and other low-level administrative tasks. While these are critical to a well-functioning office, they don’t match what is needed when management and executives are in need of an assistant.
They aren’t focused on your needs
Office managers often support multiple departments, senior leaders, and general administrative needs. They are not solely focused on your goals and priorities. This could result in a busy calendar that reflects other managers’ priorities and not your own. In the end, you're left with some support that makes you feel like you have someone to lean on but ultimately with a feeling of busyness instead of productivity.
Their skill sets aren’t always a fit
Office managers often have skill sets that focus on attention to detail for bookkeeping responsibilities, friendliness for receptionist responsibilities, and a bit of organization to handle the ever piling demands of supporting a wide net of people. While attention to detail and organization are also key skills in an executive assistant, their skills also tend to focus on professional communication, pushing back on tasks to focus on goals and priorities, and efficiency to make sure things are running smoothly. This is a higher level administrative skill set than what is usually required for an office manager.
Instead of expanding the roles of an office manager, managers should consider a dedicated executive assistant that has the skill set needed to effectively support them and the dedication to focus on their top priorities and needs.
A viable solution is often a virtual executive assistant. Virtual assistants offer flexible support remotely at a fraction of the cost of W-2, full-time employees. With a virtual assistant, there are no paid vacations, office equipment costs, or payroll taxes.
While expanding the role of an office manager may seem like the logical solution to growing administrative demands, it often falls short in terms of meeting the needs of managers and executives. A dedicated executive assistant with the right skill set is crucial for maximizing productivity and achieving business goals.