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Hiring the Right Office Manager.

Nowadays, it sometimes seems that the art of customer service is lost. You can feel it when you're eating out…

Hiring the Right Office Manager

8th July 2021

Office Manager

Nowadays, it sometimes seems that the art of customer service is lost. You can feel it when you’re eating out at a restaurant, have a question in a store, or just need general help from an employee anywhere. The art of customer service is thus in high demand not only for external clients but also for internal ones. That makes it more critical than ever that when it’s time for your company to hire a new Office Manager, that they exhibit exemplary internal customer service. You want someone who can do more than make you the perfect iced coffee; they need to juggle all the tasks in the running of the office day today. 

 

High EQ

One often overlooked quality that a high functioning Office Manager must possess is a high EQ. A candidate with high emotional intelligence will be able to handle the sometimes high-stress levels that come with running an office. When you have someone that is able to roll with the punches and maintain their positive mindsight, this trickles down to the entire office staff keeping the mood optimistic for everyone. 

 

Communication is Key 

A robust communication skill set may seem like an obvious trait someone you’re looking to hire would have. Still, sometimes, interview settings for this type of role are so professional, it’s challenging to get a feel for how much of a fluid communicator the prospective hire actually is. Not only do they need to have strong non-verbal communication skills making them able to communicate with the staff via correspondence effectively; they also need equally strong verbal communication. Having this ensures they can understand the needs of both team members and management and relay them accordingly. 

 

Organized and Creative 

Finding the right candidate who is both parts organized as well as creative is a must. Creative Office Managers benefit the work environment by making them excellent problem solvers and setting a creative, positive workplace for team members. Organized Office Managers are able to oversee multiple projects and situations at one time effectively. Being organized allows them to effectively delegate tasks, manage progress on said tasks and ensure they’re entirely correct on time. 

 

Honesty 

Honesty is a trait that is important in all employees and that much more important in the person you’re hiring to run your office. Knowing that you have complete faith in the person you’ve hired to run things allows you to relinquish control to them. You know that they are responsible enough to make the right decisions for the day-to-day of business and accept responsibility when they may sometimes make the wrong decision. Typically office managers are in charge of banking, so naturally, they need to be trustworthy. They are also in charge of most hiring, so their honest opinion holds serious weight and potential consequences. 

 

Tech Savvy 

In today’s workplaces, it’s not a “plus” if someone is familiar with dealing with technical things; it’s a necessity. Most processes today are technical in nature, so you need someone knowledgeable and competent in this area. Technical knowledge includes phones, computers, and other systems as necessary. The Office Manager will be responsible for training new employees in these areas and troubleshooting the systems as problems arise. 

 

Natural Leader

Maybe they weren’t born a natural leader. Still, unless all your candidates have a profound amount of experience, you want to make sure that you’re hiring someone with strong leadership capabilities. The Office Manager will, in fact, be in charge of leading the office and the team members within it. Someone with strong leadership skills can motivate and encourage team members to get tasks done correctly and efficiently. When everyone is working at a substantial level, this keeps morale high as well as increasing employee retention. 

 

Flexibility 

An Office Manager needs to be pretty flexible. Change is a given and constant, and a strong Office Manager can switch gears seamlessly and keep things flowing evenly. They need to be able to make decisions at the moment and keep the entire team on track when directions change. 

 

By adding these to your list of things you’re looking for in your potential new hire for the role of Office Manager, you’re sure to find someone that you can trust to run things as you would in your absence. Good Luck!

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