Entrepreneurs: your time is precious! Every minute of your time counts, and should be devoted to high value-added activities. However, the day-to-day running of a company involves time-consuming tasks that take you away from your objectives. One of the most important of these is, of course, human resources management.
Have you ever thought of outsourcing, but didn’t have the budget to call in an HR firm? Not to worry. An office manager has all the skills needed to handle the majority of human resources tasks. The bonus? He or she can even support you in other areas, such as compatibility, communications or events.
So, to help you refocus on your core business, discover 7 HR missions to delegate to your office manager as a matter of urgency.
What are the duties of an office manager?
In France, the job of office manager is still often equated with that of executive assistant. In reality, however, their missions are much more diversified. In fact, they can take on a more strategic role, making them ideal partners in the development of French start-ups and SMEs. So, while they are generally responsible for the smooth running of the company, they can also act as the manager’s right-hand man.
His expertise in several fields enables him to adapt to the needs of the structure. As a result, they can be called upon to carry out a wide variety of tasks, such as :
- general services management ;
- pre-accounting ;
- administrative management ;
- budget monitoring ;
- internal and external communication ;
- event organization ;
- implementation and improvement of the CSR approach;
- digitalization of work tools.
In addition to this broad spectrum of skills, the office manager is also responsible for coordinating human resources. Commonly requested by companies, the work of an office manager is particularly appreciated in small structures. In fact, in VSEs and SMEs, the manager often wears the HR hat himself. But this is a complex field, requiring specific expertise. And this can be hard for busy managers to grasp.
Office managers and HR: 7 tasks to delegate for greater productivity
Although they do not occupy the position of HR manager or director, office managers can provide support to the human resources department. To help you better understand the scope of his or her skills, here are the 7 HR tasks that an office manager can take on in your company.
1. The office manager, a valuable recruitment aid
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An office manager is not responsible for conducting recruitment interviews. Instead, he or she assists in sourcing and selecting candidates. For example, he or she may go in search of talent for the company’s various departments. He or she uses recruitment platformsor professional social networks such as LinkedIn. He then makes sure to carry out a rigorous pre-selection to avoid recruitment errors.
In addition, to lighten the workload of the company manager or HR department, it can also :
- write job offers;
- sort CVs according to pre-defined criteria;
- helporganize job interviews.
2. Managing employment contracts: an ideal assignment for an administrative expert
As a true specialist in corporate administration, the office manager can also take charge of drawing up employment contracts. Time-consuming yet essential, this is an interesting HR mission to delegate. You can count on the office manager’s experience to help you avoid administrative errors.
Moreover, he can draw on pre-existing models or even work with AI to draft a first version of an employment contract. Subsequently, he or she will approach an employment lawyer or chartered accountant to ensure that each contract complies with the law.
3. Office managers and HR: their role in onboarding new employees
Integrating a new employee is a crucial stage for both the newcomer and the company. Indeed, successful onboarding helps to make them more committed and therefore more productive in the long term. And here again, the office manager has a role to play.
Based on the way the company operates, he or she designs an effective onboarding program to ensure the smooth integration of new recruits. Planning induction, organizing training courses, introducing teams… Managing all stages of onboarding is one of the skills of an office manager.
What’s more, it uses online collaborative tools to make monitoring dashboards accessible to all departments concerned. Ideal for continuing to use the new procedures put in place by the office manager, even after his or her intervention in the company has come to an end.
4. OM support in payroll and benefits management
In small companies, it’s rare to find a department dedicated to payroll management. Yet this is still an essential area of human resources management. That’s why it’s a good idea to rely on an office manager to support the head of the company in this complex area. You can entrust him/her with monitoring payroll variables and employee benefits. Relying on specialized software such as PayFit or ManaTime, he or she can record overtime hours worked, manage reimbursements of professional expenses, or enroll an employee in the company health insurance scheme.
5. Absence and leave: the HR expertise of an office manager
As you already know, poor absence and leave management can lead to a drop in company productivity. Don’t worry! Here again, an office manager can help. Whether it’s setting up a monitoring system or managing it, he or she can save you precious time on a daily basis.
In fact, it can help you define a clear procedure for leave requests. This will ensure that teams are properly coordinated and that employees’ rights are respected. Subsequently, the Office Manager’s tasks may also include recording absences using the tools provided.
With his strategic eye, he can analyze the workforce situation at a glance. He can then anticipate periods of high activity and organize replacements or temporary needs.
6. Training and skills development: a strategic perspective
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Efficiency, recognition, personal fulfillment… Ongoing training is an essential lever for the well-being and productivity of your employees. And therefore for your company’s growth. Would you like to upgrade the skills of your employees, but don’t know where to start? Once again, the office manager is at your side. In collaboration with the HR department, he or she can use his or her expertise to help you identify training needs. Then, on a more operational level, he can help youorganize training sessions and monitor results.
7. Legal watch, a task for an office manager
Every company needs to keep abreast of changes in employment law to ensure that it continues to meet its legal obligations. While this task is often entrusted to the HR department of a large organization, it can also be delegated to an office manager.
This may involve setting up a legal watch system with public services such as Legifrance. They can also subscribe to specialized newsletters, such as that issued by your local Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Once legal developments have been identified, the office manager adapts the company’s internal procedures to ensure compliance. He or she is also responsible for ensuring that this information is properly disseminated to all teams. From managers to employees, he or she organizes information meetings or drafts memos to ensure that all employees apply the new recommendations.
The office manager: essential support for human resources
Managing payroll, employment contracts, onboarding… Delegating certain HR tasks will help you save time on a day-to-day basis, so that you can devote your full attention to the strategic development of your business. As an expert in company management, calling on an office manager for your HR assignments ensures efficient and compliant management. What’s more, working with a freelance OM allows you to benefit from their experience in other companies, and therefore from their best practices.
Would you like to increase efficiency and outsource your HR management? Digital Agency takes care of all your time-consuming day-to-day tasks to help you optimize your productivity. Take a look at our services or contact us for a quote!
