Career Profile: First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 1,521,800 people employed as first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers in the United States. The median annual salary is $60,590. Entry level employees earn approximately $37,370 per year and senior employees earn approximately $97,610 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Recruit, interview, and select employees.
• Interpret and communicate work procedures and company policies to staff.
• Evaluate employees' job performance and conformance to regulations and recommend appropriate personnel action.
• Coordinate activities with other supervisory personnel or with other work units or departments.
• Participate in the work of subordinates to facilitate productivity or to overcome difficult aspects of work.
• Make recommendations to management concerning such issues as staffing decisions or procedural changes.
• Develop or update procedures, policies, or standards.
• Maintain records pertaining to inventory, personnel, orders, supplies, or machine maintenance.
• Consult with managers or other personnel to resolve problems in areas such as equipment performance, output quality, or work schedules.
• Train or instruct employees in job duties or company policies or arrange for training to be provided.
• Research, compile, and prepare reports, manuals, correspondence, or other information required by management or governmental agencies.
• Implement corporate or departmental policies, procedures, and service standards in conjunction with management.
• Compute figures such as balances, totals, or commissions.
• Supervise the work of office, administrative, or customer service employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, and proper procedures, correcting errors or problems.
• Resolve customer complaints or answer customers' questions regarding policies and procedures.
• Provide employees with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems or in resolving escalated complaints or disputes.
• Review records or reports pertaining to activities such as production, payroll, or shipping to verify details, monitor work activities, or evaluate performance.
• Discuss job performance problems with employees to identify causes and issues and to work on resolving problems.
• Prepare and issue work schedules, deadlines, and duty assignments for office or administrative staff.
• Develop work schedules according to budgets and workloads.
• Analyze financial activities of establishments or departments and provide input into budget planning and preparation processes.
• Design, implement, or evaluate staff training and development programs, customer service initiatives, or performance measurement criteria.
• Keep informed of provisions of labor-management agreements and their effects on departmental operations.
• Discuss work problems or grievances with union representatives.
• Coordinate or perform activities associated with shipping, receiving, distribution, or transportation.
• Monitor inventory levels and requisition or purchase supplies as needed.
• Plan for or coordinate office services, such as equipment or supply acquisition or organization, disposal of assets, relocation, parking, maintenance, or security services.
• Arrange for necessary maintenance or repair work.
• Plan layouts of stockrooms, warehouses, or other storage areas, considering turnover, size, weight, or related factors pertaining to items stored.

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