Administrative Management:

The term “administrative management” refers to the act of running and maintaining a business or
organization. The core objective of administrative management is to create a formal structure that
facilitates success for a particular business or organization. Administrative management employees
create a hierarchy of authority, decide on their key functions, assign the different areas of responsibilities
and divide labor across the company’s departments.

Main responsibilities of an Admin Manager

The administration manager will be responsible for planning, streamlining, and executing administrative
workflows and procedures. They will oversee a team that focuses on new personnel recruiting and
training, and allocate responsibilities and office space to all staffers.

Some Common Interview Q’s and Example A’s related to Admin Roles

What tools and resources do you use to organize your tasks and schedules?

Example: "I am highly proficient with the Microsoft Office suite of programs. I favor Excel for organizing
all my projects because I can break down priorities throughout different pages and custom input
parameters. I also love the versatility of SharePoint because I can collaborate across departments and
organize roles and project tasks for each team."

How would you approach supervising other employees?

Example: "In my last position, I had the opportunity to lead the company's new-hire training and
orientation. I relied on the company's training procedures while implementing several strategies to ensure
our new employees had all the information they needed to perform successfully on the job. I enjoyed
being able to direct the training activities and support new team members and am excited to contribute
my experience here."

Can you describe a time when you had to take on a large project under a tight deadline? How did
you approach it?

Example: "I recently helped my supervisor prepare an annual financial report to showcase the revenue
projections for the company shareholders. My supervisor and I were still waiting on several transactions
to finalize before preparing and organizing the report documents, which put us within two days of our
conference with our investors.

I elected to work a little later than usual those two days to help my supervisor organize and double-check
the accuracy of her documents so we were ready to present the information to our shareholders."

What changes have you implemented that led to improvements in your past role?

Example: "At my last organization, I successfully integrated a new scheduling software that streamlined
all of the calendars and set up notifications and simple input parameters. I helped the accounts receivable
and payable teams integrate the same software and showed them how to apply it to tracking and
recording revenue, expenses and transactions. This reduced the time it took during quarterly reporting
and increased the ease with which my boss could find important information."

How do you feel about taking on some work tasks virtually?

Example: "In my last job, I helped my boss transition many of our non-urgent tasks to online
communication and project management systems because the change in his schedule took him out of the
office two days per week. Transitioning to remote communication and assisting was challenging at first,
but with the proper tools I made the switch smoothly. I am highly comfortable with taking on similar tasks
in the future."

Your budget is dwindling and you only have enough left to pay for one item. Your company
currently needs a new industrial copier, but it also needs an updated phone system. What do you
do?

First, I would speak to a member of upper management to see if there was any way to expand our
budget. If not, I would speak with my administrative team and department heads to gauge their opinion on
which would benefit them most. In this situation, I would recommend purchasing an updated phone
system, as good communication between departments and clients is extremely important.

How do you handle confidential files and information about the company’s clients and
employees?

I always keep confidential information password protected on my computer. Before I leave my desk,
paperwork is cleared and confidential files are locked.

What do you believe are the key strengths of an administrative manager?

An administrative manager needs to be organized, personable, and possess excellent communication

skills. It is also important to identify and solve problems under strict deadlines.

Why should we hire you as admin manager?

I should be hired for this role because of my relevant skills, experience, and passion for the industry. I've
researched the company and can add value to its growth. My positive attitude, work ethics, and long-term
goals align with the job requirements, making me a committed and valuable asset to the company.

What are your salary expectations?

This can have different or multiple answers while remaining flexible, you can say:

· My salary expectations are in line with my experience and qualifications.

· If this is the right job for me, I'm sure we can come to an agreement on salary.

· Depending upon my experience and expertise and while keeping market’s benchmark for similar
roles, I am open and flexible to discuss once I am offered the role.

This will show that you're willing to negotiate. Try to offer a range instead of giving a specific number.
Personal characteristics of an excellent administrator

· Supportive and motivating

· Passionate about the organization's mission and vision

· Highly moral and ethical

· Collaborative and team-oriented

· Conscientious

· Decisive and thoughtful

· Confident

· Strategic and critical thinker

· Attentive

· Adaptable and flexible

· Interpersonal and communication skills

· Tolerant of risk

Administrative Manager Job Responsibilities:

· Maintains administrative staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees.

· Supervises clerical and administrative personnel by communicating job expectations, appraising job
results, and disciplining employees.

· Sets policies and procedures for training, coaching, counseling, and career development for staff.

· Initiates and coordinates goals, deadlines, and projects for their department.

· Develops and implements policies and procedures to improve operations and function of the
department.

· Monitors and procures needed supplies for office, reception, mailroom, and kitchen.

· Ensures a safe, secure, and well-maintained facility that meets environmental, health, and security
standards.

· Manages the maintenance and repair of machinery, equipment, and electrical and mechanical
systems.

Administrative Manager Qualifications/Skills:

· Project management

· Written and verbal communication skills

· Supervisor

· Scheduling and planning

· Leadership

· Organizational skills

· Attention to detail

· Writing and reporting skills

Strategies for effective administrative management

Budget control and cost management

This is critical for the smooth operation of any organization. A successful administrative manager must
have a strategy in place to administer a budget, manage risk and report any variances. A sub-strategy of
budget control would also include the implementation of cost improvement strategies such as automation,
waste elimination and monitoring productivity.

Change control and management

It is always a challenge to manage change, not just at the team level but at a functional level. There
needs to be an administrative strategy in place to manage the process of change, to evaluate that
change, budget for it, implement it and ensure it is accepted throughout the different departments of an
organization.

Delegation

This is a basic necessity for the administrative side of any business operation. If you want your business
to run smoothly, assign responsibilities within the team. You also have to specify the levels of authority so
that tasks are completed on time by those who are best qualified to do so.

Goal setting

This is a company-wide strategy but one that requires input from the entire administration. There has to
be a strategy that outlines a clear action plan for the employees and states specific targets. Most
organizations follow the SMART methodology for setting goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant
and time-bound.

Leadership development
Effective administrative management includes a strategy to promote leaders from within, and this will
require developing the abilities of existing team members and honing their skills. Leadership development
is closely associated with succession planning, and both are very important for any organization.

Performance management

Performance reviews play an important role in any organization. A good administrative management
strategy would entail measures that provide feedback and direction to team members so that everyone
knows of their value and is aligned towards achieving the same targets.

Problem management

Every business, big or small, faces challenges and setbacks. Administrative management often takes
responsibility for identifying those problems, investigating the cause of the problems and proposing
solutions to fix not just the problem itself, but the consequences it created.

Setting standards

An organization typically functions on the principle of providing value to its stakeholders. To do so, there
must be a set of standards in place to ensure that the organization’s products and/or services are up to
the mark and meet acceptable standards. Enforcing these standards should be one of the highest
priorities of a company.

Team building

If you want to succeed, you will do so by using your people. To do that, implement team-building
strategies so that your team remains motivated. Team-building activities are also important for developing
team relationships and company loyalty.

Transparency

One role of administrative management is to provide accurate information to the employees and the
public. All reports should be candid, and there should be no practices in place that would require hiding
anything from the core team members or your clients.

Plan strategically

For effective administrative management, it is imperative that the administrative management team knows
the strategic objectives of the organization. When this happens, processes and functions that are
implemented within the organization will directly affect the achievement of those goals.

Focus on all processes

A good administrative management strategy will ensure that each process is designed for maximum
output. Issues and problems related to business processes should be identified early and addressed
quickly to avoid losses or delays.

Evaluate company performance

Administration is a day-to-day function. Effective administrative management will require regular
evaluation of an organization’s performance. This can be done through biweekly, weekly, monthly or
quarterly meetings, depending on the type of industry you work in and the competition. Monitoring a
company’s performance, its progress and its key functions is imperative to the success of administrative
management and the organization itself.

Prioritize communication

Many companies fail because of ineffective communication because it has the potential to destroy the
functioning of a business, the motivation level of its employees and the satisfaction rate of its customers.
A lack of communication can also lead to wrong and uninformed decisions which can often turn out to be
disastrous for a business. If you want to succeed in administrative management, you will need to
communicate well with your employees, your supervisors and your customers.

Benefits of implementing strong administrative management strategies

Healthy financial situation

An effective administrative management strategy to ensure that the company’s finances are managed
efficiently so that expenses remain under control and within budget. There is no unnecessary wasting of
money or resources, and the company’s financial documents are in perfect order. If these areas are
properly managed, a company’s cash flow remains steady.

Maximum productivity

Good administrative management always uses the strength of the team. This includes identifying which
team members will be more successful at performing a certain task. By capitalizing on the strength of
each team member, there is less mismanaging of time, greater productivity, faster results and higher
motivation levels within the team.

Facilitating achievement of goals

A good strategy always supports the primary goals of an organization. Administrative management is
critical in creating efficient processes and their implementation. The purpose of every project, policy and
action within a company should be to reach an established goal.

Maximum employee and customer satisfaction

Efficient management will lead to a proper distribution of work and increased motivation among
employees. When employees are motivated, their performance will be better, which will lead to happy
clients and increased customer satisfaction.

Data-based decisions

An effective administrative management strategy will never be based on a whim or assumption. it will be
designed based on data related to the business processes. Any decisions that are made should be based
on past and current information and future goals.
Summary: Administrative management is the key to ensure the smooth operation of a business, and that
is why administrative managers are required to have a broad understanding of all stages of the
management process. No one strategy makes administrative management complete. Effective
administrative management requires the implementation of multiple strategies that are based on the
individual organization’s mission, vision and goals.

Link: Online course

Fundamentals of Effective Team Management: https://www.coursera.org/learn/fundamentals-of-effective-team-management

Fundamentals of Management: https://www.coursera.org/learn/fundamentals-of-management