NEW Higher Administration Administration Services Outcome 1.1

The Role of the Administrator

What does Administration involve?  Communicating : telephone, , faxes etc  Keeping Records : diaries, reports, logbooks  Providing and storing information : manual and electronic systems  Presenting information : WP, SS, DB, DTP and other software eg accounting, project management  Interpersonal skills : reception, internal and external customers  Systems and Procedures : including mail, reprographics, arranging meetings and making travel arrangements

The Senior Administrator Duties include planning, organising and supervising junior members of staff. They should be able to:  Delegate  Make Decisions  Develop systems and procedures  Encourage and support other staff  Monitor and Evaluate systems  Other duties include :  recruitment and selection of staff;  training and appraisal;  ensuring that legislation is complied with and  the planning and organisation of meetings

Skills and Abilities  QUICK to learn  ATTENTION to detail  ORGANISATIONAL skills  MOTIVATED and a TEAM PLAYER  CUSTOMER CARE  FLEXIBLE  ICT skills  PROBLEM SOLVING skills  TACT and INITIATIVE  COMMUNICATION and ENTHUSIASM

Recruitment Internal  Intranet  Bulletin boards  Newsletters External  Newspapers  Specialist Journals  Job Centres  Internet Websites  Education Establishments

The Recruitment Process  Job Evaluation/Analysis – there may not need to be a vacancy, roles may be reassigned.  Job Description and Person Specification  Job Advertisement – the basic information to attract potential candidates

The Job Description  Shows the job title, duties and responsibilities, remuneration etc.  Helps applicants complete their application form.  Job Descriptions should be updated regularly to reflect changes in the job and what the post- holder is expected to do.  Often a statement “and any other duties as required by line manager and relevant to the position”.

The Person Specification  Shows essential and desirable skills and qualities.  The interviewer will use this document during interviews to compare one candidate with another.

Activity: Job Description and Person Specification Use your research skills to find some examples of Administration jobs. Then create your own Job Description and Person Specification for your own company. Make use of tables within word processing.

Quick Quiz Questions 1

Aims, Objectives and Targets

Achieving the Vision…  Staff need to share management vision.  The Senior Administrative Assistant will set both personal and departmental targets to meet these goals.  Departmental targets need teamwork and individuals to meet their own personal targets.

Importance of Target Setting  Employees and departments know what is expected of them  Is the organisation achieving success ?  Any deviations from target can be corrected, if monitored regularly  Increased productivity  Increase in motivation – trying to reach the target set

The Mission Statement  A mission statement is a short statement of the aims of an organisation, and how it will achieve these aims.  It contains the values of the organisation eg “eco-friendly” or “fair-trade” policies. This may improve the organisation’s image.  It will assist decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the organisation’s strategies are formulated.”  It has the power to attract custom and helps employees see their purpose in the business.

Recording Targets…  Gantt Chart  To-Do List  Priorities List  Action Plan  Electronic Diary (e-Diary)  Personal Development Plan (PDP) Write down a short definition of each

Recording Targets…  Gantt Chart – shows comparisons between work planned and work accomplished. Key target dates (milestones) will be marked on the chart.  To-Do List – shows a list of tasks to be completed.  Priorities List – tasks put in order of importance.  Action Plan – identifies what should be done by whom, with expected completion dates  Electronic Diary (e-Diary) – different views are available to show daily/weekly/months  Personal Development Plan (PDP)

Recording Targets… Personal Development Plan (PDP):  A document used to record formally areas of strength and areas for development with targets set taking account of the aspirations of the employee.  Allow an employee to:  Focus on specific aspects of their job  Allows skills to be shared with others  Identify training needs  Expand job role in the organisation

SMART Targets  Specific – state exactly what has to be done  Measurable – state how much/what size, so you know how to achieve them  Agreed – with Line Manager as part of PDP  Realistic – achievable but still a challenge  Timed – key dates identified when the work will be completed

Examples of SMART Targets  By the end of next month a database of 100 suitable UK hotels for company travel is to be compiled  Within the next two months the manual filing system detailing employee records is to be transferred to a database.  By 30 September, the administrative assistant is to attend a training course on our new CRM system

Monitoring and Improving Performance  Line manager checks eg meetings / staff updates  Gantt chart – targets and milestones  Audits checks to review current procedures  Mentoring systems (help and advice)  Buddy system (help and advice)  Sample quality checks (eg call centres)  Structured CPD programme  Job Shadowing  Job Enrichment  Job Rotation

Changing Priorities  Unexpected circumstances:  Member of staff absent  Computer network ‘crashes’  Changed deadline for a piece of work  Priorities lists should list high, medium and low priority items to assist with rescheduling when required

An Effective Leader  Good communication – verbal or written  Can build trust and relationships  Will listen to all ideas  Can influence others towards goals  Clear thought process  Able to analyse problems  Know the importance of delegation  Can motivate others effectively  Has the knowledge to deploy team skills  Minimise conflict

Poor Leadership  Team unclear = resources wasted = job not done properly  Low motivation = longer to complete job = low morale and high staff turnover  Unlikely to work under pressure = suffer stress = can’t sustain a standard of work

Time to Test Your Leadership…

Time and Task Management

What is Time Management? Time management is not about how much time you spend, but how it is spent.

Time Stealers – Reducing Effectiveness  Interruptions eg telephone or visitors  Meetings – set time limits  Taking on too much – delegate  Unable to find information – poor file managemnt  Acting without complete information  Crisis Management – not having plans  Unclear or Poor Communication  Inability to say “NO”  Desk Stress – clutter  Procrastination

Effects of Poor Time Management  Staff become stressed and absence levels increase  Poor productivity – work is not produced as efficiently or to the right quality  Morale will decrease – low job satisfaction  Increase in accidents or unnecessary incidents  Increased costs to management

Managing Time Effectively  Record appointments in desk/e-Diary  Access only at certain times in the day  Good File Management  Delegate tasks to others  “Do Not Disturb” Time  Group Jobs – avoid unnecessary journeys  At end of each day – tidy desk and prepare a priorities list  Allocate tasks as: must be done/needs action/delegate

Delegation  Develops staff abilities and motivation  Allows managers to have time, to carry out more important tasks  But…  Fear of losing control – impact if something goes wrong  Job insecurity and loss of status  Unable to trust subordinates  Don’t want to overburden staff/ upset staff/start conflict  Don’t know how to tell others to work  Lack of knowledge and strength of the team

Delegation Consequences of poor delegation may include:  Work not completed on time or a poor standard  Increased stress and possible absenteeism  Decreased motivation and unhappiness  Low productivity and efficiency levels

Benefits of Good Time Management  Improved morale and job satisfaction  Increased productivity and better quality of work  Lower stress levels and less staff absence  Better relations with both internal and external clients  Elimination of procrastination and indecision  Improved promotion prospects

Internet Activity  Access  Choose Time Management  Work through the activities and take some short notes on Time Management  There are some example documents which you can download.

Internet Activity Some useful information can be accessed here on the businessballs.com website businessballs.com

Quick Quiz Questions 2

NEW Higher Administration Administration Services Outcome 1.1