Administrator: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire an administrator?

An administrator will assist in the functionality of an office by creating processes, overseeing administrative duties, improving office services and implementing communication procedures. An administrator is there to support other workers in their jobs, making sure work is being done on time and in an efficient manner.

Contributions of a great administrator:

• Highly organized and able to handle many tasks at once
• Able to communicate with the office staff about proper procedures
• Troubleshoot any issues with office equipment such as the photocopier

What are the different types of administrators?

Administrators can have a lot of different duties in an office including, clerical tasks, bookkeeping, scheduling meetings/appointments, organizing files and handling the mail. Depending on the company’s size, there might be many different administrators in charge of various tasks, or there might be just one person in charge of everything administrative. The following is a list of different roles that can be considered administrator positions.

• Office manager: Head administrator role, in charge of the entire office.
• Administrative assistant: Assists office managers in their duties.
• Executive assistant: Provide administration duties for executives.
• Receptionist: This role is often combined with the administrative assistant role, adding on the functions, such as answering phone calls and directing visitors where to go.

Where to find an administrator

To find the right administrator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Recruiting agency/temp agency: recruiting or temp agencies will have a lot of administrators on file and can help you fill the administrator position for your business. This way, you do not have to search for a candidate yourself, and you might be able to try out the selected candidate as a temporary worker before hiring them for a permanent position.
• Colleges with administration programs: colleges will often have certificate programs for administrators, which would be a great place to look for someone with the skills you require. Hiring a new grad will mean that they are up-to-date on all the software needed for the job and have a good background in anything you might need to do.
• Professional associations: Administrators have a few professional associations that they can join once in the profession. These associations are a great place to find a candidate with the experience you are looking for in an administrator.

Post your job online: Try posting your administrator job on Indeed to find and attract quality administrator candidates.

Skills to look for in a great administrator

A great administrator candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• highly organized
• proficient with word processing and spreadsheet software
• expertise in oral and written communication
• able to handle multiple tasks at a time
• attention to detail to submit work without fault
• able to learn new skills quickly

Writing an administrator job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified administrator candidates. An administrator job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your administrator job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on administrator jobs, according to Indeed data:

• administrator
• administration
• office administrator
• office admin
• admin assistant
• office worker
• administrative manager

Interviewing administrator candidates

Strong candidates for administrator positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Experience with organizing files, paperwork, schedules
• Ability to take accurate minutes of a meeting
• Ordering office supplies
• Experience answering phone calls and redirecting them to the appropriate staff person
• Use of common computer software

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of interview questions for examples (with sample answers).