Should your Office Manager also get tech?

Let’s set the record straight, being an Office Manager is not a job just anyone can do. In the past, the impact that a good Office Manager can have on a business has been largely underestimated. Office Managers work enigmatically behind the scenes, organising people and a variety of fundamental tasks, normally without their co-workers batting an eyelid!

Developments in workplace technology have typically focused on front office, fee earning staff. However, there are a number of online tools and apps popping up that are dedicated solely to help with all aspects of back office, varying widely from social media management tools to travel organisation apps. Office Managers are often the ‘silent heroes’ of the office and don’t always get the recognition they deserve, this shift in technology could indicate that things are changing and there is a demand from businesses to place more emphasis on their back office staff’s needs.

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Here at Camino, we decided to trial Hivy, an app designed to collect requests made by all employees in the office which aims to help the Office Manager prioritize their tasks, providing an easy one stop shop for employee requirements.  The app is vibrant, really easy to use and when used to its full potential, could provide some useful stats and KPIs. Interestingly, what we found most difficult while using the app was getting the buy-in from all the other members of the team. With emails, spreadsheets and post-its providing employees with a multitude of outlets to make their requests, it wasn’t easy to persuade them to switch to a new platform. People are naturally resistant to change and unless the change in question makes their lives easier it will always be a challenge to facilitate a shift in the status quo.

However, with more and more of these types of apps rearing their heads in the tech sphere it’s going to become increasingly difficult to deny the value of bringing the back office onto the same playing field as the front office staff. The administrative profession has progressed leaps and bounds over the years, Office Management has now become a career of choice for many people and it should be acknowledged as such. The increase in useful technology suggests the rest of the business world is starting to take notice.

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