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First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

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

    Skills

    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    Abilities

    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    Knowledge

    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    Less than 5 years work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    77630/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    37.32/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    33,930
    Yearly Projected Openings
    3730

    Personality

    Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Self-Control
    • Social Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability

    Tools

    • Desktop calculator
    • Desktop computers
    • Laser fax machine
    • Laser printers
    • Liquid crystal display projector
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Photocopiers
    • Postal scales
    • Scanners
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Voice mail systems

    Technology

    • Access software
    • Accounting software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Communications server software
    • Computer based training software
    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Data base reporting software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Human resources software
    • Information retrieval or search software
    • Instant messaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Medical software
    • Multi-media educational software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Time accounting software
    • Transaction security and virus protection software
    • Video conferencing software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software