Office administrators play vital roles in supporting remote work teams by ensuring the virtual workspace runs smoothly. Most of their work consists of acting as the central point of contact with teams to streamline communication across all organizational departments.

Administrators assign work projects to remote teams online and follow up to ensure they are completed accurately and on time. They also create workflow reports and submit them to their supervisors.

Why And How Remote Office Work Got Started

Personal computers and the internet opened the way for modern-day remote work in the 1990s. A few U.S. companies allowed some of their employees to work from home part-time and full-time with flexible schedules. With each passing year, more organizations permitted remote work to reduce operating costs. Employees saved money on transportation costs and avoided long commute lines. 

The big shocker came in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a massive remote-work experiment. Today, the Gallup Poll reveals that 4.7 million people work from home in the U.S., a 150% growth in the last 13 years. Remote work continues to grow and so does the advanced technology to support it.

Remote employees can work from a home office, in their car or van, or on a smartphone. Cloud-based platforms are accessed through WiFi to help workers do almost everything they would do if they went to their employers’ offices.

Office Administrators Facilitate Communication And Coordination With Remote Teams

Administrative assistants manage virtual meetings and calendars with team members. They typically coordinate online meetings and disseminate the agendas and associated instructions promptly. Administrators also serve as the central point of contact for local workers and those in different time zones.

Office leaders must become expert communicators and coordinators since they don’t work with other team members in person. They must respond to team members’ questions and help them solve problems as necessary. Administrators use these tools and approaches:

• Communicate with tools and platforms, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom
• Use project management tools like Asana or Trello to organize projects
• Schedule regular one-on-one meetings with direct reporting
• Use internal email tracking software like ContactMonkey to see how workers are engaging with email messages.

“Office administrators play vital roles in supporting remote work teams by ensuring the virtual workspace runs smoothly.”

Office Administrators Manage And Organize Digital Resources

Office administrators manage and organize digital tools, files, and other resources. They organize and upload them while team members are doing their work. Leaders must find the best ways to give team members access to important records and data to complete their tasks. Digital tools and filing systems are created for consistency and easier document retrieval.

According to AllM, administrators must digitize all records, streamline and automate business processes, and determine how to provide remote access to ensure digital workplaces. Records can be digitized and imported into a document management system (DMS) to successfully manage and organize the virtual office.                             

Office Administrators Support Remote Team Productivity

Office administrators help business managers and owners keep a distributed, remote team productive and on track with their assignments. Administrators typically set clear expectations to ensure employees know their goals, workloads, and who to contact with issues or questions. Other best practices to support productivity include:

•   Set regular check-ins to keep communication open and identify potential issues
•   Provide the right tools, resources, and access to them so employees can be productive, such as a reliable internet connection, laptops, and digital communication tools
•   Help team members create structured workflows by mapping out routines and the steps of projects for smooth operations
•   Provide social interaction opportunities, such as coffee breaks or virtual lunches, or leave time for casual conversation
•   Organize virtual team-building activities and celebrate milestones of workers’  contributions
•   Prioritize employee well-being by acknowledging the stress and anxiety they may be feeling at a human level and providing encouragement

Office Administrators And Remote Teams: Streamline Work Flows

Office administrators implement workflows for handling and streamlining digital resources from different offices or departments. They can automate repetitive tasks where possible to help team members be more efficient. Workers can focus on the most important parts of their jobs instead of these tasks. Other ways to streamline daily work include:

• Use project and management collaboration tools
• Regularly use virtual meeting tools such as video conferencing platforms
• Use electronic signatures to speed up the work
• Opt to employ AI-powered suggestions for setting up meetings
• Use smart assistants for scheduling appointments and transcribing meetings
• Identify and provide the right tools for remote employees
• Follow up regularly with remote employees

Remote employees report they can work efficiently when office administrators provide all the right tools and support they need. Learn more about our Business Administration (AOS) Associate In Occupational Studies Degree at ITI Technical College in Baton Rouge. Contact ITI Technical College today for more information.

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