Office managers reveal employers not supporting their career development

A survey of office management professionals has revealed a lack of focus on professional development in their career, and one in three (29%) say that it’s due to not being encouraged by their employer.

Other factors include budget restraints (41%) and time constraints (31%), as well as there being no formal processes in place for skills development or career progression (29%).

As such, over half (54%) turn to Google, a quarter (27%) ask friends in the industry, the same (23%) search out magazines and articles, one in five (18%) visit online forums and one in ten (12%) even resort to outsourcing tasks as a result of not being given the training and support they require to get their job done properly.

And it seems the reason is the sheer number of responsibilities that fall on an office management professional’s shoulders. Over half (55%) say they are responsible for accounts and finance (55%), a third (31%) for recruitment, a quarter (23%) for health, safety and wellness and 14% are even responsible for the company’s marketing.

Hana Gray, an ex-office and operations manager with over 10 years’ experience in the City and now director of Black & White Office Consultancy based in Essex conducted the research and is not surprised by the results: “Being an office manager can be a very lonely role, and colleagues and people I have trained over the years have often confided in me that they feel isolated. Usually other employees only get in touch when something goes wrong, a delivery goes awry or the coffee has run out, and many find themselves being burdened with a huge responsibility of tasks, yet not supported in their endeavours to be able to carry them out to the best of their ability.”

As a result, Gray has now developed The Office Management Portal, an online platform for anyone in an office management role giving them access to expert advice and support, as well as a network of peers all supporting and encouraging each other in their day-to-day roles.

Find out more at http://www.bw-oc.com