Back office positions deal with operational issues in a company or government entity. Administrative positions include payroll, HR, IT, and accounting. These departments have various roles, such as tracking employee hours, ensuring compliance with labor laws, balancing accounts, and managing computer systems.
People who work in back office positions mainly deal with operational issues that are essential to the day to day life of the company or government entity they work for. Administrative positions range from executive functions to entry-level positions. Employees working in payroll, human resources (HR), information technology (IT) and accounting are typically classified as administrative employees.
The payroll department of a company or government entity tracks the hours worked by employees and has the responsibility to disburse employees’ wages on payday. Payroll positions include data entry clerks who enter employees’ hours and accounting clerks who print paychecks or arrange for employees’ funds to be deposited directly into their bank accounts. An overseas department manager performs the daily tasks of data entry and accounting staff. The manager also hires new employees and, if necessary, will fire poorly performing employees.
Most large companies have an HR department, chaired by a director or manager. The director has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the company complies with labor laws. An HR manager should generally have a college degree in business or a related field. Other administrative positions commonly found in the HR department include recruiters, who are responsible for advertising job openings and conducting interviews with prospective employees. Large companies often require HR team members to have a college degree, but at smaller companies, recruiters and HR consultants often have entry-level positions.
A company’s accounting department employs employees who balance the company’s accounts and, in some cases, make or accept payments on the company’s behalf. All departments in a business or government have an annual budget, and the accounting department works with departmental managers to ensure that the company as a whole stays within its operating budget. Major companies employ certified accountants to regularly conduct internal audits to ensure that there are no irregularities in the company’s accounts. The accounting department is normally managed by an executive who may serve on the board of directors.
Most companies rely heavily on computers; therefore, a company’s IT department has a crucial role to play in the day-to-day operations of a company. Administrative positions in the IT department often include technical support employees who help employees resolve minor technical issues related to their computers or communications equipment. Computer programmers, who typically have a college degree, develop new software for the company and conduct training sessions to teach other employees how to use new communications equipment and software. Senior programmers or IT staff members can transition into a department manager position.
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