People who work in back office positions are primarily responsible for operational issues that are critical to the company’s or government entity’s day-to-day operations. Executive positions to entry-level jobs are available in the back office. Payroll, human resources (HR), information technology (IT), and accounting employees are all classified as back office employees.
The payroll department of a company or government agency is in charge of keeping track of employee hours worked and disbursing staff wages on payday. Data entry clerks input employees’ hours, while accounting clerks print paychecks or arrange for funds to be directly deposited into employees’ bank accounts. A departmental manager supervises data entry and accounting clerks on a daily basis. The manager also hires new employees and, if necessary, fires those who are underperforming.
A director or manager oversees the HR department in almost every major corporation. The director is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the company follows all applicable labor laws. A college degree in business or a related field is usually required of an HR manager. Recruiters, who are responsible for advertising vacant job openings and conducting interviews with prospective employees, are another common back office position found within the HR department. HR team members in large companies are frequently required to have a college diploma, but recruiters and HR consultants in smaller companies frequently have entry-level positions.
Clerks in a firm’s accounting department balance the company’s accounts and, in some cases, make or accept payments on the firm’s behalf. Every department in a company or government has an annual budget, and the accounting department collaborates with departmental managers to ensure that the company stays within its operating budget. Major corporations hire certified accountants to conduct internal audits on a regular basis to ensure that the company’s books are in order. An executive who may also serve on the board of directors is usually in charge of the accounting department.
Because most businesses rely heavily on computers, the IT department of a company plays an important role in the day-to-day operations of a business. Help-desk clerks are typically employed in the IT department’s back office, assisting employees with minor technical issues relating to their computers or communications equipment. Computer programmers, who typically hold a bachelor’s degree, create new software for the company and lead training sessions to teach other employees how to use new communications hardware and software. Senior programmers or members of the IT team can advance to the position of department manager.