It should come as no surprise that processing mail is a part of working in a mailroom. However, in order to keep a mailroom running smoothly, the work of mailroom employees must be broken down into a number of specific jobs, particularly in the case of large companies. In general, there are two types of mailroom jobs: those that deal with incoming mail and those that deal with outgoing mail. Outgoing mail may need to be collected, weighed, labeled, and scheduled for pickup, whereas incoming mail usually requires sorting and delivery. One person will often serve as a manager in mailrooms with multiple clerks, delegating and overseeing the various mailroom jobs that must be completed each day.
There are two types of mailroom jobs that are involved in successfully processing a company’s mail each day: those that deal with incoming mail and those that deal with outgoing mail. Sorting incoming mail is usually the first step in the process. In small businesses, mail may be immediately sorted recipient, whereas in large businesses, incoming letters and parcels may be sorted department first, then organized recipient. Depending on the volume of mail, this sorting process can be done manually or with the help of automated equipment. One or more mailroom employees may deliver incoming mail to individual recipients or departmental mailboxes after it has been sorted.
Outgoing mail is the focus of other mailroom jobs. Outgoing mail can be delivered directly to a mailroom via a chute system, or it can be collected mailroom clerks from individual senders, departmental offices, or outboxes. Outgoing mail may need to be weighed and labeled with postage or other information once it arrives in the mailroom. For items that will be handled private delivery companies, mailroom clerks may need to schedule pickups. Outgoing items can then be deposited in external mailboxes, picked up in a designated area, or rerouted to the appropriate department or individual in the case of internal mail.
One person may serve as a supervisor in large mailrooms with multiple clerks, delegating and overseeing the various mailroom jobs that must be completed each day. A mailroom supervisor, for example, might assign sorting responsibilities to one employee, departmental delivery and collection responsibilities to another, and weighing and labeling responsibilities to yet another. Higher-level mailroom jobs, such as managing private delivery company accounts and ordering postage supplies, may fall under the supervisor’s purview.