Saskatchewan JobFutures

Nature of Work

Professionals in this occupational group supervise clerks in administration, finance, insurance, information, shipping and receiving, and clerks, carriers and other messengers in the postal and courier service industries. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors.

Nature of Work

Professionals in this occupational group supervise clerks in administration, finance, insurance, information, shipping and receiving, and clerks, carriers and other messengers in the postal and courier service industries. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors.

Duties

Supervisors of general office and administrative support clerks supervise and co-ordinate the activities of general office clerks, office equipment operators and administrative support clerks. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors and are responsible for assigning, co-ordinating and reviewing the work of clerks who perform the following duties: record keeping and filing, telephone and switchboard operation, computer operation, data entry, typesetting and other general office and administrative skills. Their other duties may include requisitioning supplies and materials and overseeing the operation, maintenance and repair of computer systems, equipment and machinery.

Working with people is a major component of office supervision, and supervisors in this area must establish a good rapport with employees at all levels. They are responsible for establishing work schedules and procedures, co-ordinating activities with other work units and departments, and training workers in job duties, safety procedures and company policies. Supervisors in this field may also be called upon to resolve work-related problems and to prepare and submit progress and other reports.

Supervisors of finance and insurance clerks supervise and co-ordinate the activities of accounting and related clerks; payroll clerks; tellers; collectors; and banking, insurance and other financial clerks. They are employed by banks, insurance companies and financial institutions throughout the public and private sectors.

Supervisors in this occupational group are responsible for assigning, co-ordinating and reviewing the work of clerks who perform the following duties: administration of accounts payable and receivable; processing, verification and recording of insurance claims and forms or financial documents and forms; payroll administration; customer service; and collection of overdue account payments. Their duties may also include examining and verifying the accuracy of work; authorizing routine payments, credits, deposits and withdrawals; and requisitioning supplies and materials.

Supervisors in the finance and insurance industry interact with people constantly, and it is crucial that they establish a good rapport with customers and co-workers at all levels. Their duties may require them to train workers in job duties and company policies, resolve work related problems, establish work schedules and procedures, and co-ordinate activities with other work units or departments. They may also be responsible for ensuring the operation, maintenance and repair of computer systems and equipment.

Supervisors of library, correspondence and related information clerks supervise and co-ordinate the activities of library, correspondence, publication, customer service and information clerks and of survey interviewers and statistical clerks. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors. Clerks under their supervision perform some or all of the following duties: conducting surveys and interviews; collecting and compiling statistics; providing information and customer service; reshelving books; writing correspondence; and preparing material for translation and publication. Supervisors in this field may also be responsible for establishing work schedules and procedures and for co-ordinating activities with other work units or departments.

Other supervisory duties in this occupational group include requisitioning supplies and materials, resolving work-related problems, preparing and submitting progress reports, and overseeing the operation, maintenance and repair of computer systems and equipment. Supervisors may also perform the same duties as the workers they supervise and may be responsible for training workers in job duties and company policies.

Supervisors in mail and message distribution occupations supervise and co-ordinate the activities of mail and postal clerks, letter carriers, and couriers and messengers. They are employed by Canada Post Corporation, courier companies, governments, and large corporations.

Supervisors in this occupational group assign, co-ordinate and review the collecting, sorting and delivering of mail, parcels and other material. Their work involves establishing schedules and procedures, co-ordinating activities with other work units or departments, and requisitioning postal and courier supplies and materials. Supervisors in this group may also be responsible for training workers in job duties, safety procedures and company policies; resolving work-related problems; preparing and submitting progress and other reports; and overseeing the operation, maintenance and repair of computer systems and equipment. They may also perform the same duties as the workers they supervise.

Supervisors in recording, distributing and scheduling occupations supervise and co-ordinate the activities of shippers and receivers, storekeepers and parts clerks, production, purchasing and inventory clerks, dispatchers and radio operators and transportation route and crew schedulers. They are employed throughout the private and public sectors and are responsible for assigning, co-ordinating and reviewing the work of clerks engaged in the following duties: shipping, receiving, storing distributing and maintaining inventories of materials, parts and products; processing purchasing transactions; co-ordinating production work; dispatching crews; scheduling transportation crews and routes; operating airport ramp service vehicles; and other related activity. They may also be responsible for establishing work schedules and procedures and for co-ordinating activities with other work units or departments.

Other supervisory duties in this occupational group include requisitioning supplies and materials, resolving work-related problems, preparing and submitting progress reports, and overseeing the operation, maintenance and repair of computer systems and equipment. Supervisors may also perform the same duties as the workers they supervise and may be responsible for training workers in job duties and company policies.

Example Titles

Supervisors, general office and administrative support clerks:

• registry supervisor
• typesetting supervisor
• word processing supervisor
• records office supervisor
• supervisor, photocopy unit
• typing supervisor
• data entry supervisor
• supervisor, switchboard operators
• personnel clerks supervisor
• file clerks supervisor
• hospital admitting clerks supervisor
• chief telephone operator
• clerical supervisor
• health records supervisor
• computer operators supervisor
• office clerks supervisor

Supervisors, finance and insurance clerks:

• accounts payable supervisor
• accounts receivable supervisor
• bookkeeping supervisor
• credit supervisor
• head, billing unit
• savings supervisor
• teller supervisor
• collections supervisor
• billing supervisor
• payroll supervisor
• supervisor, claims adjusters
• bank clerk supervisor
• supervisor of accounting

Supervisors, library, correspondence and related information clerks:

• supervisor, survey interviewers
• statistical clerk supervisor
• publication clerk supervisor
• information clerk supervisor
• library clerk supervisor
• correspondence clerk supervisor
• advertising clerk supervisor
• customer service supervisor (except financial institutions)

Supervisors, mail and message distribution occupations:

• mail room supervisor
• courier supervisor
• postmaster
• letter carrier supervisor
• messenger supervisor
• postal station supervisor
• mail and postal clerk supervisor

Supervisors, recording, distributing and scheduling occupations:

• traffic control supervisor
• supply control co-ordinator
• parts supervisor
• head dispatcher
• head shipper
• inventory control supervisor
• stock control supervisor
• tool crib supervisor
• flight crew scheduling supervisor
• production clerks supervisor
• ramp services supervisor, airport
• supervisor of receiving

Training Paths

Clerical supervisors usually possess a post-secondary degree or diploma and have years of experience in their given field of work. There are several academic programs related to supervisory work in this area. University of Regina offers certificate, diploma and degree programs in Business Administration with specialization in Human Resource Management and Marketing. University of Saskatchewan offers similar degree programs in Human Resource Management and Public Administration through the College of Commerce and in Political Studies through the College of Arts and Science. First Nations University of Canada offers degree programs through the School of Business & Public Administration.

SIAST offers related certificate or diploma programs such as: Accountancy, Administration, Financial Services, Marketing, Computer Systems, Health Information Management, Office Automation/Administration. It also offers a certificate program in Office Education with the following specializations: Computer Office Assistant and Medical Office Assistant. The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) offers a Management Studies program. Programs and short courses in Bookkeeping, Payroll Supervision, General Business, Office Education and Accounting are available through regional colleges and private vocational schools. In many clerical positions, such as library clerk, post-secondary is not required. In some cases, workers with considerable ability and on-the-job training can be promoted to the position of supervisor. However, this is rarely the case, and most prospective supervisors should have some formal training.

Trends and Outlooks

The employment prospects for this occupation are: fair

The number of clerical supervisors in Saskatchewan increased significantly between 2001 and 2006. Whether or not this upward trend continues, job seekers can expect a fair number of job openings for clerical supervisors over the next few years. Simply put, this is a large occupation in the province--with over 2,300 supervisors employed here in 2006--and large occupations typically generate a lot of turnover. This is particularly true of low-paying occupations, and many of the jobs covered here are low paying. Another factor to consider is the age of the work force. Nearly 60% of all clerical supervisors in Saskatchewan were at least 45 years of age in 2006. An increasing number of positions will become available as current supervisors retire or leave the profession for higher pay elsewhere. The majority of these positions likely will be in the transportation and warehousing; finance, insurance, real estate and leasing; and public administration industries.

Most clerical supervisors in Saskatchewan are reasonably well paid. In 2005, the average full time income for clerical supervisors was $45,473 per year, only a slight increase from 2000 but still higher than the 2005 provincial full-time average for all occupations ($42,298 per year). Supervisors working in or around Saskatoon or Regina earned significantly more in 2005 than their counterparts elsewhere in the province.

The majority of clerical supervisors is female, although employment is becoming more evenly distributed between men and women. The percentage of male supervisors increased from just 29% in 2000 to over 35% in 2006. Most clerical supervisors work in or around larger urban centres. Just over 50% of all supervisors in this group worked in the city or area surrounding Saskatoon or Regina in 2006. Part-time employment in this group is rare, as are seasonal work and self-employment. As well, employment for clerical supervisors is not very sensitive to overall economic conditions.

This is not a young work force. In 2006, nearly 60% of all clerical supervisors in Saskatchewan were 45 years of age or older.

The widespread adoption of personal computers, electronic mail, facsimile machines and other new technologies has decreased the number of clerical employees required for many operations. Consequently, fewer supervisors are required in many cases. These changes have increased the skill requirements for clerical supervisors. Supervisors who are conversant in new technologies may have an advantage over others seeking employment in a clerical field.

Professional Associations

Related Occupations

Supervisors, general office and administrative support clerks:

• Supervisors, Finance and Insurance Clerks (1212)
• Supervisors, Library, Correspondence and Related Information Clerks (1213)
• Supervisors, Mail and Message Distribution Occupations (1214)
• Supervisors, Recording, Distributing and Scheduling Occupations (1215)
• Office managers (in 1221 Administrative Officers)

Supervisors, finance and insurance clerks:

• Financial Managers (0111)
• Other Financial Officers (1114)

Supervisors, library, correspondence and related information clerks:

• Librarians (5111)
• Library and Archive Technicians and Assistants (5211)
• Supervisors, Mail and Message Distribution Occupations (1214)

Supervisors, mail and message distribution occupations:

• Postal and Courier Services Managers (0132)
• Shipping and receiving supervisors (in 1215 Supervisors, Recording, Distributing and Scheduling
• Occupations)

Supervisors, recording, distributing and scheduling occupations:

• Supervisors, Mail and Message Distribution Occupations (1214)