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Salaries and Costs
Farnham sits in Surrey’s commuter belt, so pay for administrators and office support tends to run above the UK average. Entry level administrators often land between £22,000 and £26,000, with experienced assistants and office managers moving into the £28,000 to £38,000 range, and senior PA or EA roles reaching £40,000 to £50,000 where diary control and stakeholder contact are heavy. Temp agencies in the town quote day rates or hourly pay, with common ranges of £12 to £17 per hour for core admin, rising for specialist skills such as finance admin or minute taking. Employers ask recruiters about recruitment fees early, since agency costs vary by role level and scarcity, with permanent placement fees commonly set as a percentage of starting salary, and temp bill rates built from pay, holiday accrual, pension, and margin. A clear brief helps keep fees tight and time to hire short.
Qualifications
For general office work, strong Microsoft Office skills, customer support experience, and accurate typing remain the staples. NVQ or City and Guilds certificates in Business Administration can help new starters, with AAT for finance administrators, and CIPD study useful where the post carries HR admin work. Schools, healthcare, and care providers near Farnham often ask for a DBS check before start. Recruiters and staffing agencies screen for right to work, references, and data handling awareness under UK GDPR, which is important for any post that touches personal records.
Regional or Geographic Variations
Farnham falls within Waverley, with links along the A31 and a direct rail service to London Waterloo. The town draws candidates from Aldershot, Guildford, Farnborough, and Fleet, helped by the A331 and local buses. Employers near Coxbridge Business Park, Riverside Park, and Farnham Business Park see good interest from drivers, while high street roles attract walkers from the centre. Pay nudges up closer to Guildford, and some candidates commute into London for higher salaries, so retention can hinge on hours, travel time, and parking.
Hiring Challenges
Local employers often want strong administrators at short notice for sickness cover, events, or finance deadlines. The labour market is tight in Surrey, with many businesses chasing the same experienced office managers and EAs. Good briefs, interview slots held in advance, and quick feedback help recruiters keep candidates warm. Where roles are part time or school hours, demand can outstrip supply, so agencies may advise on flex patterns or adjusted pay rates to secure interest.
Entry Requirements
Most admin jobs ask for GCSEs, sound numeracy, and confident communication. For front office posts, phone manner and diary tools matter, and for team assistant roles, meeting notes and minute writing can be tested. Finance admin may call for Excel lookups, invoice handling, and basic reconciliation. Recruiters will often run skills tests before shortlisting, which saves time for local employers and gives jobseekers a fair shot.
Roles and Career Paths
Admin recruitment agencies in Farnham place receptionists, office assistants, team administrators, coordinators, schedulers, HR administrators, finance administrators, and office managers. Candidates move from reception to team assistant, then to senior support or office management, with side moves into HR, payroll, or project coordination where the company offers training. Executive search comes in for senior PA or board level EA posts, and employment firms with specialist desks handle medical secretaries or legal secretaries when needed.
Seasonal Trends
Peaks arrive around financial year end for finance admin, in September for education roles, and in the run up to Christmas for retail and customer service support. Summer holidays bring steady temp demand to cover annual leave, so agencies often pre register candidates in late spring. Project led companies near the A3 and M3 corridors sometimes add contract administrators when tenders land, then move them to permanent if the workload holds.
Agency Services and Contract Types
Recruiters and recruitment consultants in Farnham support temporary, permanent, and contract work. Temp agencies move fast on day one cover, same week starts, and longer assignments, while permanent desks manage targeted search and selection with tighter shortlists. Businesses use contract options for maternity cover or system rollouts, and then switch to permanent once the need is proven. Employers can hire staff directly or through temp to perm routes, and candidates can register with an agency for alerts and interview coaching.
Money Matters
Local employers often ask about pay rates, recruitment fees, and agency costs before launch. A simple pay and bill breakdown helps both sides. Where roles are volume based, some agencies offer reduced percentages or fixed fees, and for temps, a clear holiday and pension line keeps budgets clean. Salary bands should be published in adverts to widen reach, since candidates skip posts with vague pay.
Market Snapshot
Farnham’s job market blends retail, creative arts, health and social care, construction support, and services for SMEs. The University for the Creative Arts adds admin and course support posts across the year, and nearby defence and healthcare clusters feed steady back office demand. Good administrators help with retention, since smooth onboarding, rota control, and payroll accuracy keep teams stable. Recruitment agencies in Farnham bring shortlists that match local patterns, which saves managers time and reduces repeat hiring.
Quick Facts and FAQs
Do admin roles in Farnham support hybrid work.
Yes, many offices offer two or three days from home, but front desk roles tend to be on site.
What checks do schools and care settings ask for.
A recent DBS, references, and training records where relevant.
How fast can a temp start.
Same day is possible for simple cover, once right to work is confirmed.
What software comes up in tests.
Outlook calendars, Word formatting, Excel tables and lookups, and CRM basics.
Can agencies find part time staff for school hours.
Yes, but demand is high, so early notice helps.
What notice do temps need for finish dates.
Agencies agree terms at booking, so give dates upfront to avoid drop off.
Key Sectors and Employers in the Region
Retail and hospitality in the town centre need reception and reservations staff. Creative and education settings need course and studio administrators. Healthcare and care homes around the A31 need rota and records support. Construction and property services along the Surrey and Hampshire border need document controllers, bid support, and site office administrators. Recruitment agencies in Farnham know these patterns, which helps employers find employees who are ready to start and keeps candidates moving into roles that match their skills.