Career Guide
Employee in an SME
The role of an employee in an SME requires a rare level of versatility: administrative management, bookkeeping, customer relations and providing support to the SME manager are all part of this professional’s day-to-day work.
The profession
What is an employee in an SME?
His role
An assistant in an SME acts as the manager’s right-hand person within a small or medium-sized enterprise. You ensure the continuity of operations by handling administrative, accounting and sales duties. Your central role gives you a comprehensive overview of how the organisation operates and places you at the heart of operational decision-making.
Its scope of activity
This role is found in SMEs across all sectors, from retail to manufacturing. You will work directly with senior management and interact with customers and suppliers on a daily basis. The size of the organisation determines the scope of your responsibilities: the smaller the company, the broader your remit.
The functions
What are the responsibilities of an employee in an SME?
Employees in SMEs take on a range of cross-functional responsibilities covering the day-to-day running of the business, from administrative tasks to providing strategic support to the manager.
Managing day-to-day accounting: invoicing, tracking outstanding payments and tax returns
Keep the manager informed of key indicators: margins, results and current contracts
Prepare financial statements and analyse ways to make savings
Handle administrative tasks: post, filing and welcoming visitors
Managing relationships with customers and suppliers
Manage office software and internal communication campaigns
Managing human resources: timetables, payslips and recruitment
Compare suppliers’ quotes and negotiate prices to keep costs under control
Ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information relating to senior management
Qualifications
Qualities and skills required to be a good employee in an SME
A career as a staff member in an SME requires a multidisciplinary education covering accountancy, business management and human resources management. INSEEC offers study programmes tailored to these requirements, enabling students to acquire the management skills essential for integrating into a company.
Organisation is a key skill: you will manage tasks with varying deadlines simultaneously, from settling supplier invoices to drawing up schedules. Proficiency in office software is expected from the outset. In SMEs operating internationally, a working knowledge of business English is also required.
As well as technical skills, this role places great importance on discretion, good interpersonal skills and the ability to take the initiative. You must be able to adapt to unforeseen situations and make decisions independently, particularly in very small organisations where you will be responsible for all administrative and accounting duties on your own.
The benefits
What are the benefits of working for an SME?
Working closely with senior management encourages employees to take on responsibility quickly and gain a practical understanding of strategic management. SMEs with between 100 and 249 employees offer an average net salary of 2,919 euros per month (INSEE, 2024).
Common benefits include meal vouchers, company health insurance and performance-related bonuses. As you gain experience, there are opportunities to progress to roles such as office manager or administrative manager.
Remuneration
Employees in SMEs: pay and career progression
At the start of one’s career, with a two-year post-secondary qualification (BTS in SME Management or equivalent), the salary ranges from 22,000 to 27,600 euros gross per annum, or approximately 1,700 to 2,300 euros gross per month. After five to ten years’ professional experience, an experienced candidate can expect to earn between 28,000 and 38,400 euros gross per annum. Senior staff, progressing to roles such as office manager or administrative manager, earn between €42,000 and €55,000 gross per annum, or even more in the Île-de-France region. There are significant regional variations: an employee based in Paris can earn between €2,658 and €3,600 gross per month, compared with €2,052 to €2,900 in other regions (sources: APEC, HelloWork, 2024). The sector of activity also influences the pay scale: manufacturing offers the highest salaries, ahead of construction and services.
Up to
€55,000
Annual salary
Training courses
What qualifications do you need to work in an SME?
Our training courses
To become an administrative assistant in an SME, you generally need a qualification equivalent to two or three years of higher education. The BTS in SME Management is the most direct route, with a course covering accounting, sales management, secretarial work and payroll management.
A professional bachelor’s degree specialising in business administration or strategic management opens the way to greater responsibilities later on.
INSEEC offers work-study programmes that enable students to gain professional experience whilst still studying – an asset recognised by recruiters at SMEs. Work-study programmes facilitate integration into the workplace and accelerate the development of skills required for operational roles.
Discover
Other careers you might be interested in
This course also opens the way to careers as an assistant manager and an administrative and financial manager.
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