Learn About the Salesforce Admin Role

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Describe what a Salesforce Admin does.
  
• List the skills that Salesforce Admins use in their work.
  
• Explain how Salesforce business users can empower their admins.
  

What Is a Salesforce Admin?

Salesforce Administrator—Salesforce Admin for short—is an operational role. Salesforce Admins build and manage trusted solutions on the Salesforce Platform. They configure, automate and optimize Salesforce to ensure org health and maximize value. Core responsibilities include managing Salesforce users, data, security, analytics, and product.

That sounds great! But what skills does a successful admin need?

Required Skills

A successful Salesforce Admin has a good mix of technical and nontechnical skills. 

• Communication - Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to design, configure, and implement Salesforce.
  
• Problem solving - Solve business problems using the Salesforce Platform.
  
• Security management - Proactively set up processes to manage and protect customer and business data.
  
• Data analysis - Provide reporting on a regular basis to help users and executives gain insights and make decisions from Salesforce data.
  
• Designer’s mindset - Create human-centered user experiences in Salesforce.
  
• Process automation - Create, maintain, and enhance automated business processes.
  
• Project management - Plan and oversee Salesforce projects to ensure they’re completed on time and within budget.
  

This is just a sample. Check out the Salesforce Admin Skills Kit for a more detailed list.

Key Responsibilities

What is the Salesforce Admin actually responsible for? There are a few core responsibilities that admins typically oversee on a day to day basis.

User Management. This goes beyond just setting up a user and providing access. The Salesforce Admin serves as a subject matter expert for user and team needs. They design a Salesforce solution that is customized and ensures a good user experience. Behind this is the goal to improve productivity and increase adoption.

Data Management. Putting the right fields in a record and ensuring all the right information is being captured is just a start. Salesforce Admins use their expertise to ensure the data is high quality (no duplications), that the data can be reported on for key business decisions, and that users get the information they need easily.

Security. The Salesforce Admin collaborates with your company’s IT and security teams to ensure the Salesforce solution aligns with compliance needs and policies. Just as users need to trust that the data is accurate, the company needs to trust that the data is also secure. The admin ensures Salesforce is configured so that users see only what they need to see. 

Actionable Analytics. Salesforce helps to make building reports simple and straightforward. The Salesforce Admin takes it a step further by ensuring the reports and dashboards built for their company are easy to read and that users can make critical decisions based on the information they’re seeing. They help ensure the analytics are aligned with the company’s goals.

Product Management. This responsibility centers on managing Salesforce like a product, continuing to build on the platform, deliver new features to users, and drive a healthy environment. A big part of this is preparing users for Salesforce Releases and proactively looking for ways to expand Salesforce functionality across your organization. Mastering product management is crucial for making your users more productive and helping them get the most out of new tools and features.

Learn more about the core responsibilities of a Salesforce Admin in this badge.

Get the Scoop on the Salesforce Admin Role

If you’re wondering what a career as a Salesforce Admin looks like, check out the Salesforce Administrator Careers page. You can also check out this trail on building your admin career. These are great places to start exploring the admin role, and pursuing a career as a Salesforce Admin. Consider joining the Salesforce Admins community, where you can ask questions and learn from others. And check out the Salesforce Administrator certification, which is essential to getting hired and becoming a successful admin.

Resources

• Trailhead: Salesforce Administrator Careers Page
• Website: Salesforce Admins
• Website: Salesforce Admin Skills Kit
• Salesforce Trailhead Certification: Administrator
• Trailmix: Build Your Admin Career on Salesforce