MightyRecruiterThe job description you post will affect the type of people who apply for the open position with your company, and ultimately who you decide to hire. Writing a great job sketch is imperative when you are trying to attract friendly, organized individuals who will fit with your team and be the front line of customer service for your business. You don’t want to spend excess time weeding out unsuitable or unqualified individuals and you can prevent an onslaught of unfitting resumes by including the right information and using the right approach to publishing your job opening. To aid you in compiling a stand-out job description, we’ve included a Receptionist job description sample below.
Receptionist Job Summary
You will welcome customers and visitors both in person and over the phone and direct them to the appropriate location. You will be the point of contact for scheduling and administrative support and will be responsible for keeping accurate records and providing timely service for both employees and clients.
Receptionist Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Greet visitors, provide information regarding their inquiries and direct them to the appropriate offices or conference rooms
- Answer incoming phone calls on a multi-line phone system and screen requests by either researching answers, forwarding questions to the appropriate department or relaying messages
- Schedule, update and record appointments for managerial staff using computerized meeting software
- Perform secretarial duties such as faxing, emailing and photocopying
- Maintain office supplies, including taking inventory, ordering materials and paying invoices
- Receive deliveries, mail and courier documents and process them to the correct department
- Observe security procedures to maintain safety and control access, including keeping visitor log book, screening guests and assigning temporary accesses passes
- Enhance the reputation of the firm by presenting a professional demeanor and attitude at all times
Receptionist Skills and Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent
- At least two years of prior experience in a similar position
- Computer proficient, including Microsoft Office
- Organized, self-directed and reliable
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Professional demeanor and appearance
- Able to handle pressure and diffuse tough situations
Company Profile
Bluebill Laboratories is a cooperative scientific entity serving a diverse local and national clientele. Our facilities include numerous departments and laboratories, each of which works independently and in tandem with one another to complete in-house projects and other environmental research contracts. Our firm was awarded the Eye on the Future award in 2012 and continues to provide cutting-edge scientific services to each of our clients.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- The above Receptionist job description sample is a great rubric to follow when writing your own posting. For those times when you are without a guide to follow, or need to enhance the content of your job posting, keep in mind the following list of dos, don’ts and best practices.
- Do put yourself into the applicant’s shoes. While it may be hard to distance yourself, consider the perspective of potential hires and think of the type of information they are interested in reading when job hunting.
- Do use specifics whenever possible. While you don’t want your employment sketch to go over 700 words, leaving out essential information will discourage great applicants. Whenever possible, name departments, specialties and any other details regarding essential daily responsibilities to encourage interested individuals.
- Don’t forget to include contact information! A great job description is useless if people cannot figure out where to submit their resume or application. Make sure to at least include an email address or phone number in your final call to action section.
- Do publish salary and benefit information for the position, as long as company policy allows. For service-oriented jobs such as this, applicants expect to see a salary or a at least a compensation range listed. If the pay depends on experience, include that info, but still try to publish a base wage so job seekers get an idea of the salary.
- Do include the geographic location and other keywords to enhance online visibility. In today’s job market, applicants will do most of their career searching online. Take time to brainstorm and include words and phrases that fit the position and even the industry. Many individuals use a city or state name when narrowing down job openings, so include the location of the position so that your posting is picked up by these types of searches.
- Don’t post your job description without proofreading it first.
Receptionist Job Responsibilities
The only way for jobseekers to know they’re a good match for a job, your company and your workforce culture is if you tell them. The best way to tell them? By writing a creative yet professional and in-depth receptionist job description that covers the major points of your daily expectations. Using bullet lists and action-oriented language, your job description should allow jobseekers to easily determine whether the role is something that matches their capabilities and goals by quickly scanning through the list to gain insight into your expectations.
While you don’t want to waste space on stating the obvious or breaking down too many smaller functions, you also shouldn’t assume jobseekers know what’s required of them based on the title alone. Depending on the company size, industry and numerous other factors, job duties can vary. Think of what makes your company unique, and be sure to cover any special requirements or functions in your receptionist job description. Jobseekers don’t want surprises any more than you want an unqualified applicant in the position.
Review our example below for insight into how to write a succinct list of receptionist job responsibilities
- Act as the face of the company in meeting and greeting visitors and guests
- Respond attentively to visitor inquiries and requests for information
- Liaise with customers and guests via phone, email or in person
- Provide directions to locations within or near the building
- Check visitor credentials for security and access levels
Receptionist Job Specifications
If the talent pool you’re attracting isn’t quite up to snuff, it may be because your receptionist job description doesn’t cover key job specifications. Every job has certain conditions and requirements that are non-negotiable, and ideally, candidates who don’t meet those conditions would exclude themselves from the applicant pool. While there’ll always be those few who’ll shotgun it anyway only to fall short, the majority of the time a strong list of job specifications culls a large percentage of unqualified applicants.
So how do you build a list of job specifications for your receptionist job description? Ask yourself a few basic questions. How much experience do you want your receptionist to have? What will he or she do every day, and what skills are absolutely essential to those functions? Is education a factor, and if so, what level? Is there anything particular to your industry or company that makes prior specialized experience a necessity? Narrow the answers to these questions into the critical skills that make up your job specifications.
For example, here’s our version of receptionist job specifications:
Minimum 5-7 years of experience in a corporate setting Customer support and problem-solving skills a plus Background in the technology industry a plus Natural abilities in conflict resolution and de-escalation Experience in security protocols and guest access control
