Use our receptionist job description template to recruit the best applicants

Almost every company requires a receptionist to answer calls, address visitors’ questions, perform administrative duties, and provide a generally welcoming environment.

Receptionists are the face of your business. Therefore, they must possess all the skills and expertise needed to perform their role effectively, such as attention to detail and problem-solving abilities. With the help of a job description template, you can find expert receptionists who fit your organization’s needs.

In this article, we’ll explain what a receptionist job description is and why it’s critical for hiring.

We’ll also discuss best practices, provide a receptionist job description template, and explain how TestGorilla’s pre-employment tests can help you identify suitable receptionists.

What is a receptionist job description?

A receptionist job description is a simple document that a business prepares to state its requirements for a receptionist role.

It typically contains the duties of receptionists, the skills needed to perform such duties, and any educational prerequisites for the role.

Common duties of receptionists include:

• Receiving guests

• Directing visitors to other office personnel

• Directly communicating with customers or visitors

• Answering calls and redirecting them to colleagues

Some of the essential skills required to perform these duties are:

• Communication skills

• Active listening skills

• Organizational skills

• Empathy

The importance of a good job description

Job seekers typically spend little time reading job postings and descriptions. Because they often read through many postings when looking for a job, it’s common for them to just skim through them.

This means that your job description needs to convince top candidates to apply within the first minute of reading. With the increasing competition among companies for top-tier skills, preparing a well-structured job description is crucial.

This is why many organizations now put a lot of effort into their job descriptions to secure the best candidates. Below are other reasons excellent job descriptions are vital:

• They attract suitable candidates

• They precisely and accurately represent the job role

• They can help form the basis for an interview

• They help you outline your requirements for your ideal candidate 

• They provide an opportunity to display your company values to the public

5 elements to include in a receptionist job description

A receptionist job description is similar to descriptions for many other roles but may vary depending on your organization’s specific needs. An effective job description requires the following basic elements:

1. Job title and information

No job description is complete without information related to the role. Ensure you include the job title, job code, shifts, and other relevant information. Many job seekers search for specific job titles related to their desired job. 

This means that you should add appropriate keywords when writing the job title. Incorporate these keywords in a few other areas of your job description to follow best practices for keywords and search engine optimization.

2. Job overview

The next aspect of your job description is the job overview, which should contain a summary of the entire position. A good job overview discusses the general requirements of the role in a few short sentences. 

It also summarizes your business culture, values, working methods, and expectations of employees.

3. Knowledge, skills, and competencies required

It’s also necessary to add a list of competencies to your receptionist job description to outline the knowledge and skills needed for the position. You can include various competencies in your job description, such as technical, soft, and behavioral skills.

4. Working conditions

This section describes the work environment and the physical demands of the job role. If the position involves potential exposure to danger or hazardous materials, ensure you state this as well.

Also, remember to mention if your business needs receptionists who can double as office administrators or personal assistants.

Include the number of hours employees must work each week, if there are departmental rotations, and whether receptionists may need to work overtime. Providing adequate information about your working conditions ensures that candidates fully understand the job before applying.

5. Company benefits

Top receptionists are more likely to apply to your business if you make a better offer than their previous role. So don’t forget to add a final section to your job description that describes the benefits and incentives attached to the job role. 

Stating your organization’s benefits makes you more competitive when searching for the best candidates in the job market. Include all bonuses and packages that are a part of your remuneration plan. 

Examples of benefits that may attract the best receptionists are:

• Free lunch packages

• Biannual on-the-job training

• Periodic salary increases based on performance 

• Robust health insurance

• General insurance

• Pension plan and retirement packages

• Productivity bonuses and a 13th-month salary

Studies show that bonuses, salary increments, and incentives are effective in attracting new employees and retaining existing employees in an organization

3 best practices for creating a receptionist job description

It’s important to follow the right procedure before preparing a job description for your open role.

Following these guidelines will make your recruitment process more effective. Below are three best practices for creating a receptionist job description:

1. Carry out a job analysis

A job analysis involves researching and gathering all the elements of a job description for a specific role. A job analysis takes into account:

• Applicants’ duties

• The job environment

• The competencies required to take on the role

• Benefits

A job analysis is the foundation for your description. You can perform a job analysis by using an employee-based approach to examine and assess the features employees require to perform the role.

2. Use a competency library

A competency library is a tool for building competency-related job descriptions. It contains the knowledge area required for your organization’s industry. It also describes the role-dependent abilities, soft skills, and personality traits that are essential for the role.

Competency mapping can help you make better hiring decisions. You can also use it to provide training opportunities and enhance existing employees’ career growth. Additionally, it can give your company a competitive advantage in the job market.

Many businesses don’t fully leverage competency mapping. If you can use this approach to prepare a good job description that includes a list of required competencies, you can secure the best candidates more easily.

3. Use a picklist

Picklists are tools that help you stay consistent when adding items to a job description. Using them alongside your competency list can enable you to prepare a compelling job description easier and faster. 

Receptionist job description template

Preparing a good job description from scratch may be time consuming. Luckily, you can use job description templates to more easily structure and craft your description.

If you’d rather not draft a job description from the ground up, you can simply base your description on this template:

[Job title]

Reports to: The [job title] will report to [position title or titles this position reports to].

Job overview: [In around four sentences, describe the role, the prerequisites for success in the position, and how the role aligns with the company in general.]

Responsibilities and duties:

• List the duties of the job in order of importance

• Use complete sentences

• Start sentences with verbs

• Use the present tense

• Use gender-neutral language

Qualifications:

• [Required education level]

• [Required experience]

• [Preferred education level]

• [Preferred experience]

Identify the best receptionists for your open role

Since there are so many receptionists in the job market, it may be difficult to discover a receptionist who suits your needs. Many recruiters complain of ineffective hiring processes because they receive resumes that don’t accurately reflect applicants’ skills.

However, there is a great alternative: Prescreening tests are one of the most effective tools for evaluating candidates’ abilities.

TestGorilla’s skills tests enable you to assess receptionists for the skills your organization needs. For example, you can use TestGorilla’s Communication test and Computer Literacy test to evaluate their communication skills and ability to use computers and technology, respectively.

Using this modern hiring approach can improve your quality of hire and help you achieve your goals with top employees around you. Create an account with TestGorilla today to reshape your hiring process and find the best receptionists.