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How to Find Receptionists:
A step-by-step guide to finding a professional and talented receptionist for your business. Includes a full hiring process that will help you find and hire the best receptionist fast.
Create an attractive job post.
Define the day-to-day responsibilities.
Many receptionists struggle with the fact that they are bombarded with tasks from all departments and the boundaries of their job description are often not respected. Candidates will be attracted to a position that has clearly defined roles, and a company that has a team of receptionists to share responsibilities.
Include information about growth potential.
There is also a desire for career progression, which can often be overlooked by receptionists. Try to include information about further training or promotion opportunities to show candidates that they can grow within the company. This detail will help you recruit a receptionist with a desire to expand their skillset.
Use a receptionist job description template.
A receptionist job description template is a good reference to create your own job post. Try to add specifics about the role and the experience required to find a good receptionist.
Post your job ad.
Post your job to general sites, such as Indeed.
Post your job description on a general online job board like Indeed, because it has a large audience and you can post for free.
Make sure your job ad is picked up by Google.
Google for Jobs allows your posting to be seen in search results. This can greatly increase your job visibility. You can get it picked up by Google by having someone properly format it on your website, or by using a service (such as Betterteam) that creates a properly formatted jobs page for you automatically.
Target dedicated job boards for admin professionals.
You can also post to job boards for receptionists to find a good receptionist that is not only qualified but actively seeking a receptionist position. This will narrow your search to receptionists who might be a more suitable fit.
Screen your applicants.
Send screening questions via email.
When you begin to receive applications, it is important to ensure that they meet your basic requirements. You can send applicants an email with questions to shorten your list to only the most suitable candidates.
Example questions:
- Have you received any formal administrative training?
- Do you have experience in this industry?
- What are your hours of availability?
- Why did you leave your former position?
Conduct interviews.
Conduct phone interviews.
Once you have a list of candidates who meet your basic requirements, you can hold telephonic interviews to get a better understanding of who the candidate is. This will save time compared to holding in-person interviews for all candidates you are initially interested in.
Example questions:
- What attracted you to this company?
- What are your salary expectations?
- Can you describe your previous role?
- How do you assign priority when you have multiple tasks?
- How do you increase efficiency and accuracy?
You should be looking out for factors that would disqualify the candidate. For example, if the candidate's salary expectations do not match what you're offering, or if the candidate has superficial reasons for wanting to work for your company.
Keep the answers from your first email in mind when candidates are responding. Look for inconsistencies in their answers.
Conduct in-person interviews.
After your telephonic interview, you should have a shortlist of candidates that you are very interested in. Before you hire receptionists, you should meet them in person. Invite these candidates for an in-person interview to get a sense of their personality and how they present themselves.
This is also an opportunity for the candidate to see your office and meet your employees to gauge if there is good chemistry.
Hire a new receptionist.
Host a trial workday.
Invite prospective candidates in for a trial workday to see how well they adapt to your office environment and what their work style is. This is also a good way to see if the candidate works well with existing staff members.
Make an offer.
Once you have decided on a candidate, you should make an offer before they are recruited by another company. Let the successful candidate know that you would like to hire them by phoning them to let them know, and emailing a job offer letter. In your email, reiterate the salary, job description, and benefits offered.