Part of the occupations cluster in the employment knowledge graph — connected to occupations, documents, hiring guides, career guides, country guides and employment law.
What a receptionist does
A receptionist staffs the front desk or reception area, welcoming visitors, answering and routing calls, and handling everyday enquiries. The role shapes the first impression people form of an organisation.
It blends customer service with light administration: managing the visitor book, booking meeting rooms, handling post and deliveries, and supporting colleagues across the office. The pace varies from steady to busy depending on the setting.
Core responsibilities
- Greeting visitors and signing them in and out.
- Answering, screening and directing telephone calls.
- Responding to general enquiries by phone, email and in person.
- Booking meeting rooms and managing the appointment diary.
- Receiving and distributing post, parcels and deliveries.
- Keeping the reception area tidy, secure and presentable.
Skills and qualities
- A warm, professional and approachable manner.
- Clear spoken and written communication.
- Good organisation and the ability to juggle tasks.
- Comfort with phone systems, email and basic office software.
- Discretion when handling visitors and information.
- Calmness and patience under pressure.
Typical employers and settings
- Corporate offices and professional-services firms.
- Hotels, clinics, dental and medical practices.
- Schools, colleges and public-sector bodies.
- Gyms, salons and leisure venues.
- Manufacturing, logistics and serviced-office sites.
How the role is recruited
- Roles are filled directly or through staffing and recruitment agencies.
- A CV and a short covering note are commonly requested.
- Screening focuses on communication, presentation, availability and right to work.
- Interviews often include a role-play or a phone-manner exercise.
- Onboarding covers the phone system, visitor procedures and security.
Documents involved
- A job advert and a clear job description.
- An employment contract or assignment terms.
- An offer letter confirming role, hours and start date.
- Right-to-work and identity checks as required.
- An onboarding checklist covering systems and front-desk procedures.
Create a professional CV
Where this work touches candidates or career moves, a clean, current resume helps. People can build and update one with the HELPERG CV Builder.
Communicating with candidates and partners?
Related tools from the HELPERG ecosystem that may help with this:
- TwinPhone — Browser calling, virtual numbers and international business communication — for candidate screening calls, employer communication and recruitment coordination.
Need hiring support?
Tell us about your workforce needs. We can help connect you with recruitment and staffing partners that match your hiring requirements — HR helper group is a matching platform, not a recruitment agency, and makes no placement guarantees.
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