Are you an executive or HR manager looking to recruit the ideal Receptionist?
If so, it’s important to get the job done right; the right Receptionist is instrumental to your ongoing business success. Here is a comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know about how to find a good Receptionist.
A Receptionist is vital to the success of any organisation.
As the welcoming face and the initial point of contact for clients, visitors, and employees alike, a Receptionist is key to shaping the first impressions of a business.
When Forbes describes a good receptionist as having the power to “make or break your business” it becomes clear that the significance of this role cannot be overstated.
Let us walk you through the process of hiring the right Receptionist for your organisation, demonstrating the importance of having the right person in this seat who can foster positive relationships and represent your business to the highest standard.
Understanding the Role of a Receptionist
The modern-day role of a Receptionist extends well beyond administrative support. Many people, including our clients, have mistakenly believed that their responsibilities within a business have little impact on the bottom line, leading to uninformed hiring decisions. However, the reality is that a Receptionist’s responsibilities are varied.
A Receptionist is not only managing requests from the staff within your organisation but also handling clients, leads, and other key stakeholders simultaneously.
The key responsibilities of a Receptionist include navigating endless phone calls, scheduling appointments, handling correspondence, coordinating events, assisting visitors, and maintaining a hospitable environment for clients and employees. With such diverse responsibilities, hiring the wrong Receptionist can significantly disrupt the flow of daily business operations.
And so it follows that a good Receptionist can “make or break your business”.
What’s more, is that beyond the operational aspects of their role, a Receptionist assumes a responsibility that is far more profound—they are an ambassador for your business.
Receptionists as a Brand Ambassador
Receptionists serve as the front-facing persona of your organisation, directly linked to its image and ethos. Every interaction, greeting, and gesture, even small, cumulatively reflects your business’s brand.
In this way, a Receptionist transforms into a living, breathing ambassador of a company’s values and professionalism.
When hiring a Receptionist, a helpful strategy is to see candidates as the initial impression for visitors. Does this person reflect the values and ideals you wish to convey to everyone interacting with your business? If the answer is yes, it’s important to do everything you can to attract that person to your organisation.
Given the diverse responsibilities of a Receptionist and the challenges associated with managing numerous client services and administrative tasks, locating a genuine ambassador committed to the long term is a rare occurrence.
Fortunately, as office support recruitment experts, we’re here to guide you. Let’s explore how you can find the perfect Receptionist for your business.
The Two Types of Receptionists: Which One Is Right for Your Business?
When hiring a receptionist, we often discuss with our clients that a suitable candidate goes beyond possessing good receptionist skills. It is essential to identify the desires of the receptionist through two distinct profiles:
- the Growth Receptionist
- the Career Receptionist.
Recognising and understanding the differences between these two character types is paramount for business owners and HR professionals seeking to make strategic hires that align with their long-term goals.
The Growth Receptionist
The best way to think of a Growth Receptionist, or growth-minded Receptionist is as an individual who views the reception desk as a pathway for their career progression.
In other words, these people aren’t taking the role of a Receptionist to remain a Receptionist, but instead, to get their foot into the door of a company or an industry they hope to progress in. Their focus extends beyond their present role and includes a keen interest in learning, growing, and taking on extra responsibilities before eventually transitioning into a more advanced position within the company.
So, should you hire a growth-oriented Receptionist? Well, it depends on what you are looking for.
If you’re looking for a long-term solution to your reception admin needs, this might not be the best move and it may result in dissatisfaction and underutilisation of their potential. That said, if your goal is to develop talent and offer opportunities for growth, as many organisations do, the growth Receptionist is a perfect fit.
When engaging with “growth receptionists,” our consultants inquire about their desired duration in the current position and explore their goals for role advancement to establish a clear timeline.
The Career Receptionist
In the alternative, a ‘career Receptionist’ is someone seeking long-term stability in an administrative role.
Generally speaking, these candidates do not aspire to progress into other roles within an organisation but instead look to add value by being the anchor of the reception and administrative team, continually upskilling and improving their capabilities within the role.
Naturally, if a business requires a Receptionist who will reliably and consistently handle administrative duties long into the future without seeking frequent role changes, a career Receptionist is an ideal fit.
In both instances, aligning the career aspirations of potential hires with the company’s vision is crucial. We advise clients to thoroughly assess candidates’ goals and motivations, ensuring that their expectations match the role offered for satisfaction and workplace productivity.
The Challenges Associated With Finding the Perfect Receptionist
Finding an average Receptionist shouldn’t be too difficult for your business but finding the perfect Receptionist does come with a unique set of challenges. These include:
Misconceptions about the role
Many businesses adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to hiring receptionists, viewing their duties as somewhat menial and easily replaceable. This perspective often overlooks the complexity of a receptionist’s responsibilities. It’s essential to recognise that the right receptionist serves as an ambassador for your business, and their goals and motivations may impact your long-term plans if not considered. We’ve observed that filling receptionist roles can be more challenging than securing an Executive Assistant to the CEO. Businesses embracing this perspective often cycle through several short-term receptionists without finding a long-term fit that delivers true value.
Skilled Receptionists are often already working
Because they are highly skilled, the best Receptionists are often employed and not actively seeking new opportunities. While this may lead most businesses to choose from the few options that remain, organisations that tap into the expertise of a specialised recruitment agency often find that many top-tier candidates, though not actively seeking work are open to new opportunities.
But remember, it takes a recruitment expert with a wide network of industry contacts and connections to overcome this obstacle.
Australia’s labour market shortage
In Australia’s competitive job market with a low 3.7% unemployment rate, attracting and retaining top Receptionist talent becomes a significant hurdle. As employers face heightened competition the need to seek advice from a professional recruiter is again made even more clear. Furthermore, as companies work tirelessly to hold onto their skilled Receptionists, it highlights the importance of having made the right long-term choice in the first place.
The Final Key to Finding the Right Receptionist
The last piece of the puzzle when securing the ideal Receptionist for your business lies in partnering with a dedicated office support recruitment agency like MJD Recruitment.
We have Consultants that work in specialised industry groups as well as Generalist Consultants that work across multiple sectors. We take the time to assess non-skill competencies that can’t be gathered from a resume. We conduct behavioural-based assessments and interviews to determine the behavioural competencies and motivations of potential Receptionist candidates to ensure they not only fit the job description but also align seamlessly with an organisation’s culture.
With a wide and trusted network that spans the entire office support industry, MJD Recruitment is sifting through the market daily and looking for Receptionist candidates who might not have otherwise been found through general job boards and ads.
Considering the right Receptionist can “make or break your business”, tapping into a specialist recruiter’s knowledge and network becomes crucial for a successful and efficient recruitment process.
Looking For a Specialised Office Support Recruitment Agency?
For office support, including Receptionist recruitment in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, MJD Recruitment is a trusted partner for staffing services by many high value organisations.
For further information on how we can assist, feel free to contact us at (02) 8042 1840 or via email at [email protected].
