Receptionist Job Description

Do you wonder what a Receptionist does? Receptionists are in many ways the face of the company. Their job is to greet and welcome visitors, answer the phone, and take care of the general office management.

Scroll down for our free Receptionist job ad template!

What is a Receptionist’s job description?

Receptionists are in charge of the reception area of the company and have a variety of tasks. Office and inventory management, welcoming clients and customers, directing visitors across the business, and answering the phone are just some examples of what a receptionist does.

Essential parts of a Receptionist’s job description:

Receptionists can be found in any industry in companies ranging from medium-sized businesses to large-scale enterprises
Their task portfolio and specific job role often highly depend on the size of the business, as they tend to have a broader range of responsibilities in smaller companies
As the first point of contact for many of your business clients and customers you want the Receptionist to be an exceptionally warm and friendly communicator with impeccable organisational skills
Receptionists are central figures in your organisation who have to collaborate with colleagues from across all departments

Interview questions available

Also see our Receptionist interview questions

Receptionist Job Description Example

Be clear in your description. Know the tasks of the role and ideally who the candidate should be.
This means you won’t need to read through too many CVs to find your superstar.
You might be tempted to use bullet points in this section, but resist the urge! Tell a story, show off all the cool things they would be responsible for, and get them excited to apply.
You should be more focused on your company culture and what your mission is, instead of their daily tasks.

About the role

English

Deutsch

Do you have positive energy and a welcoming smile that brightens the room? Do you make a great first impression? Are you always both friendly and professional in your communication, whether in-person or over the phone? Then you might just be the person we’re looking for!

We are currently looking for a new Receptionist to manage the reception area of {Company_Name} HQ in {Company_Location}. As the first point of contact for new and existing customers, you will become the face of our organisation. Meeting and greeting people, directing visitors, and answering the phone are some of your main tasks. You will also be in charge of most of our office management, which includes responsibilities such as ordering office supplies and overseeing office maintenance.

To be successful in this role you need to have excellent communication skills (both written and verbal). impeccable organisational skills, and the ability to handle pressure. Do you think you’re up for the challenge? Then apply with us today!

Du steckst voller positiver Energie und hast ein einladendes Lächeln, das den Raum erhellt? Du machst einen guten ersten Eindruck? Du bist immer freundlich und professionell in deiner Kommunikation, ob persönlich oder am Telefon? Du bist ein multitaskingfähiges, belastbares Organisationstalent und bewahrst auch in stressigen Situationen stets die Ruhe? Dann bist du genau die Person, nach der wir suchen!

Wir von {Unternehmen_Name} suchen derzeit einen Rezeptionisten (m/w/d) für den Empfangsbereich unseres Hauptsitzes in {Firmenstandort}. Als erste Anlaufstelle für neue und bestehende Kunden bist du das Gesicht und die Stimme unseres Unternehmens und sorgst von der Begrüßung über die Weiterleitung bis zur Verabschiedung für ein rundum positives Kundenerlebnis. Du verantwortest außerdem, dass die benötigten Arbeits- und Büromaterialien jederzeit verfügbar und einsatzbereit sind. Bewirb dich jetzt und werde Teil unseres motivierten Teams!

This section is all about your candidate's experience and responsibilities. You should outline very clearly what they should expect from the job role, not from the company itself.
You should use language that speaks to the candidate directly, use of “you”, “we” and “our” are all positives.
Hard skills in this section are important, but don’t overlook the significance of soft skills, like communication and being a team player, these can make a huge difference to the way people work alongside each other and gel professionally.
What do you believe in, and what are your core values?

Receptionist Responsibilities

English

Deutsch

Remember these are example responsibilities, not all of these will be relevant to your specific job ad. Please edit the text to match your company’s needs.

• Meet and greet visitors to our office in a professional, friendly, and warm manner.
• Respond to visitor questions and direct them to the right person or department.
• Answer phone calls politely and provide assistance.
• Assist customers and colleagues with office equipment operations, such as printing documents or cleaning the coffee machine.
• Manage the reception area and ensure it is clean and tidy at all times.
• Receive and distribute any incoming mail or deliveries.
• Conduct office management duties, such as keeping inventory of our office supplies and ordering new office equipment when needed.
• Schedule meetings and update company calendars.

Denken Sie daran, dass es sich hier um Beispiele für Aufgaben handelt, die nicht alle für Ihre spezifische Stellenanzeige relevant sind. Bitte passen Sie den Text an die Bedürfnisse Ihres Unternehmens an.

• Du empfängst und begrüßt Besucher in unserem Büro professionell, freundlich und herzlich.
• Du beantwortest die Fragen der Besucher und verweist sie an die richtige Person oder Abteilung.
• Du nimmst Telefonanrufe höflich entgegen und bietest Hilfe an.
• Du unterstützt deine Kollegen bei der Bedienung von Bürogeräten, z. B. beim Drucken von Dokumenten oder Reinigen der Kaffeemaschine.
• Du verwaltest den Empfangsbereich und sorgst dafür, dass er stets sauber und aufgeräumt ist.
• Du nimmst eingehende Post oder Lieferungen entgegen und verteilst sie.
• Du erledigst Verwaltungsaufgaben, wie z. B. die Inventarisierung unseres Büromaterials und die Bestellung neuer Büromaterialien, falls erforderlich.
• Du planst Besprechungen und aktualisierst den Terminkalender des Unternehmens.

This section is essential to finding the candidate with the skills and qualifications that will help them in their job role.
This should be clear and concise and set boundaries for submissions.
The more information you add to your skills section, the less candidates you’ll have to sift through to find the right one.
This would waste both your time and the potential candidate so avoid being wordy as much as possible. Think about what would be an essential part of this role, and what would the applicant need to be successful in the job?

Requirements for Receptionist

English

Deutsch

Remember these are example requirements, not all of these will be relevant to your specific job ad. Please edit the text to match your company’s needs.

• Proven work experience as a Receptionist or in a similar capacity.
• Professional, warm, and friendly personality.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Great phone handling skills.
• Proficient in word processing, emailing, and calendar scheduling tools such as Microsoft Office or the Google Suite.
• High typing speed of at least 40 wpm.
• Ability to multitask and independently prioritise your workload.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Some office management experience (e.g. taking inventory) is strongly preferred.
• Fluent in (professional) English in both writing and speaking.

Denken Sie daran, dass es sich hierbei um Beispielanforderungen handelt, die nicht alle auf Ihre spezifische Stellenanzeige zutreffen. Bitte passen Sie den Text an die Bedürfnisse Ihres Unternehmens an.

• Du bringst nachweislich Berufserfahrung als Rezeptionist oder in einer ähnlichen Funktion mit.
• Du bist eine professionelle, herzliche und freundliche Persönlichkeit.
• Du verfügst über ausgezeichnete zwischenmenschliche und kommunikative Fähigkeiten.
• Du hast eine freundliche Telefonstimme und pflegst erstklassige Umgangsformen am Telefon.
• Du beherrschst die Textverarbeitungs-, E-Mail- und Kalenderprogramme wie Microsoft Office oder die Google Suite.
• Du tippst blitzschnell und kannst Informationen im Handumdrehen verschriftlichen.
• Du beherrschst hervorragende Multitasking- und Zeitmanagementfähigkeiten und kannst deine Aufgaben selbständig priorisieren.
• Du besitzt idealerweise bereits Erfahrung in der Büroorganisation (z. B. Inventur).
• Du beherrschst die englische Sprache fließend in Wort und Schrift.

Need inspiration?

Your job description will not attract talent all on its own. So when putting together your job post, be sure to show what it's like working at your company not just textually but visually!

Remember, attracting a candidate is just as much about your company culture as the job role itself. Make sure to include points that make you seem desirable too!
Add photos that show off your office space, team events and your team having a great time.
Maybe you could include a video of some team members explaining why they love coming to work, or why they like their role.
Include a grid of attractive perks with some nice illustrations. Maybe you have unlimited holidays, or you have an attractive parental leave cover - show off!
Why not embed your company's Instagram feed to give a IRL overview of the day-to-day.