Receptionist Job Description
A reliable first point of contact who keeps the front of house welcoming, organised and safe. This template helps you advertise a professional receptionist for offices, clinics, schools or small businesses.
What does a Receptionist professional do?
A Receptionist handles visitor welcome, telephone and email triage, basic administration and day-to-day front-of-house duties in an office or public-facing setting.
Receptionist job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Receptionist
About the role
We are looking for a friendly Receptionist to manage our front desk and provide excellent customer service at [Company name] in [Location]. You will greet visitors, manage incoming calls and mail, coordinate meeting room bookings and support day-to-day administration. This is a [Hours] role offering [Salary] (or insert pay range).
Key responsibilities
- Greet visitors and provide a professional, warm first impression.
- Answer, route and take messages for incoming telephone calls and emails.
- Manage visitor sign-in/out, issue badges and monitor access to the building.
- Receive, sort and distribute incoming mail and accept deliveries.
- Book and prepare meeting rooms, maintain calendars and coordinate catering when required.
- Carry out basic administrative tasks such as filing, photocopying and data entry.
- Maintain a clean, tidy and safe reception area; order general office supplies.
- Follow company security, health and safety and safeguarding procedures.
Essential skills and experience
- Clear, professional communication and good interpersonal skills.
- Experience in a customer-facing or reception role, or strong transferable skills.
- Comfortable using office IT systems (email, telephone systems, basic MS Office or similar).
- Reliable, punctual and able to manage multiple tasks calmly.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Previous experience with phone switchboards or visitor management systems.
- Familiarity with diary/room-booking software and basic office accounting (e.g. petty cash).
- Second language relevant to the local community or client base.
- Customer-service qualification or short courses in reception/telephone skills.
- Experience working in the same sector (e.g. healthcare, legal, hospitality or education).
What we offer
- [Pension scheme – employer contribution details]
- [Annual leave entitlement]
- [Paid training and induction programme]
- [Flexible working/hours where applicable]
- [Season ticket loan or travel allowance – if offered]
- [Employee discount or benefits platform – if offered]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Receptionist role?
A Receptionist is the front-line representative of an organisation, responsible for managing visitor access, answering and directing calls, handling basic enquiries and supporting administrative workflows. They maintain an organised reception area, coordinate bookings and deliveries, and apply company policies for security and safeguarding. The role requires strong communication, attention to detail and a calm, service-oriented manner.
Core duties
Visitor welcome, call handling, mail and scheduling plus general administration.
Shift patterns
Often daytime hours; some roles require early/late shifts, split shifts or weekend cover.
Skills & traits
Professional communication, organisation, reliability and customer service focus.
Typical Receptionist responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Greet visitors
Greet visitors and provide a professional, warm first impression.
Answer
Answer, route and take messages for incoming telephone calls and emails.
Manage visitor sign-in/out
Manage visitor sign-in/out, issue badges and monitor access to the building.
Receive
Receive, sort and distribute incoming mail and accept deliveries.
Book and prepare meeting rooms
Book and prepare meeting rooms, maintain calendars and coordinate catering when required.
Carry out basic administrative tasks
Carry out basic administrative tasks such as filing, photocopying and data entry.
Maintain a clean
Maintain a clean, tidy and safe reception area; order general office supplies.
Follow company security
Follow company security, health and safety and safeguarding procedures.
Receptionist skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Clear, professional communication and good interpersonal skills.
- Experience in a customer-facing or reception role, or strong transferable skills.
- Comfortable using office IT systems (email, telephone systems, basic MS Office or similar).
- Reliable, punctual and able to manage multiple tasks calmly.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Previous experience with phone switchboards or visitor management systems.
- Familiarity with diary/room-booking software and basic office accounting (e.g. petty cash).
- Second language relevant to the local community or client base.
- Customer-service qualification or short courses in reception/telephone skills.
- Experience working in the same sector (e.g. healthcare, legal, hospitality or education).
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Receptionist job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about hours and shift patterns
Reception candidates prioritise clarity on start/finish times, rota expectations and any weekend or evening cover required.
List essential duties, keep perks as placeholders
Separate must-have skills (e.g. call handling) from desirable extras (e.g. second language). Use editable placeholders for benefits employers may offer.
Describe the front‑of‑house environment
Say whether the role is a busy corporate lobby, small office, healthcare setting or hospitality reception — this helps attract relevant applicants.
Include accessibility and reasonable adjustments
State whether the building is accessible and whether adjustments are available to encourage a wider range of applicants.
Receptionist salary considerations
Receptionist pay varies by location, sector and duties. Instead of a single figure, think about the factors below when setting a salary or pay scale.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Receptionist candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the exact working hours and rota?
Candidates need clarity about start/finish times, shift rotation, break arrangements and any overtime expectations before applying.
Is the workplace accessible and how do I get there?
Provide details about public transport links, parking availability, bike storage and step-free access where relevant.
Will I need any security checks or sector-specific checks?
Explain if a DBS or other checks are required (common in healthcare, education or certain regulated environments) and whether the employer will arrange/pay for them.
What training and progression is available?
Candidates want to know whether there is an induction, ongoing training (e.g. customer service, safeguarding) and potential routes to supervisory or administrative roles.
Who will I report to and what support is on-site?
Detail the receptionist's line manager, the size of the team and whether there is on-site security or administrative backup during busy periods.
Where to post a Receptionist job
For a receptionist vacancy, target a mix of general job boards and specialised administrative or sector-specific sites. Use local community boards and college/university career services to reach entry-level candidates, and consider professional networks or industry forums when recruiting for sector-specific receptions such as healthcare or hospitality. Ensure listings highlight shift details and accessibility to attract suitable applicants.
Related administration & office support job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Receptionist job description FAQs
How long should a receptionist job advert be?
Keep the advert concise: a short summary (one or two paragraphs), a clear list of key responsibilities and a distinct section for essential requirements. Candidates value clarity on hours, location and main duties.
Do receptionists need a DBS check?
Not generally for standard office receptions. DBS checks are required when the role involves regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults (for example in healthcare or education). Confirm sector-specific requirements before advertising.
Can we hire a receptionist without prior experience?
Yes. Many reception roles are entry-level and suitable for applicants with strong communication and customer-service skills. Make training and induction expectations clear and list experience as desirable rather than essential if you are open to training on the job.
What practical tests should we use in interviews?
Use short, realistic tasks such as a mock telephone call, data entry exercise or a visitor-facing scenario to assess communication, accuracy and composure under pressure.
Should we include a dress code in the advert?
Yes — state whether formal, smart-casual or uniform is required. Also mention any PPE or safety requirements that apply in your workplace.
Use this template to advertise your Receptionist role
Customise the sections above with specific location, hours and benefit details, then publish across the recommended channels to reach candidates with the right front-of-house skills and attitude.
