Receptionist Job Description Template
A Receptionist owns the first impression of a company, greeting visitors, managing incoming calls, and coordinating front-desk operations so guests, candidates, and staff all move through the office smoothly.
Use this receptionist job description template to find reliable employees for your company. Feel free to modify the receptionist duties and responsibilities as well as the qualifications listed below to fit your specific needs.
What Is a Receptionist?
A Receptionist is the first person a visitor, client, or candidate interacts with, typically stationed at a company's main entrance or lobby desk. The role ranges from an entry-level Front Desk Receptionist handling calls and check-ins, to a Senior or Executive Receptionist who also manages meeting room logistics, vendor access, and light office management duties. Most receptionists hold a high school diploma or equivalent, with some employers preferring a diploma or certificate in office administration. They typically report to an Office Manager or Administrative Manager, and their work touches nearly every department, since visitors, deliveries, and incoming calls for HR, sales, and leadership all pass through the front desk first.
What Does a Receptionist Do?
On a typical day, a Receptionist greets and signs in visitors using a digital visitor management system, answers and routes calls through the office phone or VoIP platform, and manages meeting room bookings through a shared calendar tool such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. They handle incoming mail and courier deliveries, keep the reception area and supplies stocked and presentable, and often provide light administrative support like scanning, filing, or data entry for other teams. When a visitor shows up unannounced, a call needs to be redirected fast, or a meeting room double-books, the receptionist is the one who catches it and resolves it before it disrupts the rest of the office.
Job Brief
We are seeking a personable Receptionist to own front-desk operations and be the first point of contact for our office, reporting directly to the Office Manager. In your first 30 days, you'll learn our visitor and call-routing systems, meeting room booking process, and courier procedures; by month three, you'll be running the front desk independently and handling light administrative requests from other departments without supervision. This is a strong entry point into office administration, with a natural next step toward an Office Coordinator or Executive Assistant role for candidates who want to grow.
Responsibilities
- Greet and check in visitors, candidates, and clients using the company's visitor management system
- Answer, screen, and route incoming calls through the office phone or VoIP system to the correct person or department
- Manage meeting room bookings and resolve scheduling conflicts using the shared office calendar
- Receive, sort, and distribute incoming mail, packages, and courier deliveries, and prepare outgoing shipments
- Maintain a clean, organized, and well-stocked reception area, including supplies and printed materials
- Coordinate access badges, visitor passes, and building security sign-in procedures for guests and vendors
- Provide light administrative support to other departments, such as scanning, filing, and data entry
- Escalate facilities issues (Wi-Fi, printers, air conditioning, cleaning) to the relevant vendor or building management contact
- Support onboarding logistics for new hires, including desk setup and welcome materials on their first day
Requirements and Skills
- High school diploma or equivalent; a certificate in office administration is a plus
- 1-2 years of experience in a receptionist, customer service, or front-desk role preferred
- Working knowledge of visitor management and access control systems such as Envoy or Proxyclick
- Fluent in English (spoken and written); an additional local language is an advantage
- Proficiency with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 (calendar, email, docs) and standard office equipment
- Comfort using a cloud-based phone or VoIP system such as RingCentral or Zoom Phone for call routing
- Certification in customer service or office administration, if applicable
- Strong multitasking ability and a calm, professional demeanor under a busy, interruption-heavy workload
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Frequently asked questions
A Receptionist greets visitors, manages incoming calls, and runs front-desk operations to keep the office running smoothly. They're often the first and last point of contact for anyone entering the building, from candidates to clients to couriers.
Core duties include welcoming and checking in visitors, answering and routing calls, and managing meeting room bookings and mail. Many receptionists also handle vendor access, light administrative support, and new-hire onboarding logistics.
A good Receptionist is personable, highly organized, and able to stay calm while juggling calls, visitors, and requests at the same time. Strong ones also anticipate problems, like a double-booked meeting room or an unannounced guest, before they become disruptions.
Receptionists typically report to an Office Manager or Administrative Manager, and interact daily with visitors, clients, candidates, and staff across every department. They also coordinate directly with couriers, building security, and facilities vendors.