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Receptionists are often talented multitaskers, able to manage multiple ongoing situations without breaking a sweat. In many companies, individuals are hired for their great computer skills, their ability to speak to people, or their organisational skills. Receptionists often boast all of these skills and more.
Receptionist jobs are often seen as short-term roles, part-time positions, or stepping stones on your overall career path. But being a career receptionist can actually be an incredibly fulfilling career path in itself, with great earning potential. If you’re looking for a new role and are looking for something rewarding, fun, and with great prospects, read on to find out which skills are essential to becoming a great receptionist.
Desired skills
• Strong Technology Skills: receptionists often perform several administrative tasks, from receiving visitors and answering phone calls, to scheduling appointments for clients and customers. These administrative tasks often require the use of different hardware and software. Many receptionists are already expected to have previous experience using phone systems, computers, printers, copiers, and be familiar with creating documents and spreadsheets. Knowing industry-specific software can be a big advantage as well. For example, knowing how to operate a visitor management system to streamline the process of signing in visitors, or having prior experience with applications like Calendly or Google Calendar to schedule meetings for key staff members.
• Great Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence: as the gatekeeper to your organisation, customer-facing staff must have great soft skills and emotional intelligence. Today’s consumers and visitors can be tough to deal with, and one poor customer complaint can seriously damage your brand. In fact, 39% of customers will avoid a company for two years after one bad customer service experience. While soft skills are often passed over for hard skills, it’s important any customer-facing staff are empathetic, friendly-yet-firm, punctual, and possess key relationship-building skills. Not only will receptionists be dealing with guests, but they’ll also be working with other staff members, visitors and contractors.
• Fantastic Communication Skills: receptionists are constantly interacting with guests who enter the facility, people who call in, and employees checking in and out. They may also be responsible for handling basic customer service issues and responding to email inquiries online. Juggling customer service activities and administrative tasks is no easy feat, especially when you’re constantly being interrupted. That’s why it’s increasingly important for receptionists to have robust communication skills. To understand information quickly and accurately, receptionists should learn how to be a good listener, engage in active listening, provide clear and concise information, and be empathetic and respectful of others. They should also have excellent writing and editing skills for drafting and proofing professional emails.
• Excellent Time Management Skills: receptionists have to complete many tasks within a short time frame. Balancing all these responsibilities while being constantly interrupted can hurt productivity levels. Having good time management skills allows them to structure their work effectively to accomplish goals. A good way to start is to set short and long-term SMART goals. They can also work on managing their calendars to prioritise their time more effectively. Whenever anyone is struggling to finish all the tasks required, consider delegating (where possible) and scheduling tasks beforehand. Receptionists should also avoid multitasking since it causes productivity to drop by 40%. We recommend leveraging software tools like a time tracker to manage time more effectively or to use other SaaS tools that can help keep things organised.
• Independent Approach to Work: since receptionists are often isolated from the main office, they need to be independent workers. Having a team of receptionists can help boost morale and productivity. However, if there’s only one receptionist at your company’s front desk, they need to have high initiative and be ready to deliver, even when the manager or boss is not there. Often, receptionists are not only responsible for administrative tasks and signing in visitors, but they also need to work on special projects or provide support for individual executives. It’s these circumstances where the receptionist needs to adjust the original job description to fit the new requirements in a changing business environment.
The role of a receptionist is far from being just a short-term position or a stepping stone in a career journey. It's a fulfilling career path in itself, offering great earning potential and a chance to make a significant impact on your organisation success.
To excel in this role, you need a diverse skill set, including strong technology skills to navigate various software and hardware, great soft skills and emotional intelligence to provide exceptional customer service, fantastic communication skills to interact with a wide range of people, excellent time management skills to handle multiple tasks efficiently, and an independent approach to work to adapt to changing business needs.
If you're considering a career as a receptionist or aiming to enhance your existing skills, our comprehensive Receptionist Course is the perfect choice. It will equip you with all the essential skills mentioned above and more, empowering you to thrive in this dynamic role. Don't miss out on this opportunity to unlock a rewarding and prosperous career as a receptionist. Order our course today and embark on a path filled with exciting possibilities. Your journey to becoming a top-notch receptionist starts here!
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