National Receptionist Day!
7th May 2019
Today is National Receptionist Day - a day dedicated to celebrating these unsung heroes of the workplace. Emma Hunter, who is responsible for managing our Office Personnel recruitment team, shares the benefits and attributes of a great receptionist in this blog post.
Emma shares more reasons to consider temporary reception work in this short video: Temp working for Office Personnel. It can be a great way of showing people what you can do, gaining work experience, developing skills and building your network. If you'd like to be considered for summer working as an Office Personnel temporary worker please send your CV to ehunter@thorpemolloy.com.
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You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression and nowhere is this more so than in a company's reception area where impressions are made within seconds of walking through the door.
Having a professional receptionist who provides a friendly welcome and is a great ambassador for your company brand is good for business.
If you really like working within a busy and people centred environment, reception is definitely the place to be. Perhaps you haven't considered reception roles before but with a high number of vacancies in this discipline it is possible to secure a good position quickly. Reception roles can also offer opportunities for part-time working or to gain work experience and if you opt for temporary work in this role you'll be exposed to a diverse range of environments and learning opportunities.
Emma knows how reception roles can develop. Here's Emma's top tips for what it takes to be a great receptionist:
1. Confidence - receptionists must be pleasant and confident, by being able to speak with every visitor you provide a friendly welcome, often helping to put people at ease.
2. Presentation - smart dress and attention to personal appearance are very important as visitors will remember the first impression you make.
3. Professionalism – represent your employer professionally by maintaining a high level of service at all times. Making personal calls, yawning or surfing the internet is not a good look!
4. Organisation – particularly on a busy reception desk it is important to be able to prioritise, be well organised and oh yes, be able to multi-task.
5. Communication – the ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally, so you can get your message across effectively whether you are working on email or on the telephone.
6. Reliability – being reliable and trustworthy is critical, quite often receptionists are responsible for opening and locking up office facilities.
7. Relationship building – it is impressive when a receptionist recognises a visitor and can also remember their name, this helps build long lasting relationships. At Thorpe Molloy Recruitment we constantly receive excellent feedback on our own receptionists because they are able to provide a genuine, personal welcome.