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As a team, we have nearly fifty years of experience recruiting Receptionists across the UK and overseas from our offices in Manchester and London. Businesses have found that hiring a Receptionist can have several benefits. Often, a Receptionist is the first point of contact a visitor to your offices will have, and as we know, first impressions count. However, what do Receptionists look for in a role, and how do you attract them to your business? Below we share all of our expertise in hiring a Receptionist.
What is a Receptionist?
A Receptionist is often the first point of contact a visitor will have when visiting an office, and first impressions count. A Receptionist is not only responsible for meeting and greeting visitors, but also ensuring that your brand is portrayed how you want it to be.
A Receptionist will often be responsible for meeting and greeting visitors, answering telephone calls and showing visitors to meeting rooms. However, it is worth noting that while these are often core duties, there are often other responsibilities built into a receptionist's job description and not all Receptionist jobs are the same.
The truth is that Receptionists are a critical value to any business. Some of their tasks may also include booking meeting rooms, travel arrangements, setting up conferences, organising couriers, and dealing with deliveries; the list is endless.
It's also common for a Receptionist to undertake some Personal Assistant or Office Manager duties as part of their role.
The Receptionist role typically suits someone who enjoys interacting with different people, who likes being busy and who is comfortable getting involved in all different levels and types of duties, no matter how big or small.
Receptionist Jobs
If you're looking for a career that allows you to interact with people on a daily basis, a Receptionist job may be perfect for you. As a Receptionist, you will often be the first point of contact for visitors and callers, which means it is a crucial role in any organisation.
Receptionist jobs require excellent communication skills, as well as the ability to multitask and stay organised. Receptionists may be called upon to handle various tasks simultaneously, often with tight deadlines. They also have strong problem-solving skills and can think on their feet. Experience with office management software and technologies, such as spreadsheet and word processing programs, can also be helpful.
There are many opportunities for advancement and career development for Receptionists. With experience, you can move up to higher-level management positions or take on more responsibilities within your current role. In fact, the Receptionist role can often be combined with that of an Executive Assistant or Office Manager position. If you are seeking an exciting and challenging career that allows you to make a real difference in the success of a company, a job as a Receptionist may be the perfect fit for you.
It is also important to consider what kind of Receptionist job you are looking for. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
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Are you looking for a temporary or permanent Receptionist job?
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What industries are you looking to work in?
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Are you open to temporary to permanent Receptionist opportunities?
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Where are you looking to be based?
- Are you willing to be office-based?
Once you’ve got a good idea of what type of Receptionist job you are looking for, it’s time to start your search. Get in touch with a Receptionist recruitment agency to kick-start your search.
To find out more about the service that we offer at Lily Shippen and to browse our vacancies, just click below or head to Receptionist Jobs.
Receptionist Salaries
Receptionists play a crucial role in not only the first impressions but also the smooth running of a business.
The average salary for a Receptionist varies depending on a number of factors, including the size of the company, the industry in which it operates, and the office's location.
Salaries can range widely for Receptionists, with some earning £25,000 per annum and others earning over £40,000 per annum. Factors that can impact a Receptionist's salary include their level of experience, as well as the specific duties and responsibilities they handle. It's also worth noting that if a Personal Assistant is based at the reception desk, they will be paid a PA salary.
In Manchester, a Junior Receptionist can typically expect to earn between £21,000 per annum - £25,000 per annum and a Senior Receptionist £28,000 - £35,000 per annum. It's worth noting that Manchester Receptionist salaries depend on the role, industry and level of experience required. In London, a Junior Receptionist can expect to earn £25,000 per annum - £32,000 per annum, depending on the same factors. A Senior Receptionist in London can expect to be paid between £30,000 - £37,000 per annum. We often find that the larger salaries will reflect a role that is for a large business or has an element of Personal Assistant duties too.
In addition to a competitive salary, Receptionists will often receive benefits such as private medical insurance, discretionary bonuses and more. As a Receptionist, you can expect to work regular business hours, although some overtime may be required during busy periods.
How to become a Receptionist
If you are interested in becoming a Receptionist, there are several steps you can take to help secure a Receptionist job. It's important to note that whilst grades may help with your application, relevant hands-on transferable experience, coupled with the right attitude and work ethic, is usually what an employer will be focused on.
Receptionist jobs can sometimes be entry-level roles, and if this is the case, we would recommend focussing on writing a relevant cover letter, to make your application stand out. Other Receptionist jobs will require office experience, and so if this is the case, it is worth highlighting and referencing any temporary roles or work experience undertaken that aligns with the duties involved and skills used in a Receptionist job. Be sure to include any voluntary work, team-focused experience or extra-curricular activities that showcase your personality and skill set too.
As a general rule of thumb, the below skills and personality traits should equip you well in a Receptionist role:
- Emotional Intelligence
- Time management
- Excellent organisation skills
- Ability to prioritise
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
- Innovative thinker
- Problem-solver
- Ability to build up long-lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
- Team player
- Business acumen
- Ability to use initiative and take ownership of tasks
- Tech-savvy
- Self-motivated
Here are some more tips on how to become a Receptionist:
- Develop your communication skills: As a Receptionist, you'll be interacting with people on a daily basis. It's important to have excellent communication skills. You could gain experience working in a customer service role.
- Gain relevant skills and experience: Many Receptionist jobs will require proficiency in computer software programmes, telephone systems and other office equipment. If you can, consider gaining some voluntary work experience, or taking an online course.
- Build your CV: It's important to have a well-written CV that highlights your skills and experience.
- Apply for Receptionist jobs: Look for job vacancies on job boards and company websites.
Receptionist Recruitment Agencies
Once you’ve identified that you want to hire a Receptionist, it is important to do your research in order to understand what Receptionists are looking for out of a role. Having a better insight into what a Receptionist wants/needs will set you apart from other companies within the market and help you to ensure that what you are offering is attractive and competitive in order to attract the top talent. Most Receptionists want the following out of their role:
- To feel valued and that their role is contributing to the business's success.
- The opportunity for career progression. This may be by taking on additional responsibilities, or a career pathway to other roles.
- A supportive and accepting culture where their voice and opinion is heard and where they are rewarded for their hard work.
- A competitive salary and benefits package.
- The ability to grow their role over time, make suggestions and contribute.
After you have researched what Receptionists are looking for, you can begin to search for the perfect candidate. The next steps are to think about how to sell the position available, what salary you wish to pay, and what level of experience the role will warrant. A well-written Receptionist job description that outlines the company, culture, and scope of the role is key to attracting top talent in the market. A reputable Receptionist recruitment agency that specialises in this type of role should be well-equipped to help you with market intel, job description templates, examples, and accurate salary benchmarking information.
Why work with a specialist recruitment agency to hire a Receptionist?
Working with a specialist recruitment agency will take the leg work out of recruiting for this type of role. Specialist recruitment agencies will have a brilliant understanding of the role and what is required. They will also have an excellent network of suitable candidates to tap into to ensure you are only being sent candidates that are 100% suited to the role and what you’re looking for in an individual. They will support you in thoroughly vetting each candidate that applies and will shortlist only those they feel will be perfect for you and your business requirements.
A specialist Receptionist recruitment agency will have a greater understanding of how best to sell the role you are offering in order to attract the top talent in the market and will be able to advise you on how to write an appealing job specification, offer you advice on salary benchmarking, market intel, interview support etc.
A specialist Receptionist recruitment agency will take the time to get to know you as a company, what is important to you and the type of person who will fit within your organisation. In addition to this, they will take the time to meet each candidate that they register, ensuring that the personality and experience fit is there before sending CVs across to you to review.
How to decide what specialist Receptionist recruitment agency to work with
Ask your network for recommendations! Good people know good people. More likely than not, someone in your network will have worked with a specialist agency to hire a Receptionist before, and if they were impressed with them, that’s a good starting point! At Lily Shippen, we are fortunate to have received a great deal of work through referrals from companies or individuals who have worked with us previously. In fact, 83% of our business comes from client referrals, which goes to show that reputation is key when looking to partner with an agency to recruit business support professionals for your business.
Look at their reviews – A good agency should have excellent google and/or Feefo reviews. This will give you an insight into how reputable they are, and how other clients and candidates have found working with that agency. This will go a long way in showcasing their reputation and credibility.
Research their values – Does the recruitment agency have their company values listed on their website? This can really help you to understand their mission statement, what’s important to them and how they operate. Do their values align with your personal and company values?
Could you take a look at their social media channels? Reputable recruitment agencies should be active on social media and regularly post advice and share content to showcase that they are experts in their field and are willing to go above and beyond for their clients and candidates alike.
Book a call or a meeting with them if you still need clarification. Give the recruitment agency the opportunity to pitch their services to you and showcase what value they can bring and why you should work with them over another agency!
If you would like a Receptionist Job Description Template, you can find one here.
Read our blog - Four Reasons why you should hire a Receptionist.
Looking for a business support job in Manchester or London?
A team of experts who understand the role and you so we can add value at every stage. Below are just a few of the titles that we recruit for:
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Team Assistant
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Receptionist
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Chief of Staff
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Private Personal Assistant
As a boutique executive and business support recruitment partner, we are experts at understanding what makes the perfect 'fit' for a business, which enables us to work across multiple sectors, including property; financial services; insurance; legal; advertising, marketing and public relations; start-ups; telecommunications; and private individuals and family offices.
Thoroughly vetting and getting to know every candidate that we represent helps us to tailor our recruitment service and set everyone up to succeed, ensuring that you secure the best talent for your business.
