Receptionist Job Description: Duties, Skills & Template

Receptionists are often the first point of contact for your business, greeting visitors, answering calls, and keeping the front desk moving. They heavily shape your first impression to customers, and could mean the difference between whether they return in the future.

A clear receptionist job description helps you hire someone who can handle this responsibility with calm, friendly professionalism, and makes it clear what receptionists do day to day and how they support the team.

This guide gives you a copy-and-paste template, core duties and skills, variations for front desk and specialized roles (like medical or hotel receptionists), and pointers on how strong candidates describe the job on a resume.

TL;DR: Receptionist job descriptions

Having a strong job description for receptionist roles will help you find the right fit for your business by outlining key responsibilities, required skills, and work environment details. 

Receptionist job descriptions should include: 

• Key receptionist responsibilities: Front desk coverage, visitor check-in, phone and email handling, scheduling, message routing, and light admin tasks like data entry and filing.
• Receptionist qualifications and requirements: Previous experience as a receptionist, following any relevant requirements around visitor privacy and confidentiality, excellent organization and communication skills.
• Specialist training: Any industry-specific tasks, software, and training for roles in your business setting. 
• Scheduling and physical expectations: Availability for your business hours, standing and lifting ability. 

What this guide offers: 

• A copy-and-paste template to customize for your receptionist job posting.
• In-depth look at the skills, responsibilities, and qualifications of a receptionist. 
• Example job descriptions for receptionists in specialized settings, including medical, dental, and veterinary offices, hotel front desks, and virtual receptionists. 

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Receptionist job description and template

When you’re hiring a receptionist, you want to write a job post that works. It helps to have something solid to start from instead of writing from scratch. This template covers the essentials: you can fill in your business name, adjust the responsibilities, and fine-tune the tone so it sounds like your workplace.

Job title: Receptionist

Job summary
We’re looking for a friendly, organized receptionist to be the first point of contact at [Business Name]. In this role, you’ll greet visitors, answer and route calls, manage front desk flow, and provide basic administrative support to keep our office running smoothly.

Key responsibilities

• Welcome visitors, clients, and vendors in a professional, courteous manner
• Answer and direct incoming calls; take clear, accurate messages when needed
• Monitor the front desk area to ensure guests are checked in and assisted promptly
• Schedule, confirm, and update appointments or meetings using our booking system
• Respond to basic inquiries in person, by phone, and via email, and route more complex questions to the right team member
• Receive, sort, and distribute mail and deliveries
• Maintain a tidy, organized reception area and ensure sign-in materials are stocked
• Assist with data entry, filing, document preparation, or other administrative tasks as assigned
• Follow company policies around visitor sign-in, security, and confidentiality

Required skills and qualifications

• Previous experience in a receptionist, front desk, or customer-facing role is preferred
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Comfortable answering multi-line phones and using basic office software (email, calendars, word processing, spreadsheets)
• Excellent organization, attention to detail, and time management
• Professional, calm demeanor, even during busy periods or with upset visitors
• Reliability and punctuality

Schedule expectations

• Typical schedule: [e.g., Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.]
• May require occasional early, late, or weekend coverage depending on business needs
• On-site presence at the front desk for most of the shift; limited remote work in this role

Physical/work environment requirements

• Able to sit, stand, and move between front desk and nearby office areas throughout the day
• Frequent use of computer, phone, and standard office equipment
• Occasional lifting or moving of small packages, office supplies, or files (up to [X] lbs / [X] kg)
• Working in a lobby, reception, or open office environment with regular in-person interactions

Compensation

• [Hourly wage range] based on experience, plus [benefits if applicable, e.g., PTO, health benefits]
• [Optional] Performance-based incentives, such as customer service or attendance bonuses

What does a receptionist do?

In plain terms, a receptionist keeps the front of the house running. They’re the person visitors see when they walk in, the voice callers hear when they dial your main number, and the one making sure messages get to the right place.

Day to day, that usually includes:

• Greeting visitors: Welcoming people as they arrive, checking them in, letting their contact know they’re here, and making sure they know where to go or where to wait.
• Answering phones: Picking up calls quickly, answering simple questions, routing calls to the right person, and taking detailed messages when someone’s unavailable.
• Managing front desk flow: Keeping an eye on who’s in the lobby, managing the order of appointments or walk-ins, and preventing bottlenecks at the desk.
• Supporting office operations: Handling mail, supplies, basic paperwork, and simple admin tasks that keep the rest of the team focused on their work.

If you’ve ever walked into a business and immediately felt either taken care of or ignored, that’s the receptionist’s impact.

Receptionist duties and responsibilities

A good receptionist job description should break out responsibilities into a few clear categories. That makes it easier for candidates to imagine the job and for you to set expectations.

Front desk and customer service

This is the most visible part of the role:

• Greeting visitors: Receptionists welcome guests, clients, and vendors, offer initial help, and follow any check-in or security procedures your workplace requires.
• Managing appointments: They confirm bookings, check people in and out for appointments or meetings, and keep the day’s schedule moving as smoothly as possible.
• Directing inquiries: When someone arrives or calls with a question, receptionists either answer it directly or route it to the right person or department.

Communication and coordination

Receptionists are often the communication bridge between visitors and the rest of the team:

• Phone and email handling: They answer phones, manage voicemails, respond to basic email inquiries, and forward messages to the right inboxes.
• Internal communication: When it comes to team communication, receptionists notify staff about arrivals, deliveries, and schedule changes, and pass along important updates to keep everyone aligned.
• Message management: They take clear, complete messages (names, contact info, reason for call) and make sure those messages get to the intended recipient promptly.

Administrative support

Even in a simple front desk role, there’s usually some admin work in the mix:

• Data entry: Entering contact details, updating appointment notes, or maintaining simple logs (like visitor sign-in sheets).
• Filing: Keeping paper or digital files organized so information is easy to find later.
• Office organization: Monitoring front desk supplies, keeping the reception area tidy, and occasionally helping with small projects for other departments.

Front desk receptionist duties and responsibilities

A front desk receptionist (or front desk clerk) typically handles everything a general receptionist does, but often in higher-traffic environments like busy offices, clinics, or salons.

The core differences usually include:

• Higher visitor volume: Front desk receptionists may greet a steady flow of people throughout the day—from clients and patients to vendors and delivery drivers—and need to keep their tone friendly and consistent.
• Appointment flow: They frequently manage complex calendars, ensure people are checked in for the right time and provider, and smooth over delays by keeping visitors updated.
• On-site presence expectations: Front desk roles often require being physically at the desk for most of the shift, with coverage planned for breaks so the desk is rarely unattended.

If you’re hiring specifically for a front desk receptionist, make it clear how busy the desk is, how many visitors they might see in a day, and whether they’ll be the only person at the front or part of a team.

Receptionist duties and skills

Duties describe what a receptionist does, but skills explain how they do it well. When you’re hiring, it helps to connect the two directly so candidates understand why each skill matters and what they can bring to the team.

Core receptionist skills

• Communication: Receptionists need clear, polite communication in person, on the phone, and in writing. This is what helps callers feel heard, visitors feel welcomed, and coworkers stay informed.
• Organization: Keeping track of visitors, appointments, messages, and small admin tasks requires strong organizational habits, otherwise things slip through the cracks.
• Multitasking: Receptionists often juggle ringing phones, arriving visitors, and email notifications at the same time, so they need to prioritize calmly and avoid getting flustered.
• Professionalism: Because they’re the first impression of your business, receptionists should maintain a professional appearance, tone, and attitude, even during stressful moments.
• Technology proficiency: Modern front desk duties rely on tools like email, calendars, booking systems, and sometimes messaging apps or customer databases. Comfort with basic software is essential.

You can reinforce this in your receptionist job description by tying each skill to a real duty. For example, “strong communication skills to handle busy phones and in-person inquiries at the same time.”

How to describe a receptionist on a resume

When you think about a strong receptionist resume, it’s rarely just a list of “answered phones” and “greeted visitors.” The best examples highlight the impact of the role and the environment they handled. They usually call out things like:

• Customer service experience: Rather than a vague “helped customers,” they describe how they greeted visitors, handled check-ins, de-escalated tense situations, or supported clients and patients through tricky moments.
• Front desk volume handled: They give a sense of pace and setting, whether they managed a busy medical office, a high-traffic hotel lobby, a multi-tenant corporate building, or a smaller studio with more personalized service.
• Administrative support tasks: Strong resumes spell out the office work behind the scenes, like data entry, scheduling, basic billing support, inventory checks, or other admin tasks they took on in addition to greeting guests.
• Software familiarity: They name the tools they used every day (phone systems, booking or calendar tools, CRM software, email platforms, and messaging apps) so it’s clear they’re comfortable with the tech side of front desk work.

A simple, strong resume summary for a receptionist might look like:

“Detail-oriented receptionist with 3+ years of experience managing a busy front desk in a medical office. Skilled at greeting patients, handling multi-line phones, scheduling appointments, and coordinating with providers while maintaining a calm, professional environment.”

When your job description is clear, the best candidates can mirror your language and make it easier for you to spot a good match.

Receptionist job description by role type

Many businesses need reception support, but the details change a lot by setting. You can start with the general template from earlier, then plug in industry-specific duties, tools, and schedule expectations like this.

Medical receptionist job description

[Clinic Name] is seeking a medical receptionist to welcome patients to our [clinic, hospital, etc]. On top of greeting patients and answering phones, you will check patients in, verify insurance, collect co-pays, and manage appointments in our electronic health record (EHR) or practice management system. The ideal candidate must follow strict rules around confidentiality and HIPAA in order to respect patient privacy. Schedules often include early mornings, extended hours, or shift rotations.

Dental receptionist job description

[Dental Office] is searching for a dental receptionist to work at our front desk. Receptionist job duties include booking and confirming cleanings and procedures, verifying dental insurance, and explaining basic billing or treatment details in plain language. You will  coordinate closely with hygienists and dentists to keep rooms turning over smoothly. Must be available for  heavy volume on certain days (like evenings or Saturdays), and comfortable relying on dental practice software to manage recalls, reminders, and follow-up.

Hotel front desk receptionist job description

We’re looking for a front desk receptionist to join our team at [Hotel Name]. You will check guests in and out, assign rooms, handle payments, answer questions about amenities or the local area, and resolve guest concerns in a polite and hospitable manner. The ideal candidate should be familiar with using a property management system (PMS) and may be measured on guest satisfaction scores as well as efficiency. Must be available for shifts that can include nights, weekends, and holidays.

Veterinary receptionist job description

[Veterinary Clinic Name] is hiring for a veterinary receptionist to join our team. Front desk responsibilities include handling emotionally sensitive situations: checking in pets and owners, scheduling visits, handling payments, updating medical records, and sometimes supporting conversations about serious diagnoses or end-of-life care. Must be available for flexible shifts that include  evening or weekend hours to accommodate urgent visits. Our ideal candidate should be comfortable  with practice software, animals, and distressed owners.

Virtual receptionist job description

[Business Name] is hiring a virtual receptionist to support our team remotely. Instead of greeting visitors in person, our candidate will answer calls, route inquiries, schedule appointments, and handle basic intake using VoIP phones, scheduling tools, and CRMs or ticketing systems. This is a great role for an independent, responsive, and highly organized candidate with past receptionist experience. 

For any of these roles, you can start with the general receptionist template, then add a short section like the examples above that spells out the specific environment, tools, and schedule so candidates know what kind of front desk they’re stepping into.

FAQs about receptionist roles

What is a receptionist job description?

A receptionist job description is a summary of what a receptionist does for your business: greeting visitors, handling phones and emails, managing the front desk, and providing basic administrative support. It usually includes key responsibilities, required skills, schedule expectations, and details about the work environment and pay.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a receptionist?

Common receptionist duties and responsibilities include welcoming visitors, answering and routing calls, managing appointments, taking messages, handling mail and deliveries, and keeping the reception area organized. Many receptionists also help with data entry, filing, and simple office tasks for the team.

What are typical receptionist duties?

Typical receptionist duties usually include:Typical receptionist duties include greeting and checking in visitors, answering phones and directing calls, scheduling or confirming appointments, and managing front desk emails or other inquiries. They also sort mail and deliveries and keep the reception area clean, tidy, and welcoming.

What are the 5 skills of a receptionist?

While every role is different, five important receptionist skills tend to show up again and again: clear verbal and written communication, strong organization and attention to detail, the ability to multitask under pressure, professionalism in both appearance and behavior, and solid comfort with basic office and scheduling software.

What does a front desk receptionist do?

A front desk receptionist does everything a typical receptionist does, with an extra focus on managing high visitor or guest volume. They handle check-ins, keep appointments running on time, answer questions, and coordinate with the rest of the team so clients, patients, or guests feel taken care of from the moment they arrive.

Strong receptionist descriptions for a welcoming front desk

A clear, detailed receptionist job description makes it easier to attract people who can handle the pace of the front desk while keeping interactions friendly and professional. When you spell out duties, skills, schedule expectations, and environment upfront, candidates know what they’re signing up for, and you’re more likely to make a hire that sticks.

Once you’ve brought the right receptionist on board, tools like Homebase can help you manage their schedule, track time, and keep day-to-day operations organized, so your front desk stays covered and your team can focus on running the business.

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