How To Hire a Receptionist and What To Look For

Receptionists play a vital role in virtually every service-based business. If you are looking to fill a receptionist role in your business or healthcare practice, following a few essential steps can help you find the ideal candidate and gain the most benefits from this professional role.

Discover how to hire a receptionist and the key qualities to look for in top candidates.

Why hire a receptionist?

Receptionists wear many hats in an organization, going beyond basic administrative tasks to perform duties that keep your business operational and efficient. 

The role receptionists play in the patient/client experience

Receptionists are the face of your business, serving as the primary point of contact for incoming calls, appointments, follow-ups, and in-office interactions. They set the tone for the client or patient experience and instill trust, comfort, and professionalism through their interactions. 

In many ways, receptionists bridge communication between clients/patients and their providers. When a client has a poor experience with a receptionist, that image can carry over into your practice as a whole, even if the provider delivers an exceptional experience on their end.

Operational benefits of a great receptionist for your practice

Excellent receptionists provide several important benefits for your business:

• Reduce bottlenecks at the front desk, streamlining appointment times for clients and providers
• Improve response times for calls and messages, helping clients feel heard and valued
• Keep the schedule full and optimized, maximizing revenue
• Provide administrative support that streamlines staff workflows, allowing providers to focus on delivering excellent care

Receptionists help your business operate more smoothly, which can directly impact staff retention and satisfaction.

Impact on business performance

The right receptionist can also benefit your business’s performance. Receptionists can promote:

• Higher patient satisfaction and retention
• Fewer missed calls, leading to fewer missed opportunities from potential clients
• A stronger brand reputation, especially for local service businesses in competitive industries

Where to find receptionists

Before you start posting your receptionist job description on job boards, take the time to think strategically about where you can find quality workers who meet your business’s needs.

Define your needs before you search

Start by defining your business’s needs and fleshing out the job description before you begin the hiring process. Asking yourself the following questions can help you refine your search and pinpoint top talent who will meet your business’s unique requirements.

• Do you need a part-time, full-time, or virtual receptionist?
• What types of industry-specific knowledge should they have? (Dental, medical, veterinary, optical, home services, etc.)
• What hours will they be required to work?
• What will their job title and duties be?
• Should they know any specific languages other than English?
• What salary range can you offer?
• What are the necessary skills for them to complete the job adequately?

It may also help to make a detailed list of the job duties the new receptionist will be responsible for. These may include:

• Making and answering phone calls
• Scheduling appointments for clients
• Greeting visitors
• Taking payments
• Communicating with health insurance companies about coverage
• Making travel arrangements for providers to attend conferences

Best places to look for your ideal candidate

Instead of creating a job posting on every outlet you can think of, identify the best places to post your job listing and attract the right candidates:

• Industry-specific groups and associations
• Local community colleges or vocational programs
• Social media groups for administrative professionals
• Job boards like Indeed or Glassdoor, with detailed job descriptions

You can also ask for referrals from other office managers in your industry or area.

Virtual receptionist or remote support options

Depending on your business’s needs, you might consider using a virtual receptionist or looking for remote support. A virtual receptionist may include an AI system or an actual human who works for your company remotely. Both types of solutions can answer phone calls, take messages, schedule appointments, and route calls 24/7 for your business’s operational efficiency, though their actual processes are distinct.

Virtual receptionists offer:

• After-hours coverage to promote client satisfaction
• No-show reduction through automated appointment reminders
• Cost savings compared to a full-time professional receptionist

Many practices use a combination of in-office and virtual receptionists to fill gaps as needed. Consider what tasks in your organization can be outsourced and which responsibilities require an in-office presence.

What to look for in a receptionist

When you hire a receptionist, it is important to look for a professional with the right experience and qualifications. But you should also look for the right skills for the job. Having certain soft skills can separate average candidates from top candidates who can bring the most benefits to your organization.

Essential organizational and interpersonal skills

Soft skills are attributes that reflect how a receptionist works, like communication and leadership. Hard skills are job-specific abilities, like medical coding or accounting. When you search for the right person to fill your receptionist role, it is important to look for both types of skills to find a well-rounded office professional.

The following skills are often helpful for receptionists:

• Strong communication skills, both in person and over the phone
• Multitasking abilities that allow them to excel in a fast-paced environment
• Scheduling and calendar management, including good organizational skills
• Conflict resolution and de-escalation to effectively communicate with disgruntled clients
• Time management and organization to stay on task and on schedule

You can evaluate these skills by asking how a candidate handled certain scenarios in the past or would handle specific challenges that they may encounter in your practice. Interviews are also excellent opportunities to evaluate a person’s communication skills.

Must-have qualities

Receptionist is a role in which a candidate’s personality can also make a significant difference in their ability to perform the job to your standards. Looking for certain personality traits can help you find a candidate that aligns with your organization’s values and creates the best impression of your company.

Keep these must-have qualities in mind as you evaluate candidates:

• A warm, welcoming demeanor
• Reliability and punctuality
• Attention to detail, especially with patient information
• Empathy, especially in healthcare or service-driven settings
• Sensitivity regarding private information
• An openness to learning new software and technology

Some of these traits can be challenging to evaluate in an interview. In these cases, it can be helpful to speak with a candidate’s references about their demeanor and overall personality.

Empower your front-desk staff with Weave

Receptionists are valuable members of your team, and choosing the right candidate to fill your receptionist role can benefit everything from your operations to your reputation. Your process of hiring a receptionist plays a critical role in your customer or patient experience, and approaching this process strategically is important.

A skilled receptionist improves communication, reduces scheduling friction, and helps your office run smoothly. The right hire can also build stronger relationships with clients, improve retention, and enhance operational efficiency.

Along with choosing the right person to fill your receptionist role, you can also leverage technology to streamline front desk tasks and enhance your receptionist’s performance. Weave is a modern communication platform that can aid virtually every step in your receptionist’s workflow, from patient communications to billing and payments.

Looking to empower your receptionist with tools that streamline scheduling, communication, and patient experience? Explore Weave’s all-in-one communications platform; request a demo today.

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