How to hire a director of front office

How to hire a director of front office, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of front office hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of front office job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of front office
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of front office do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the director of front office you need to hire. Certain director of front office roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of front office's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of front office from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of front office salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Front Office	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Front Office	Lodging managers ensure that guests on vacation or business travel have a pleasant experience at a hotel, motel, or other types of establishment with accommodations. They also ensure that the establishment is run efficiently and profitably.	$23-59
   Hotel Manager	A hotel manager is in charge of overseeing the daily operations in a hotel, ensuring smooth workflow and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around assessing the performance of the workforce, devising strategies to improve hotel sales, coordinating with staff, managing schedules, and resolving issues and concerns promptly... Show more	$20-53
   Night Shift Manager	A night shift manager is an executive professional who is responsible for supervising night shift production to ensure that optimal customer services and cost objectives are met. Night shift managers must ensure that federal safety standards and environmental disposal protocols are followed by their employees... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reservations
   • Quality Standards
   • Front Office Operations
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Phone Calls
   • Cleanliness
   • Payroll
   • Guest Issues
   • Hotel Policies
   • Night Audit
   • Exceptional Guest
   • Guest Complaints
   • PBX
   • Sops

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
   • Yield rates to optimize revenue and balance PMS / CRS inventory daily.
   • Maintain cleanliness and organization of back office, front desk and bell closet areas.
   • Handle detailed group bookings pertaining to their VIP arrivals, special request and account billings.
   • Provide excellent service as it pertains to all front office functions including check/in-out, PBX, and bell service.
   • Organize and develop a report to track VIP's and special care guest including time share owners and repeat clientele.

   More director of front office duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of front office job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A director of front office salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, directors of front office' average salary in alaska is 42% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of front office earn 60% less than senior-level directors of front office.
   • Certifications. A director of front office with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a director of front office's salary.

   Average director of front office salary

   $78,170yearly

   $37.58 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of front office salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average director of front office salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$98,992	$48
   2	New York	$96,774	$47
   3	Virginia	$93,199	$45
   4	Vermont	$90,025	$43
   5	California	$88,614	$43
   6	Connecticut	$88,343	$42
   7	Maryland	$85,382	$41
   8	Louisiana	$84,966	$41
   9	Ohio	$83,960	$40
   10	Utah	$81,759	$39
   11	Rhode Island	$79,257	$38
   12	Michigan	$78,032	$38
   13	Hawaii	$77,067	$37
   14	Massachusetts	$76,814	$37
   15	Oregon	$76,338	$37
   16	Pennsylvania	$74,023	$36
   17	Washington	$72,319	$35
   18	Arizona	$72,253	$35
   19	Georgia	$71,029	$34
   20	Nebraska	$69,131	$33

   Average director of front office salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	MUFG EMEA	$129,566	$62.29
   2	Stanford University	$112,962	$54.31
   3	University of California	$106,187	$51.05	16
   4	Harvard University	$93,184	$44.80
   5	Edward Jones	$91,305	$43.90	649
   6	University of Southern California	$87,097	$41.87	7
   7	Hireology	$86,384	$41.53
   8	University of Washington	$84,444	$40.60
   9	Davidson Kempner	$84,137	$40.45
   10	Carnegie Mellon University	$82,075	$39.46	1
   11	Doubletree	$78,995	$37.98	21
   12	PM Holdings LLC	$78,995	$37.98	12
   13	Eagle Family Foods Inc	$78,995	$37.98
   14	*n/a*	$78,931	$37.95	7
   15	ARLO	$78,449	$37.72	3
   16	Arlo Hotels	$77,040	$37.04	5
   17	Women's Business Development Center	$76,821	$36.93
   18	Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants	$75,802	$36.44	37
   19	Aimbridge Hospitality	$75,753	$36.42
   20	Benchmark Group	$75,674	$36.38

4. Writing a director of front office job description

   A director of front office job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a director of front office job description:

   Director of front office job description example

   Responsible for the long-term direction of the front desk, PBX, concierge, transportation, valet, and bell desk which supports all front office functions for the Main Lodge, Villas and Holiday Inn Club Vacation and the transportation needs campus wide.Also responsible for coordinating the policies and procedures of the department making the flow of information through the hotel more efficient.Collaborate with the Director of Guest Services to ensure associates have thorough understanding and training in policies and procedures and that communication is seamless.
   Essential Functions:
   Maintain a complete knowledge of and comply with all hotel/departmental policies/service procedures/standards. Maintain complete knowledge of correct maintenance and use of equipment.Use equipment only as intended. Provide budgets/forecasting numbers accurately and on time upon request. Provide end of Period review and analysis monthly Track all group billing by date, person settling account, group code, and room charge total for each group settled Anticipate guest's needs, respond promptly, and acknowledge all guests, however busy and whatever time of day. Manage Guest Satisfaction and service recovery for all guests with responsibility for the growth or retention of positive NPS scores Monitor and maintain cleanliness, sanitization and organization of assigned work areas. Maintain complete knowledge at all times of: All hotel features/services, hours of operations All room types, numbers, layout, décor, appointments and locations All room rates, special packages and promotions Daily house count and expected arrivals/departures Room availability status and rate for any given day All hotel departmental policies and procedures Access all functions in the Property Management System (PMS). Ensure current information on rates, packages and promotions is available to the front desk and room reservations. Review future group requests and how they may affect the front desk.Prepare the Front Desk for these events. Assign work duties to staff Constantly monitor staff performance in all phases of service and job functions; rectify any deficiencies with respective personnel to include front desk staff. Monitor group VIP's and verify that they are registered and treated in accordance with hotel standards. Monitor arrival/event patterns and work closely with front desk scheduling to verify that the desk is appropriately staffed. Monitor group early arrival requests to verify that they are given the first available clean room. Assist staff with their job functions to ensure optimum service to the guests Adhere to hotel requirements for guest/employee accidents or injuries and in emergency situations. Ensure the security of guest information and guest room access. Review all group no-shows, verify and ensure billing of such. Anticipate sold-out situations and know how many rooms are overbooked.Handle overbooked or "walked" guests. Review all resumes for arriving groups; organize and coordinate master accounts and check-in/pre-registration procedures. Coordinate delivery time of amenities with room service, ensuring timely delivery. Review requests for late checkouts and approve according to occupancy.Communicate all late checkouts to housekeeping. Provide feedback to staff on their performance through timely evaluations and coaching.Handle disciplinary problems and counsel employees in collaboration with the Director of Guest Services. Foster and promote a cooperative working climate, maximizing productivity and employee morale. Manage night audit staff to ensure accurate and timely reporting on the hotels daily financial information to corporate office in coordination with the Accounting department.
   
   Position Requirements:
   
   Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Creative. Able to work independently, has good judgment, problem solving, and decision-making skills. Organization and time management skills.Service oriented. Good oral and written communication towards guests, supervisors, peers, and/or subordinates. Able to guide, direct, and motivate subordinates. Knowledge of the PMS System, Microsoft Systems.
   
   Education/Experience: Bachelor's in Hospitality preferred.Previous experience as a Director of Front Office plus five (5) or more years of experience as an Assistant Manager position in Rooms Division in a Resort setting required.
   
   Reporting Relationship
   
   This position reports to the Director of Rooms.
   
   Exemption Status
   
   Exempt
   
   Note:This document describes the general nature and level of work required of people in the job.It is not intended to be an all-encompassing list of responsibilities, duties, and skills.
   
   Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is an Equal Opportunity Employer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find directors of front office for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any directors of front office they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level directors of front office with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of front office job on Zippia to find and recruit director of front office candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with director of front office candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of front office

   Once you've decided on a perfect director of front office candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new director of front office. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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