How to hire a front desk officer

How to hire a front desk officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step front desk officer hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The front desk officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect front desk officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of front desk officers.

   Type of Front Desk Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Front Desk Officer	Security guards and gaming surveillance officers patrol and protect property against theft, vandalism, terrorism, and illegal activity.	$11-17
   Security	A Security's main responsibility is to keep people or an establishment safe. This responsibility is carried out by constantly patrolling a designated area and monitoring the activity within the premises... Show more	$11-20
   Security Agent	Security Agents guard the entrance and exit of a building, watching CCTV footage for unusual activities, and holding trespassers until authorities arrive. Being a security agent is usually a shift-based job and can sometimes last overnight... Show more	$11-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Greeting Visitors
   • Patrol
   • Front Desk Reception
   • Customer Service
   • CCTV
   • Property Damage
   • Emergency Situations
   • Security Services
   • Incident Reports
   • Security Cameras
   • Telephone Calls
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Security Procedures
   • Hotel Guests

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA.
   • Secure the premises, CPR certify.
   • Monitor close circuit television (CCTV) and report suspicious activity witness while monitoring.
   • Post at the front desk lobbying, signing employees in, creating temporary badges and monitoring the CCTV on screen.
   • Provide security patrol of property and parking areas at regular intervals.
   • Maintain a standard of punctuality and dependability of attendance and retain myself cleanliness, tidiness, neatness and appropriately attire.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your front desk officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A front desk officer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, front desk officers' average salary in mississippi is 45% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level front desk officers 38% less than senior-level front desk officers.
   • Certifications. A front desk officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a front desk officer's salary.

   Average front desk officer salary

   $14.17hourly

   $29,467 yearly

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   Entry-level front desk officer salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing a front desk officer job description

   A job description for a front desk officer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a front desk officer job description:

   Front desk officer job description example

   Cedar Crest is a beautiful 130-acre continuing care retirement community nestled in the Ramapo Mountains in Pompton Plains, a neighborhood of Morris County, New Jersey. We're part of a growing network of communities developed and managed by Erickson Senior Living, a national provider of senior living and health care with campuses in 11 states-and growing.
   
   Cedar Crest is looking for per diem Front Desk Attendants that are available to work every other weekend. Available shifts are 7am - 3pm and 3pm - 11pm. This is an essential role within our community, you will often be the first person a resident or family member meets!
   Compensation: commensurate with experience starting at $15/HR
   
   How you will make an impact:
   
   Greet and direct our residents, visitors,/staff and handle questions and concerns efficiently.Receive emergency calls from residents and staff and dispatch appropriate personnel; and page on-call physicians as needed in an accurate and calm manner.Monitor all emergency pull cords for Independent Living residents Track status of resident involved in situation, i.e. transported to hospital, etc.Manage up to date lists of residents, alphabetically and by resident apartment Assist with maintaining accurate census information; hospitalizations, deaths, etc. as well as keeping accurate list of residents who are away and dates returning for Security purposes
   Responsible for logging all resident packages and notifying residents of a package pick-up via notice in cubbie hole, assuring all mail is dispatched through U.S. Mail at the end of each day, sorts and distributes all inter-office mail What we offer:
   Competitive benefit packages including medical, dental, vision and 401K with a match after 1 year.Onsite wellness visits and sick care available for all employees over 18 years of age.Tuition reimbursement, certification reimbursement and student loan refinancing partnership programs are available.A "career for life" approach to professional and personal development for our greatest asset, our employees. State of the art community campuses, ongoing expansion plans, and design enhancements to ensure Erickson Senior Living continues to set the standard for senior living excellence.
   
   What you will need:
   
   High school or GED.Receptionist experience required Excellent verbal skills Ability to multi-task
   
   Compensation: Commensurate with experience starting at $15 per hour
   
   Erickson Senior Living, its affiliates, and managed communities are Equal Opportunity Employers and are committed to providing a workplace free of unlawful discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, veteran status, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.

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5. Post your job

   To find front desk officers 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 front desk officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level front desk officers 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 front desk officer job on Zippia to find and recruit front desk officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with front desk officer 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 front desk officer

   Once you've decided on a perfect front desk officer 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new front desk officer. 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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