How to hire a front desk secretary

How to hire a front desk secretary, step by step

Here's a step-by-step front desk secretary 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 secretary job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new front desk secretary
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a front desk secretary, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 secretary 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 presents front desk secretary salaries for various positions.

   Type of Front Desk Secretary	Description	Hourly rate
   Front Desk Secretary	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$12-20
   Office Receptionist	An office receptionist, or administrative assistant, performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These tasks may include answering phone calls, providing the public and customers with information, and warmly welcoming, greeting, and directing visitors or guests accordingly... Show more	$12-19
   Administrator Secretary	Administrator secretaries are assistants to managers or higher officers in charge of administrative tasks. Their responsibilities include liaising with an organization's internal departments and in communicating with the general public... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Front Desk
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Service
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • Patient Demographics
   • Telephone Calls
   • Patient Appointments
   • Patient Charts
   • Office Equipment
   • Payroll
   • Computer System
   • Insurance Forms
   • Insurance Verification

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Acquire knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT codes and achieve up-to-date knowledge of medical record practices, standards, and regulations.
   • Correspond with insurance companies and workers comp offices regarding patients benefit coverage and to retrieve authorizations when need for physical therapy.
   • Prepare PowerPoint inspection reports for existing clients.
   • Prepare and distribute financial documents including payroll.
   • Follow HIPAA regulations for handling confidential information.
   • Distribute weekly payroll checks; complete timely data entry of require information.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, front desk secretaries' average salary in florida is 41% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level front desk secretaries earn 38% less than senior-level front desk secretaries.
   • Certifications. A front desk secretary 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 front desk secretary's salary.

   Average front desk secretary salary

   $16.03hourly

   $33,351 yearly

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   Entry-level front desk secretary salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

4. Writing a front desk secretary job description

   A front desk secretary 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 front desk secretary job description:

   Front desk secretary job description example

   • Associate's Degree or equivalent training or experience required.
   • Minimum, two (2) years experience in a customer support capacity in a physician practice or in a Medical Center required.
   • Working knowledge of medical terminology and healthcare settings.
   • Ability to handle multiple priorities at once with minimal supervision.

   
   

   • Must be a reliable team player committed to working in a quality and customer centric environment. Will require daily interaction in person, on the phone, and via email in order to perform the job.
   • Superior customer service skills: demonstrate responsiveness, depth of knowledge and thoroughness in handling and responding to inquiries from patients and team members.
   • Skilled in harmoniously working in high stress situations/environments and with distraught or agitated individuals.
   • Ability to work autonomously, to multi-task, and provide quality patient care is essential.
   • Self-reliant and self-motivated with strong ability to prioritize and plan to get things done.
   • Ability to work productively, cohesively within a team and resolve conflict in a positive manner.
   • Adaptability is essential to manage the needs of a department with unpredictable volume and resources.
   • Exceptional interpersonal skills, flexible, with a professional “can-do” attitude.
   • Excellent listening comprehension, oral communication, and written communication skills and the ability to interact in a tactful and positive manner.
   • Able to follow oral and written instructions precisely and keen attention to detail and high degree of accuracy.
   • Able to read, write, and understand English. Bilingual - Spanish is a plus.
   • Understanding and experience using EMR software and applications.
   • Proficient computer skills and solid knowledge of Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.).

   
   

   
   
   

   
   

   In addition to the above listed minimum requirements, candidates who possess the following skills, experience, and capabilities may receive greater consideration during the evaluation process:

   • Experience in Pediatrics
   • Experience with a health plan/health insurer and/or Medicaid

   
   

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5. Post your job

   To find the right front desk secretary for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with front desk secretaries they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit front desk secretaries who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit front desk secretaries, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 secretary

   Once you've decided on a perfect front desk secretary 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

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