The receptionist job is a responsible profile in any organization, irrespective of the business type. Basically, a receptionist is the face of your organization, the first person that a client sees or the first voice that a client hears over the phone whenever he or she needs to get in touch with your company or business. Hong Kong being a multicultural country with large business houses, both MNCs and the local companies, employers in Hong Kong become extra cautious while choosing someone in receptionist jobs.
Responsibilities in receptionist jobs
- Receiving visitors/clients/customers/employees at the front desk
- Receiving calls
- Forwarding calls to the concerned person
- Answering queries or providing basic and accurate information over the phone or in person
- Receiving mails
- Distributing correspondence
- Offering administrative support across the company
- Executing administrative tasks
- Coordinate front-desk activities
- Update calendars and schedule meetings
- Filing, photocopying, transcribing and faxing are also some other responsibilities, and so on.
Requirements
Candidates applying for receptionist jobs in Honk Kong, should be a Diploma or Degree holder in any discipline. Minimum 1-2 years of work experience is preferred though Fresh graduates can also apply. Good computer knowledge, proficiency in MS office applications and Chinese word processing are essential requirements to qualify for the position.
What employers look for in receptionist jobs in Hong Kong?
To be successful in receptionist jobs, there are certain extra skills that are very essential.
A receptionist should be flexible and should be able to adapt to new situations, should be able to handle crisis, should have patience in dealing with people of different backgrounds, and should be a multi-tasker, and should have the ability to work as a team
Most employers in Hong Kong look for candidates who are not only skilled in their job role but also possess certain qualities which make them stand out of the rest. Since, a receptionist plays a major role in representing the face of the business or organization, employers make a selection of the candidates on the basis of the following skills:
Communication Skills
Excellent communication skills, the quality to speak well, to convey information correctly – these are the basic essentials in a receptionist job. Not only verbal quality, most employers look for candidates who are also good in writing skills, have good speed in taking down notes and have the ability to write clearly.
Language skills
In Hong Kong, employers, especially from the big MNCs and large business houses, prefer to hire candidates in receptionist jobs who are experts in multiple languages. The reason being, Hong Kong has become a multi-cultural economy with a cosmopolitan attitude. People from different countries of the world visit here for tourism or business purpose and many have settled down here. There are many international companies having their offices here. So, in receptionist jobs, employers want their candidates to have good conversation skills not in their local Chinese languages like as Cantonese, Mandarin but also English. In fact, Chinese and English are the two official languages of Hong Kong. So, English speaking skill is an essential requirement. Knowing other Southeast Asian languages like as Filipino, Indonesian, Thai is an added advantage.
Pleasant personality
While taking interview, the employer keeps a close look at the appearance and demeanor of the candidate. It is essential that in receptionist jobs, the candidate should present a polished and pleasant appearance, someone who does not look grumpy, and someone who has a smile on her face and talks with proper eye contact. She should look confident enough to handle all kinds of situation. Employers usually look for these traits in the candidate for the receptionist profile while conducting interviews.
