¶ … candidate, as well as better facilitate that person's performance, and reward the person more effectively when a job is done well. This paper will analyze the position of Front Desk Receptionist. It will describe the job, based on five elements, conduct a job analysis, describe testing that may be appropriate for this position, overview methods of employee performance evaluations, and detail an employee training program for this position, giving an accurate picture of this position and what it entails. Front Desk Receptionist Job Analysis

Job Description:

The position being analyzed has the title of Front Desk Receptionist. Their tasks involve greeting organization visitors, answering the telephone, taking messages when appropriate, sorting mail, and a variety of other secretarial tasks, such as copying, typing, and faxing, as needed by other organizational members. The machinery involved is standard office equipment, including: computer and peripheral hardware, fax machine and copy machine. This position is directly supervised by the office manager, although tasks may be received from any of the other office staff, and has no subordinate employees.

The working conditions are inside the office, without hazard. As the first organizational person that many visitors see, the Front Desk Receptionist must be adept at social interaction. In addition to greeting visitors, they must also interact with the rest of the staff continuously.

The hours of work are standard office hours, Monday through Friday. For the right candidate, wages typically start several dollars above minimum wage, and can increase with tenure. All employee benefits are applicable to this position, including health, dental and life insurance, 401K, and vacation, sick and holiday pay.

The Front Desk Receptionist may be promoted to Office Manager if well suited. They may also be eligible to enter other departments, such as sales or customer service, if they have shown an ability to be effective in these positions.
Job Analysis:

From both observing and participating in the position of Front Desk Receptionist, it becomes clear that this position is critical to an organization's success. The Front Desk Receptionist is often the organizational link to the customer, either in person, as the first person who greets them, or by phone when they call, or even by written communication, as they are often charged with writing correspondence. A positive impression left by the Front Desk Receptionist is a powerful advantage for the organization and should not be taken lightly.

The Front Desk Receptionist's tasks are varied. Due to the nature of their position, they must be able to think quickly on their feet. They must be able to multi-task. And, they must be able to change gears quickly, when a new task takes precedence over something they may be in the middle of, to be effective and efficient.

Testing:

As this position is interactive with the customer, one of the most prevalent testing formats is drug testing. "70% of all drug and alcohol abusers hold full time jobs" ("Pinnacle," n.d.). A variety of breath, urine, and hair samples are available from drug testing facilities, to help prevent the damages done by employing drug abusers, including higher worker's compensation claims, increased theft, increased time off work, and decreased efficiency. These tests can test for substances such as: amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, methadone, cocaine, opiates,…