Receptionist

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Receptionists (1414.1) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Receptionists and Switchboard Operators (B514) 
• 2011 NOC: Receptionists (1414) 

Duties vary from one position to another, but in general, receptionists:

• greet people entering offices, hospitals and other establishments, answer questions and direct visitors to appropriate people or services
• answer, screen and forward telephone calls
• take messages and provide information
• schedule appointments and meetings using paper and electronic calendars
• maintain a current record of staff members' whereabouts
• accept messenger and courier deliveries
• perform other clerical duties such as word processing, compiling and recording data, maintaining files and inventories, operating office equipment, sorting mail, stuffing envelopes or proofreading.

In hospitals, medical clinics and veterinary clinics, receptionists also obtain information from patients or animal owners, direct people to the appropriate treatment areas and keep admission records.

Many receptionists work regular office hours. Evening and weekend work is required in hospitals and other establishments that are open for extended hours. Working with people and answering telephones can be hectic and stressful.

Receptionists need the following characteristics:

• good verbal and written communication skills
• good listening skills
• a friendly, outgoing personality
• tact and the ability to stay calm during busy periods and when callers are persistent or rude
• good organizational skills
• the ability to multi-task
• a genuine interest in people and in helping others
• the desire and ability to work with little supervision when dealing with routine matters.

Receptionists are employed in:

• banks
• schools, universities and colleges
• professional office environments, such as law and accounting firms
• government departments
• medical, dental and health and wellness offices and clinics
• hospitals
• veterinary clinics and animal hospitals
• real estate and insurance offices
• oil and gas industry firms
• small and large businesses.

Some positions are part time.

Automated office equipment such as computers has not changed the nature of the work (communication with people), but increasing use of voice mail and email in many offices may reduce the number of jobs in which telephone answering is a major component of the work.

Receptionists are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 1414: Receptionists. In Alberta, 76% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

• Health Care and Social Assistance (PDF)
• Other Services (PDF)
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (PDF)
• Retail Trade (PDF)
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing (PDF)
• Public Administration (PDF)

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

In Alberta, the B514: Receptionists and Switchboard Operators occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 2.5% from 2016 to 2020. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 605 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.