Should I have challenged the reception duties mentioned at interview?

[user1471867483]

I went for a job interview yesterday for a senior administrator. As regards dealing with the general public, the ad reads, "To be the main point of contact for incoming calls". However it transpired that the role would be sat at reception at times to cover sickness/holidays/general absence where I could also do my other admin work. Front desk just isn't my strength and a deal breaker for me. If I'd known it was a requirement I'd never have applied. Do you think I should have said in the interview that the job description didn't mention it? My friend said I should've told them the ad didn't mention front desking at the interview and said I should've told them there and then I don't like being placed at a reception desk! What do you think? I just nodded in the interview when she listed some of the duties 🤷

If you get the job, just decline the offer.

Yes, just decline. You can tell them why then.

I think this isn’t the job for you. They aren’t going to change their requirements because you don’t want to greet people on reception.

I don’t think I would have mentioned in the interview as you would immediately place yourself out of consideration, and I’d want a bit of time to think about how to handle it. Is there a next round of interviews or are they going straight to offer?

No I wouldn't have challenged them. It's frustrating but the job interview is still part of the recruitment process.

We recently recruited for a similar role. Times have changed and although reception duties are part of the role, most of it is general admin. We advertised for an administrator, but did say there were some reception duties, because if you advertise for a receptionist you very often will get someone with only very basic skills.

My guess is that they know the reception part puts off the kind of candidates they want and they are hoping that the right person has the skill level they need and will be okay with the small amount of reception work. In this day and age in a lot of commercial businesses there are relatively few phone calls to deal with and not much post. Colleagues ordering from Amazon for delivery to work is more the thing!

If you've already decided this is not the job for you then feedback that you do not want to be doing reception duties. They won't be surprised. I had someone take redundancy and not take the general admin role offered for this very reason.

No, I wouldn’t have mentioned it there & then. You’ve given yourself some time to consider it at least. Decline if you don’t want it.

A job description usually has “and any other reasonable duties” or some such wording to cover things like this

Just because you’ve had the interview doesn’t mean you should take the job, if offered.

It seems a sensible decision for the business to make ensuring they have holiday/sickness cover, but if it doesn’t work for you then walk away.

Straight offer.

I don’t think it’s uncommon in smaller companies for other admin staff to be expected to cover for the receptionist and if the ad said you’d be answering all the incoming calls that is typical front desk duties so there’s natural overlap. That said you’re always interviewing a potential employer as much as they’re interviewing you. It’s fine and really quite normal to sometimes come out of an interview thinking nope not for me. You can always turn the job down if they offer.

OK, well wait and see if you are offered it. If you are, tell them you were surprised by the reception duties as it wasn’t mentioned in the job description, and if there is any way this could not be part of a role. And if there’s not, decline.

What is there to challenge do you think they will turn around and say oops sorry didnt realise we won't need anyone for that bit now?

In lots of admin roles you will be asked to cover reception on occasion. It doesn’t matter if it’s not your strength, you just do the job as part of the team. If you don’t want to do it then don’t accept the job. Easy peasy.

All telling them at the time would do is save them the time of considering you. So it would have been helpful for them to know I suppose.

But not necessary and I don’t think I would have done it either. Like @history505says it’s always better to give yourself a bit of time to consider things rather than act impulsively.

You know it’s not for you so you can just reject it if they offer it to you.

If you had told them at the interview that you were not willing to do Reception cover then you would not have been offered the job. It’s not all the time, just when the Receptionist is on holiday (so roughly four weeks a year) plus if they are off sick.

If you did get offered the job turn it down and just explain that the Reception part is not for you. At least you’ll know that you did good in the interview and that will give you confidence for the next one.

No, I wouldn't have mentioned your issue during interview.

Nearly every JD I've read, will have a woolly sentence along the lines of 'And any other job deemed necessary,' which is to cover them if the role changes or such as this case, they need front desk covered occasionally.

I've found JD's can be very out of date. The process to change them at some companies can be so laborious and need multiple approvals. A previous company had things such as touch typing, using facsimile machine and Dictaphone typing. When we cleared a cupboard, we actually found a Dictaphone with a cassette in it!

IF you get offered the job, just decline, if being front of house occasionally is such an issue.

All roles where I work have 5-10% ‘whatever’ built in and any admin staff can be asked to cover reception now and again - I’ve done it myself and I’m in management.

That doesn’t mean that you need to do that though. If you don’t need the job enough to do the job, then just say no thanks if you’re offered.

I think interviews are a two way process and a good opportunity to see whether you want the role.

I think you did the right thing not mentioning it at interview. Much better to go away and think about your response before going back to them. you may come across the interviewers in the future a you want to remain professional.

It's not the right job for you. Admin and receptionist jobs often overlap or are one and the same. I know yours isn't but some of it clearly needs to be. If not comfortable then decline the job.

Depends on how much you want the main part of the job.
If you’re interested in it and are offered it you could ask if there is anyone else on a rota to cover reception in case of absence or if it will solely be you as it wasn’t clear in the JD that covering reception wasn’t listed and not something you’re interested in.
I’d not want to do that myself either so if this came up and I was offered it I’d be turning it down in case it ended up being that I was on reception once a week.