Office Concierge Receptionist Interview Questions
& Process

This was a long process, I applied back in March and didn't get placed until June. My interviewer was really nice and made sure I'd be a good fit for the site and that I felt confident in the role. I had a few interviews at the main office and then one with the building management. It felt like we all understood each other well and they got a good sense of my personality to place me somewhere suitable. It wasn't a high-pressure interview, and because many questions were open-ended, I felt I could really show what I could do.

I applied twice. The first time, they said I didn't have enough experience, even though I was already a receptionist and had lots of customer service experience from other jobs. It's weird because I've met other receptionists here who admit they have no experience. So I don't get why I wasn't qualified then? I reapplied about 6 months later and got hired. I applied online through a recruitment site. I had my first interview, then a second one with my account manager. I was interviewed for a specific site, but after I accepted the offer, they called and said my site was changing. They were nice about it, and it actually worked out better because the new site had a better salary, and I was a better fit for the new role. During the first interview, they kept asking if I could be an 'elite'. I had to be really firm and say no because they kept asking. They also told me about the hair and makeup standards and asked if I thought I could follow them. They asked about my experience, why I wanted to be a receptionist, my skills, areas I could improve, and what makes excellent customer service. Everyone was polite and friendly. My advice- wear heels and dress very smartly. Also, wear makeup and lipstick. OC really cares about image.

I had my phone call and my first interview where we discussed my need for part-time hours to fit my studies, and I was under the impression the shifts would be 10-3h or 11-4h Monday to Friday. The interviewer double-checked if a 4h finish time was okay since I'd need to leave precisely at 4h every Wednesday for college. Then, I was invited for a second interview, which went really well, and the interviewer seemed great. They let me know I'd be moving to the final stage interview, and we scheduled it. But, when I read the job description details, it stated full-time hours with shifts of 8-5h or 9-6h. This confused me as I'd clearly stated I was looking for part-time. I emailed them to ask about the hours and if part-time was still an option as we'd discussed. They replied saying they'd canceled my interview due to inflexible shifts and sent me the job description for an Elite role. Given the many bad reviews about this position, frequent role changes, and longer hours than expected, I declined. I haven't worked for them. It might have been an honest mistake or they forgot about my part-time requirement, but it felt like they weren't listening. It was frustrating because I had gotten my hopes up and was excited about reaching the final interview stage, only to find out they were putting me forward for a full-time job I couldn't do. They didn't apologize for the miscommunication or admit a mistake, just stated they canceled my interview. The first interviewer was also quite patronizing and seemed to think she was superior, which might explain why she couldn't admit her mistake. I saw another review mentioning that you're just a number to them, not a person, which is exactly the impression I got because they didn't consider my needs or availability at all. It seemed like they only cared about how they could use me and where they thought I fit.