When you take the skills needed to be a good security guard and combine them with the skills required to work at the front desk of an office building, you’ve got quite the list of requirements.
To ensure you hire the very best security concierge, here’s a list of 7 essential front desk skills anyone you employ should have.
1. Personability
Anyone working in a front desk position has a massive responsibility. Part of this is because they’re the very first person someone is going to talk to when they walk into the building.
Understandably, this role demands an above average level of personability. A security concierge needs to be approachable, friendly, and helpful. If they’re missing even one of those things, people will have a sour taste in their mouth before even getting past the front desk of your building.
At OPS Security Group, we believe that hospitality is a key component of a security guard’s personality. Guards should want to be welcoming and create a good first impression while protecting the facility.
A security concierge should set the tone for the rest of a visitor’s experience. To facilitate a pleasant experience from start to finish, a personable security concierge is a must.
2. Organization
One of the most challenging aspects of being a front desk security concierge is that it requires one to keep track of many things at once. For such a detail-oriented task, someone with an organized approach is crucial.
Depending on the front desk set up at your building, a security concierge might be required to speak to guests, keep an eye on security footage, and perform data entry all at the same time. A disorganized person isn’t going to be able to balance all of these tasks effectively.
3. Communication Skills
Communication is are closely related to being personable, but it’s also a skill unto itself. While being personable is half the battle, being able to communicate information and ideas is equally important.
Most likely, people will turn to the security concierge to answer most of their questions. Whether it’s the location of specific offices or how to reach a particular person in the building, a skilled front desk worker should be able to communicate that information.
While it’s not a requirement, being multilingual is a huge plus. In today’s increasingly diverse world, having the ability to communicate in more than one language is a massive bonus.
4. Professional Appearance
The very first thing people notice is how someone looks. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, it’s true. People make many value judgments about a person based on their looks.
Following this logic, it’s no mystery why front desk personnel needs to be presentable and professional. Just like the other skills listed so far, this skill ensures visitors’ first experience in the building will be a good one.
In some ways, this is the most critical point discussed so far, since it is quite literally giving visitors the very first impression they’ll get about your building. If you lead with this, it improves the quality of the overall experience.
5. Computer Literacy
Earlier, we mentioned that earlier that data entry would likely be one of the many tasks a security concierge has to manage. These days, that’s all handled via computers, so computer skills are an absolute must.
A front desk employee needs to have access to a whole lot of information at a moment’s notice. Anyone short of a genius won’t be able to contain all that info in their brain alone. As such, being able to navigate various computer programs is a necessary skill.
Pretty much all security systems are now digital as well. In order to access security footage and manage the system, computer literacy is once again a prerequisite.
6. Flexible Schedule
Depending on the nature of your business, the hours of operation can vary wildly. For some businesses like commercial facilities or warehouses and distribution centers, 24/7 operation is a way of life. Even in a standard office building, 24/7 security is often employed.
With so much variance in the potential times a security concierge might be needed, flexibility in scheduling is an absolute must. Before hiring someone, make sure they can adapt to any changes in schedule and are available to work unconventional shifts.
7. Ability to Stay Calm Under Stress
Last but most definitely not least, a security concierge has to be calm and collected in every possible scenario. After all, they’re only there to welcome and assist guests, they’re also the first line of defense in an emergency situation.
Even daily activities can be overwhelming. With so many tasks to manage at once, a security concierge can’t be prone to anxiety and stress. Part of the job is communicating and performing tasks efficiently no matter what.
In an emergency, it’s even more important that a front desk security concierge knows how to stay collected under pressure. While it hopefully won’t come to that, a good security concierge could potentially mean the difference between life and death in a worst case scenario.
These Front Desk Skills Are a Must
All of these front desk skills are necessary for a good security concierge. If they’re lacking in even one area, it could have a serious impact on many other things.
Now that you know what to look for, you’re equipped to hire the right person for the job. If you’re in the market for a great security concierge, look no further. OPS Security Group provides on-site security concierge services that were made for your business.