A Porter plays an important role in providing an enjoyable experience for guests in hotels, resorts, cruise ships, airports and more. Their job includes greeting guests, assisting with their luggage, fixing minor maintenance issues and keeping the work area clean.
If you’re looking to hire someone for this role, simplify the start of your hiring process with our Porter Job Description Template below. Customize it to fit your requirements and use it for your job ads.
Porter Job Description Template
We are looking to hire a hard-working, customer-oriented Porter to join our team at [Establishment/Company].
You will be helping our guests with their luggage, fixing smaller maintenance issues and keeping the hotel’s inside and outside common areas clean and trash-free.
Our ideal candidate should have excellent customer service skills, great physical fitness and a proactive attitude.
- Salary: $17-$20/hour
- Tips: Yes
- Schedule: Full-time
Porter Duties & Responsibilities
- Greeting guests with a warm and friendly attitude
- Assisting guests with luggage and helping them go through the check-in/check-out process
- Giving out information to the guests about the facility, local attractions and eating places
- Keeping the common areas clean, including taking out the trash and vacuuming carpets
- Doing minor maintenance tasks, such as changing a lightbulb or replacing air filters in HVAC systems
- Making sure all maintenance equipment and tools work properly
Porter Experience Requirements & Skills
- Minimum of one year of experience working as a Porter
- Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills
- Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize effectively
- Proactive problem-solving skills
- Physical stamina and the ability to lift more than 55 pounds
- Knowledge of basic repair techniques
Porter Education & Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent (required)
- Training in hospitality or customer service (preferred)
How To Write a Porter Job Description
If do decide to write your own Porter job description from scratch, here are pointers for writing each section:
1. Provide relevant company information first
Include the following at the very beginning:
- Your company name
- Location
You may also add your company’s mission and values to give Porter candidates a better understanding of your organizational goals.
2. Include a brief overview of the Porter role
Describe what a Porter typically does in your establishment. Add a couple of main responsibilities and personality traits you look for in the candidates.
3. Communicate your offering
69% of job applicants expect to see clearly defined salary, benefits and perks in a job description. That said, make sure to include the following information:
- Salary: Indicate the hourly, monthly or yearly salary or salary range for a Porter role in your company.
- Benefits: The second-most important aspect of a job offer for 97.4% of applicants is the benefits that come with the role. This is why it is important to clearly communicate benefits and perks such as a flexible schedule, health insurance, paid time off, pension plans and parental leave.
- Job type: Clarify if you are offering part-time, full-time or any other job arrangement such as seasonal or on-call basis.
4. List the Porter’s duties and responsibilities
91% of job seekers expect to see duties and responsibilities clearly defined in the job descriptions.
To meet applicants’ expectations, make a checklist of all the duties and responsibilities you a Porter is expected to perform in your company. These may include:
- Assisting guests with luggage
- Conducting small maintenance tasks
- Keeping the shared area (halls, isles, entrance, etc.) clean
Below is a graph showing which aspects and sections make a good job description, according to both employers and applicants. As you can see, the list of duties and responsibilities are considered the most important.
This graph is interactive. Hover your mouse over different parts of the graph to see detailed data.
[Source: TEK Systems]
5. Clearly define experience and skills requirements
Include a list of desirable experiences and skills you look for in a Porter. These can include:
- Years of experience
- Valid driver’s license
- Medium computer literacy
- Physical requirements (ability to lift 50 pounds and stand for longer periods)
5. Highlight desired education and training
If you are looking for a Porter who has finished high school or extra courses in (for instance) first aid and fire safety, you should indicate so in your job description.
Also, make it clear whether those are mandatory or highly preferred qualifications.
6. Add important contact information
To make it easier for your applicants to reach you, provide the following contact information:
- Designated contact person’s name
- Contact person’s email
- A phone number through which they can reach you
- Your company address
4 Tips for Writing an Engaging Porter Job Description
Here are our top tips on how to optimize your Porter job description for better readability:
- Use straightforward language: Your Porter job description should be short and concise to help candidates from different backgrounds easily understand the role and its requirements. For instance, use “have” instead of “possess” and “cleaning” instead of “sanitizing.”
- Opt for descriptive verbs in the present tense: Using descriptive verbs either in simple present or simple continuous adds more clarity to your Porter job description. Opt for verbs like “helps/helping” and “carry/carrying.” Avoid using ambiguous terms such as “some”, “approximately” or “generally.”
- Try not to use acronyms: Some Porter applicants might not be familiar with acronyms typically used in the accommodation industry, such as PMS (property management system) or ADR (average daily rate). So, it is best to avoid these completely to eliminate any potential confusion.
- Use gender-neutral language: Using gender-neutral language in your job description demonstrates your company’s commitment to equality in the hiring process.
Find more valuable tips in our detailed guide to writing job descriptions.
Porter Job Description FAQ
It all depends on the role and scope of duties a Porter is expected to perform in your establishment, but a general job description length falls between 300 and 600 words.
In most cases, the responsibility of writing a Porter job description will fall on either someone from the human resources or hotel operations department.
A Porter often collaborates with the Hosts/Hostesses, Concierge, Receptionists and sometimes with the Event Planners. Additionally, Porters usually report to the Hotel Manager or Hotel General Manager.
