In February 2009, Mary Printz passed away at the age of eighty-five. She was an answering service switchboard operator in Manhattan. Some of the calls she fielded may have been long-distance, but they were always straight from the heart. She became the confidante and communications nerve center to a host of Hollywood and Broadway celebrities. A human Google of her day, Mary Printz went on to be celebrated as the role model for the Broadway musical Bells Are Ringing.

Never underestimate the power of a receptionist. As I have often said, the occupant of this first-line position is one a CEO is well advised to interview and help select. In fact, as the number of secretaries and administrative assistants in firms has declined, the role of the receptionist has generally become far more influential.

These days, the receptionist who greets you is as likely as not a company’s switchboard operator. Note his or her name. Listen for cues as to this person’s hobbies and special interests so you can make small talk when he or she next directs your call. If there’s a family photo on the desk, that can be another hint to a human touch.

Read the reception area as well as the receptionist.

Some companies will place recent articles about their business or their managers in the reception area. Don’t overlook these. Also, many firms now stream video about their latest products on wall-mounted screens, and you would do well to pay attention to them.

Reception area trophies can be killer cues. The company softball teams may be internal legends, and you might suddenly remember how good a shortstop or pinch hitter you used to be. If you don’t know the difference between a yellow MacGregor Fast Pitch Softball and a Worth Super Green Dot Slowpitch Softball, this company could be out of your league. Also, on trophies of a different sort: Ad agencies delight in showing trophies for creative awards they have won. Best you know which and why before you show up to admire the silver-plated loving cups.

How about phone protocol? Some companies regard reception areas as quiet zones and won’t appreciate your engaging in a cell phone marathon as you await your interview.

If the company is a subsidiary of a large corporation, to what extent is corporate identity evident? If it’s all but invisible, the business you’re interviewing with could be fiercely independent of its divisional identity.

One company communications department candidate I knew was impressed to see every major business publication on the visitor reading rack of the firm with which she was interviewing. That is, every major publication except the Wall Street Journal. Keeping this in the back of her mind, she didn’t mention the gap in her interview. During the discussion, she did learn that the company was having a feud with the Journal at that time. She was able to offer some tips on building a successful relationship with this key publication and mention her stellar list of contacts there. She believes this one educated, reception-area reflex guided her thinking and got her the job.

Observe how seriously security and access are treated. Are people generally understated and soft-spoken or are they extroverted and enthusiastic? Also, the employees who file by you are a fashion show of company dress code standards. Take note.

The furnishings of the reception area are frequently picked by the CEO to broadcast important signals about the company. Does this business pride itself on being cutting-edge modern, comfortably traditional, or cost-trimming spartan? A long gallery of CEO portraits full of cherished memorabilia often earmark a company steeped in history and tradition.

All of the above may be true, but be careful you are reading the right story. That means doing your homework before you land at the reception area. If a new management team or CEO has suddenly parachuted into the company with the mission of overhauling the business, all those carefully read signals may be signs of things that the company wants to change. You can bet that any new hires signed on will be recruited to help shake up tradition.