IT Support Analysts Require a Balance of Tech and Customer Skills

In the enterprise, it can be difficult to create a successful group of IT support staff. The job requires that candidates possess equal parts of customer service savvy and technical knowledge in a variety of areas. Finding employees who fit your company’s culture and have the skills to provide effective tech support to the business is important to the success of your support services.

Radialpoint takes this concept further as it explains how the right IT support talent “speaks volumes about your customer service and your brand.” It can be the difference between having an easy company-wide software rollout and a horrible experience for business users who then complain to management. It recommends following four tips to hire just the right candidates for the IT support positions:

1. Find applicants with a good balance between technical knowledge and “emotional intelligence.”
2. Ensure candidates are continuously updating their technical skills and knowledge.
3. Determine whether the talent enjoys sharing their knowledge with others on their team or those who need help.
4. Quality candidates will be naturally empathetic and able to put themselves in the customer’s shoes when they receive a support call.

 To further help you find the right IT support analysts, our IT downloads area provides a complete IT Support Analyst job description. The job description can be used as is (just be sure to replace our logo with your company letterhead) or as a guide toward creating your company’s perfect job posting.

In the download, you will find listings of responsibilities that the job might entail along with sample lists of requirements that high-level candidates should possess. These requirements include:

• Hands-on experience with desktop support or computer operations
• Expertise with Microsoft Office 2007 through 2013
• Experience with the version of Windows used by your company (7, 8, or 10)
• Knowledge of the versions of Windows Server used by your organization
• Experience with patch management
• Use of other applications such as Active Directory, Exchange or any other software your company uses daily

Be sure to list any and all software or special technology that your company may expect the IT support analysts to be knowledgeable about. Of course, not every candidate will likely be an expert in all the areas, but the applicants should at least make themselves familiar with the platforms and learn more prior to fielding calls from business users.

Kim Mays has been editing and writing about IT since 1999. She currently tackles the topics of small to midsize business technology and introducing new tools for IT. Follow Kim on Google+ or Twitter.