With the world almost brought to a standstill due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies, including New Orleans executive search firm, are opting to work remotely.
A variety, if not all of them, will be seeking to hire help desk experts with excellent IT knowledge.
The positive aspect is that they will find a variety of them. The bad news is that sifting through the numerous applications to get the best candidate, will prove challenging, considering that you might have to perform interviews remotely.
As much as it won’t be such a bad idea, it may not provide the best results as a one-on-one interview.
However, asking the below questions touching on several areas of a help desk expert’s qualities may help you nail a suitable candidate.
#1. Questions to gauge communication skills
Ask the candidates:
- To describe themselves.
- To tell you how they would represent a solution to someone with no technical know-how.
- What rate between one to ten would you give your writing skills?
These questions help you understand the kind of language the applicant is used to. Whether they are clear, focused, and can engage the listener in a conversation.
Whether they can reasonably explain technical stuff to a non-specialist and whether they can write comprehensible notes when required to.
#2 Questions to gauge whether the candidate is tech-savvy
All help desk experts have to have a basic understanding of technology. They should have a little know-how of the tech world and be aware of the products and services you offer.
They should also have done a bit of research about your organization before coming for the interview.
Therefore you should ask the candidate:
- To give a list of tech sites, they are familiar with.
- What products or services does your company offer?
- To describe one or two features of your service or product.
#3 Questions about remote work
Questions like:
- Have you ever worked remotely before?
- Which tools did you use?
It will help you know whether the applicant has experience working away from the office and is comfortable with the arrangement. Also, it will help you identify which programs they are used to working with.
#4 Questions to gauge problem-solving skills
Your help desk candidate needs to have fundamental problem-solving skills. That’s why you should ask questions such as:
What will you do when you come in one morning, and your PC refuses to turn on even after several tries?
You can also choose two to three questions frequently presented at the help desk and get the candidate to try solving them.
Though they might not be familiar with your products or services, their answer will allow you to know their
approach to solving technical issues.
#5 Questions to gauge customer service
The questions include:
- Have you ever experienced excellent customer service? When and where was this, and how did it make you feel?
- If a customer calls in angry and is abusive, how do you handle the client?
- Have you ever gone out of your way to assist a client?
The questions are aimed at gauging the candidates’ understanding of excellent client service, their ability to handle demanding clients amicably, and how far they can go to ensure client satisfaction.
#6 Questions to gauge the ability to work as a team
The questions are:
- What’s your worst experience with a difficult colleague? How did you handle the situation?
- Have you ever been criticized at work? How did you react?
- What work schedule is convenient for you?
The questions aim to establish the candidates’ work ethics when faced with personal criticism and challenging colleagues.
They also provide insight into how the candidate will value their work according to how flexible his/her schedule is.
Conclusion
While this is a guide to help you get the right help desk candidate, it might apply in other staff positions as well. To learn more, visit https://l6j.72f.myftpupload.com/new-orleans.
Gateway Executive Search
4981 Hwy 7 East, Unit 12A, Suite 176
Markham, ON L3R 1N1
New Orleans LA
905-604-2426
