This article was originally published on ThinkHDI.com in July 2020.
Finding good technical support candidates can be difficult. With a unique skill set that includes technical abilities, customer service skills, passion for technology, and excellent communication skills, it can sometimes feel like looking for unicorns. Add in additional skill sets like the ability to support another language or a willingness to work off-hours, and the complexity increases. Who knew it could be so challenging to lure top talent? Recruiting and retaining top technical expertise is not easy. Here are five ways to attract and retain top technical support talent.
1. Provide Access to Cutting-Edge Technology
People who are passionate about technology like working for organizations that can offer them access to cutting-edge technology. It helps if they also can get hands-on with high-quality products that they can stand behind. Technically oriented people love the challenge of fixing (and sometimes intentionally breaking) new technology or tools. As natural problem-solvers, they want to improve their skills with the latest offerings. Tech support professionals want a challenge that they can solve. When faced with new technology, who knows what they might uncover? Perhaps by getting access to new technology, agents can uncover continuous improvement opportunities proactively, too.
2. Ensure Good Culture Fit
The team environment is paramount to successfully retaining technical support talent. People spend a large percentage of their day at work. Everyone wants to work with people they enjoy being around. If co-workers can share similar interests, talking about a new video game, the latest technology release, or whatever, it can create common ground. When paired with the right organizational culture, with fewer layers of bureaucracy suffocating progress, real teamwork can flourish.
Cohesive teams and organizations can gain a real edge when prioritizing vital aspects of the employee experience. For example, providing the right physical environment and desk configuration is pivotal in keeping top talent happy. Who doesn’t want multiple monitors and an ergonomically designed workstation? It’s cheaper to invest in the physical environment than lose talent out the door. If the team is remote, organizations need to ensure that the right collaboration software is in place to allow team members the opportunity to connect easily.
3. Hire a Talented Team
Technical support professionals are intelligent, talented people. A team can achieve superior results when everyone is working at elevated levels of performance. When aligned around a similar goal, tech support teams in the right environment can demonstrate tremendous engagement levels. Add in career paths that recognize and reward performance and ongoing professional development, such as opportunities for attending conferences or seminars, attracting and keeping top talent becomes easier.
4. Offer Workplace Flexibility
Depending on the organization’s culture, critical elements of workplace flexibility could be high on the priority list for technical support professionals. The more that team members can work when, where, and how they can be most successful, the higher the chances that team members are going to be appreciative. Between the dress code, flexible scheduling, and the ability to work remotely, employees in technical support or service management positions desire these qualities. Implementing a flexible workplace culture is essential to many employees. When leaders provide flexibility to employees, maximum effort is often returned by top talent, who go above and beyond because they are more engaged.
5. Provide Competitive Compensation
Money talks. Top talent is typically self-aware and knows the value they bring to the organization. In terms of total compensation, top talent should receive at or near market value whenever possible. The total rewards offered to employees make a difference too. Ensure your organization is competitive with vacation and benefit offerings. Depending on the type of business and the organization’s service or products, an employee discount can be a tremendous draw. It can go a long way in keeping tech support agents engaged and retained for the long haul.
Final Thoughts
Depending on your organization, maybe it’s not feasible to implement all the ideas suggested. Admittedly, some of what’s suggested may be harder to implement depending on what constraints exist. But if you know your team and what they care most about, it is possible to prioritize and select the options that provide the most significant value overall. If you want to attract and retain technical support agents who are talented, follow this article’s advice. The key is that leaders of technical support teams advocate for their people to retain them and bring in other top talents to the organization.
