Help Desk Technician

Customers can receive technical help and assistance from a help desk technician over the phone or in person.

Their main goal is to make sure a client is happy and can use any equipment or technology they may be having problems with effectively.

This article will clearly explain the essential job description including their duties and qualification.

As an organization, use it to determine if your candidates are qualified and hire the best employees. For the employees, you can use this article to ascertain what an organization expects from you as a Help Desk Technician.  

Table of Contents

Who Is a Help Desk Technician?

A help desk technician offers technical assistance and support for computer hardware, software, and systems via the phone, in person, or remotely. When a consumer requests technical support, a help desk technician answers.

An IT support professional who assists clients or users in troubleshooting hardware and software issues are known as a help desk technician.

 Receiving tech support tickets, telephone conversations, or emails, getting in touch with users or clients, understanding their problems, diagnosing them, and guiding them through solutions are all tasks and obligations of a help desk specialist.

Although most companies have requirements that may differ, understanding your role and the requirements of such a company will go a long way.

You may get a decent sense of what hiring managers are looking for by utilizing this sample job description for a help desk technician. Keep in mind that every business is different, and everyone will have certain requirements while hiring for a Help Desk Technician position.

In order to comprehend the issue and offer a solution, an exceptional help desk representative has to have the strong technical expertise and effective communication skills. To cope with challenging consumers, they must also be patient and customer-focused.

The majority of the time, help desk specialists operate indoors at a desk with another technician working beside them on similar tasks.

The more skilled technicians are prepared to handle a wider range of issues and will typically make an effort to address issues that the initial (often inexperienced) technician is unable to address right away.

Typically, a shift manager or help desk supervisor oversees these professionals’ work and keeps an eye on their performance.

Help desk personnel are needed to work every shift, including weekends, because customers and workers may experience issues at any time.

Usually, a supervisor sets the timetable after considering the requirements of both the business and the technician.

Responsibilities Of a Help Desk Technician

  • They are established as the first point of contact for customers who email or phone for technical help.
  • They Identify, research, and resolve technical problems both hardware and software problems and also give advice on these technical issues.
  • They Utilise client input and report to enhance customer service and problem-solving methods.
  • Provide quick responses and top-notch customer service
  • Send unresolved issues up to the next level of support personnel.
  • Details on IT products or services should be provided.
  • Keep a record of problems and how they were fixed.
  • Contacting clients frequently to ensure the issue reported has been resolved. keeping track of, and evaluating, technical problems and customer contacts
  • Follow technical manuals and service guides for setting up systems, installing software, and troubleshooting.
  • They make recommendations for enhancing work procedures. This involves commenting on the processes and offering improvements you think would be beneficial.
  • They are usually in charge of control of help desk tickets.
  • A help desk technician gives details on IT products or services that should be provided.
  • Attending conferences and training sessions to remain up to date with the latest ways to assist clients with technical concerns

Benefits To An Organization 

 Here are some advantages of IT help desk assistance.

  • Increases IT productivity

IT help desks enable team members to work more productively by giving them the resources they require, such as a help desk ticketing system and automation to quickly handle and address IT-related queries. 

  • Improves quality of Service

Employees want the same level of service from their employer as it does for customers.

 An IT help desk enables businesses to accomplish this by automating workflows and supplying employee self-service options.

  • Ensures Efficient and Accurate Operation

Users may resolve IT problems more quickly and effectively when a strong help desk IT assistance infrastructure is in place. 

Give your teams a central location to go to so they can either figure out the problem on their own or locate the correct person to ask for help.

  • Increases customization

The availability of an IT help desk will give agents the ability to add applications, plugins, integrations, and automation to their current tools and processes. 

In order to proactively handle problems before they have a chance to grow, tech support may now automate ticket management, have access to information on staff difficulties, and expedite processes.

Help Desk Technician salary

With an average yearly compensation of $44,074, the anticipated total pay for a help desk technician in the United States is $46,660.

The average annual pay for a help desk technician in Canada is $46,557, according to Indeed Salaries. This might vary based on the area, the candidate’s background, and the employer.

These figures show the median, or the middle of the ranges, from our unique Total Pay Estimate methodology, which is based on data about wages gathered from our users. 

Cash bonuses, commissions, tips, and profit sharing are all possible forms of additional compensation. 

Skills Required

Both hard and soft skills are necessary for successful applicant to carry out their tasks. The following are some crucial abilities and credentials for a help desk technician:

Soft Skills

  • very good people and customer service skills
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
  • Fast to identify and fix technical difficulties
  • Excellent leadership and collaboration abilities to assist other technical support personnel
  • The capacity to learn and use new technology
  • Demonstrated experience in a customer service position such as a help desk technician
  • Credential of Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer preferred

Hard Skills

  • A certificate in computer science or a closely connected discipline.
  • Has an extensive working understanding of computer hardware, software, and systems.
  • GED certification or a diploma from high school
  • CompTIA A+ Certification for Computer Troubleshooting (preferred)
  • knowledge of MAC and IOS computers

FAQ’S

What does an IT Help Desk Technician do?

Customers may get help from IT help desk technicians with hardware, software, and computer systems. When something goes wrong with or has to be fixed on a user’s system, they are frequently the initial point of contact.

What are the duties and responsibilities of an IT Help Desk Technician?

The task of offering technical support and assistance falls within the purview of an IT help desk technician. They communicate with clients over the phone or in-person to assist them to fix software and hardware-related computer issues and get their systems back up and operating properly.

What makes a Good IT Help Desk?

Successful IT help desk technicians are knowledgeable about the business. Such awareness entails being aware of their client’s demands in order to help them address their issues as swiftly as feasible.

What is the highest pay for a Help Desk Technician?

Help Desk Technicians may earn as much as $24.57 per hour.

What is the lowest pay for an IT Help Desk?

According to statistics, the lowest hourly wage for a help desk technician is $13.44.

How can an IT Help Desk increase their salary?

There are several methods to raise your compensation. Employer switch: Take into account a career change to a different company that will pay more for your talents. 

Education Level: If they gain higher degrees, this job could be able to earn more money and get promoted. 

Experience in management: If you are a Help Desk Technician who supervises less experienced Technicians, your chances of earning more money are increased by this experience.

Who do they work with?

No matter the issue, desktop support engineers and IT help desk technicians collaborate to offer their clients satisfying assistance. IT service and desktop service complement one another since each is necessary for the other to function at its highest level.

Below are some interview questions to look out for having understood the role and description of an IT Desk Technician.

Conclusion

Understanding the role and the expectations required from a help desk technician will guide you through preparing for an interview or building your CV.

On the other hand, acquiring the best  IT help desk technician for your company is beneficial in numerous ways. 

An IT help desk may help you grow and scale your organization by enhancing effectiveness and quality, as well as increasing employee happiness and saving money.

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