How to hire a deskside technician

How to hire a deskside technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step deskside technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a deskside technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new deskside technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The deskside technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A deskside technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, deskside technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of deskside technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Deskside Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Deskside Technician	Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization... Show more	$16-29
   Information Technology/Support Technician	An information technology (IT) support technician is a professional who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members... Show more	$14-31
   Information Technology Technician	An information technology technician, also known as an IT technician, is responsible for ensuring that all computer systems in a company or organization are running smoothly and efficiently. Their duties primarily revolve around installing and maintaining systems, including software and hardware, and resolving any issues... Show more	$13-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Technical Support
   • Windows-7
   • Desktop Support
   • PCS
   • Level Support
   • IP
   • Mac
   • Remedy
   • Software Issues
   • Help-Desk Support
   • OS
   • Trouble Tickets
   • Workstations
   • Asset Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
   • Write technical specifications for purchase of PCs, desktop hardware and relate products.
   • Use networking to help fix any problems that occur between PC's in install OS.
   • Image desktop and laptop systems with various OS, programs, drivers, and security software.
   • Repair and conduct maintenance of PCs, on site/remotely, while following OEM standards and accept industry practices.
   • Champion the selection and ultimate use of Java and object-orient design and programming on a web-base financial inventory management system.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your deskside technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A deskside technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, deskside technicians' average salary in oklahoma is 39% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level deskside technicians 45% less than senior-level deskside technicians.
   • Certifications. A deskside technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a deskside technician's salary.

   Average deskside technician salary

   $46,830yearly

   $22.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level deskside technician salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

4. Writing a deskside technician job description

   A deskside technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a deskside technician job description:

   Deskside technician job description example

   Job Title: Deskside Support Technician – L2 Location: Milpitas, CA 95035 Summary: We are looking to hire a skilled L2 Deskside Support Technician to assist our clients with computer hardware and software issues. You will be required to work on-site or via remote connection and assist with hardware installations, software upgrades, systems integrations, and basic IT related issues. Responding to dispatched assignments usually involving the installation, repair or maintenance of computer hardware and peripherals at the customer’s office or desk location. This self-motivated candidate will follow defined account or departmental policies and procedures, work on routine assignments, identify, test and repair system hardware. Some IT support is inside regulated GMP clean rooms. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

   • Support of PC & MAC Platforms & Operating Systems.
   • Responds to dispatched assignments usually involving the installation, repair or maintenance of desktop computer hardware and peripherals remotely or at the customer’s office or desk location
   • Computer replacement program initiatives, including System Level Migrations, Data Migrations, Application Install and Configuration on PC & MAC systems.
   • Work independently on assignments and report progress to your supervising manager.
   • Coordinate, manage and predict equipment and part needs for dispatched service requests and coordinate those requests directly with the client.
   • Facilitate 100% of closures for all requests within the CRM tool on the day they are resolved or fulfilled.
   • Manage assets and take detailed notes utilizing CRM tools or applications by keeping status, details, notes or any other updates consistent between multiple tools or applications utilized for Customer Request Management and Tracking purposes.
   • Provide regular feedback consistent with the needs of the team and environment for ongoing improvements.
   • Supporting AV events and triaging AV equipment issues.
   • Keeping certifications and training updated.
   • Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

   Education/Experience:

   • 3+ years Windows & Mac Experience within an L2 Deskside Support role
   • Customer Service and experience working directly with customers is a must.
   • Technical authorization CompTIA or equivalent is preferred.
   • Technical authorization with one or more of the following manufacturers: Apple , Dell, HP, Toshiba, Lenovo, ASUS is preferred.
   • Requires a sound technical background with a minimum of 3+ years of professional experience in a Service or IT environment.
   • Able to multitask and prioritize multiple projects.
   • Good interpersonal skills and organizational skills.
   • Must be dependable and able to meet deadlines consistently.
   • Should have the ability to work under pressure and should be flexible and able to adapt to a changing environment.
   • Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware and software issues.
   • Excellent communication skills are a plus.
   • General knowledge of gSuite (Gdocs, Gsheets, gmail) or Microsoft office is a plus.
   • 3+ years supporting one or more operating systems such as Mac OSX, Windows 10.
   • Experience with Mobile Devices & Operating Systems (iOS/Android) is beneficial.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right deskside technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your deskside technician job on Zippia to find and recruit deskside technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit deskside technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with deskside technician applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new deskside technician

   Once you've found the deskside technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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