How to hire a desktop/helpdesk technician

How to hire a desktop/helpdesk technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step desktop/helpdesk 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 desktop/helpdesk technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new desktop/helpdesk technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the desktop/helpdesk technician you need to hire. Certain desktop/helpdesk technician roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a desktop/helpdesk technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a desktop/helpdesk technician that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of desktop/helpdesk technicians.

   Type of Desktop/Helpdesk Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Desktop/Helpdesk 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	$19-28
   Desktop Support Consultant	The duties of a desk support consultant vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Most of their responsibilities are likely to revolve around reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence, answering inquiries, troubleshooting, and providing corrective measures, all to attain customer satisfaction... Show more	$15-30
   Technician Support Tier	A technician support tier focuses on providing technical support to clients or employees within a company. Typically working in a team setting, a technician support tier addresses technical problems and troubleshoots to identify the root of the issues and perform necessary corrective measures or repairs... Show more	$18-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Desktop Support
   • Phone Calls
   • Help-Desk Support
   • Helpdesk Support
   • Troubleshoot
   • Provide Technical Assistance
   • Network Printers
   • Computer System
   • Customer Service
   • User Accounts
   • VPN
   • Windows XP
   • Technical Support
   • Video Conferencing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Coordinate and manage a large-scale VOIP phone system conversion project for high-profile corporate customer.
   • Install and upgrade software on PCs.
   • Assist with installing Cisco voip phones.
   • Work with users to resolve VPN issues.
   • Provide support of existing workstations both in person and remotely.
   • Provide hardware support on client workstations, laptops, printers, and other peripherals.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your desktop/helpdesk technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A desktop/helpdesk technician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, desktop/helpdesk technicians' average salary in oklahoma is 35% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level desktop/helpdesk technicians earn 32% less than senior-level desktop/helpdesk technicians.
   • Certifications. A desktop/helpdesk technician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a desktop/helpdesk technician's salary.

   Average desktop/helpdesk technician salary

   $49,913yearly

   $24.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level desktop/helpdesk technician salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 3, 2026

4. Writing a desktop/helpdesk technician job description

   A good desktop/helpdesk technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a desktop/helpdesk technician job description:

   Desktop/helpdesk technician job description example

   Over the next few years, CRST The Transportation Solution will be implementing significant enterprise-wide system and software upgrades. In support of this project, and of future needs, we are expanding our personnel and adding new positions within our Information Technology team, located in Cedar Rapids, IA. We are seeking new IT skills and resources in the areas of help desk technicians, project managers, business process analysts, application administration, and software development. It is an exciting time to join an organization that is investing heavily into the future, come and is a part of something big!
   
   Role Summary: Works across a broad range of technologies and liaises across multiple areas of the business to support incidents, problems and requests. Responsible for answering IT requests via phone, email, live chat or instant message and explaining solutions in technical and non-technical terms.
   * The primary point of contact for all IT-related questions.
   * Respond to telephone calls, email, and personal requests for technical support in a fast, friendly manner with the ability to explain technical situations to non-technical individuals
   * Troubleshoot and support software and all approved software and hardware.
   * Identify, research, and resolve technical problems and escalate problems to other support teams when necessary
   * Follow SOP
   * Document incidents/problems and clearly document the issue, troubleshooting steps are taken, and comments in an incident management system.
   * Contribute to Knowledge Base Support documentation to aid in the resolution & fulfillment processes related to Incident Management & Service Request Management.
   * Work in a fast-paced environment, able to adapt to frequent change, and work a flexible schedule
   * Work with diverse groups and individuals to set goals, establish priorities, and solve complex problems.
   
   Role Requirements:
   
   * 1+ year(s) of Helpdesk Technician experience
   * Ability to provide support to end-users on a variety of topics including Windows operating systems, Active Directory, MS Office, printers, mobile devices, and email issues
   * Ability to demonstrate a solid understanding of basic network components and concepts
   * Mature, self-motivated, and professional with excellent written and verbal communication skills
   * Strong problem-solving/analytical abilities
   * Ability to work independently as well as willing to follow directions and best practices
   * Regularly demonstrates initiative in supporting the customer outside of expected job assignments
   * Attention to detail and ability to multi-task talking to customers while performing technical computer work.
   * Two or Four-year degree in an IT-related field or equivalent experience in a Technical Support/Help Desk environment.
   * Previous call center, customer service, technical support experience
   
   Tagged as: Information Technology

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right desktop/helpdesk technician for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with desktop/helpdesk technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit desktop/helpdesk technicians who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find desktop/helpdesk technician candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with desktop/helpdesk technician candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a desktop/helpdesk technician applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 desktop/helpdesk technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the desktop/helpdesk technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with 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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