How to hire a help desk leader

How to hire a help desk leader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step help desk leader hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The help desk leader 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a help desk leader 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 help desk leader that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of help desk leaders and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Help Desk Leader	Description	Hourly rate
   Help Desk Leader	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	$18-40
   Support Analyst	The role of support analysts is to resolve problems with hardware, computer programs, and peripherals. They may focus on a particular aspect of the information technology (IT) department or give technical support to end-users... Show more	$24-54
   Lead Support Technician	Lead support technicians test and troubleshoot onboard systems by using various interface tools and proprietary software. Besides following instructions, lead support technicians also work hand-in-hand with managers to ensure all quality standards are implemented... Show more	$30-67

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Technical Support
   • Troubleshoot
   • Remedy
   • Help Desk
   • Desk Support
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Help-Desk Support
   • SharePoint
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Service
   • Provide Technical Assistance
   • Computer System
   • Problem Resolution
   • Level Agreements

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a support team in the global transition of a new VPN remote access tool.
   • Develop within SharePoint and manage the SharePoint environment.
   • Improve efficiency and reduce risk by developing managing concepts and projects for ITIL process development for service delivery.
   • Streamline processes using SharePoint to save department time and money.
   • Resolve user problems regarding batch processing, twinax and TCP/IP connectivity.
   • Monitor SLA activity to ensure HD tickets meet the SLA guidelines.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, help desk leaders' average salary in alaska is 56% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level help desk leaders 55% less than senior-level help desk leaders.
   • Certifications. A help desk leader 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 help desk leader's salary.

   Average help desk leader salary

   $56,781yearly

   $27.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level help desk leader salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

4. Writing a help desk leader job description

   A good help desk leader 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 help desk leader job description:

   Help desk leader job description example

   • Develop and maintain a fundamental understanding of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
   • Utilize ticket tracking system to document all support incidents.
   • Creates and maintains, detailed and complete, Helpdesk documentation.
   • Reporting of metrics and KPIs for the Helpdesk.
   • Identify opportunities for automation and assist with the development of automation systems to address those opportunities.
   • Participation with research, planning, scoping, implementation, and ongoing support for
   • projects.
   • Participation with maintaining inventory of hardware, software, and support assets.
   • Capability to self-motivate, work independently and taking ownership of job responsibilities.
   • On-point, genuine interpersonal and written communication skills.
   • Demonstrated Customer Service & Troubleshooting skill sets.
   • The ability to balance and prioritize multiple projects and remain calm under pressure.
   • Experience working with multi-tiered ticket handling/resolution systems.
   • Provide tier 2 and tier 3 IT support.
   • Collaborate with DSI dev ops and develop tickets.
   • Enforces IT standards and educate employees about compliance issues.
   • Performs other related duties as assigned.

   
   
   

   Required Experience:

   • Active TS/SCI with polygraph
   • 2+ years prior of documented work experience as Helpdesk Lead.
   • Understanding of Ticketing systems.
   • Experience with logic structures.
   • Demonstrated analytical capabilities.
   • Ability to collaborate with internal and external customers.
   • Ability to work in a team-oriented environment for a matrixed organization.
   • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

   Desired Experience:

   • Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition lifecycle or commercial contracting
   • Knowledge of Federal financial systems or commercial accounting
   • Experience with Federal government contracting and/or program office organizations

   DSI is a leading provider of knowledge driven software solutions and subject matter consulting services addressing the needs of acquisition professionals. We offer a fun, casual, collaborative working environment for individuals interested in conquering technology barriers, learning by doing, and taking pride in developing superior software manufactured in the USA.

   Distributed Solutions, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find help desk leaders for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any help desk leaders they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level help desk leaders with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find help desk leader 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

   During your first interview to recruit help desk leaders, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview help desk leader candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • 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 help desk leader

   Once you've found the help desk leader 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new help desk leader. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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