How to hire a help desk supervisor

How to hire a help desk supervisor, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The help desk supervisor 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 help desk supervisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, help desk supervisors 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 help desk supervisor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Help Desk Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Help Desk Supervisor	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	$20-45
   Technician Support Team Leader	The Technician Support Team Leader is tasked with leading and training the technical support team. As a team leader, you will be required to organize scheduled staff reviews and communicate new procedures and policies with them... Show more	$30-58
   Computer Support Technician	A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items... Show more	$16-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Technical Support
   • Operational Procedures
   • Help Desk
   • Desk Support
   • Level Agreements
   • Problem Resolution
   • ITIL
   • Troubleshoot
   • Computer System
   • Customer Support
   • Statistical Reports
   • Software Applications
   • Trouble Tickets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage LAN software/hardware installation and upgrade efforts.
   • Provide remote implementation support for IBM POS solution.
   • Provide phone support for network and remote VPN users with connectivity issues.
   • Assist remote users with VPN, RAS, and RNA connection problems.
   • Negotiate the leasing and storage of OS specific hardware for deadline driven system upgrades.
   • Assist in setting up and troubleshooting port security on switches through command line CLI.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your help desk supervisor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A help desk supervisor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, help desk supervisors' average salary in alaska is 38% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level help desk supervisors earn 54% less than senior-level help desk supervisors.
   • Certifications. A help desk supervisor 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 help desk supervisor's salary.

   Average help desk supervisor salary

   $64,297yearly

   $30.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level help desk supervisor salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a help desk supervisor job description

   A help desk supervisor 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. Below, you can find an example of a help desk supervisor job description:

   Help desk supervisor job description example

   We are looking for a Help Desk Supervisor based out of our corporate office in Tacoma, WA. The salary range for this position is $100k - $110k.
   
   Purpose: The Help Desk Supervisor is responsible for all Help Desk positions within the Information Technology Department with a focus on customer service, communication and process improvement.
   What you'll be doing…
   
   * SUPPORT ASSOCIATE PRODUCTIVITY by managing the Help Desk and assigned IT operations, with a focus on keeping associates & systems operational and productive.
   * IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES AND CREATES DOCUMENTATION regarding how issues are identified, received, documented, distributed, and corrected.
   * COMMUNICATE with all associates/departments/branch offices regarding changes, updates, and outages to Burkhart information systems; as well as maintaining relationships and negotiations with outside vendors.
   * MANAGE ESCALATION AND SERVICE LEVELS ensuring they are met and maintained.
   * PARTICIPATE IN EVALUATION OF NEW INFORMATION SYSTEMS PRODUCTS or services and recommends changes to existing products or services to aid in continuous improvement.
   * DEFINE TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIES, GOALS AND BUDGET as a member of the IT Leadership Team.
   * BUILD BURKHART'S LONG-TERM SUCCESS by effectively leading assigned direct reports, managing for optimal performance, consistently supporting career growth and development, and nurturing engagement with the Burkhart cultural values.
   
   What success looks like…
   
   * DEPENDABILITY: Your daily tasks are completed in a timely and thorough manner, ensuring all activities, records, data, and processes are kept highly organized, accurate, and up-to-date.
   * EXCEPTIONAL CLIENT EXPERIENCE: You go above and beyond in order to provide an Exceptional Client Experience.
   * INITIATIVE: You take initiative by identifying issues and solutions. You ultimately solve problems, with or without additional support, in a timely, quality and collaborative manner.
   * PROBLEM SOLVING: Problems are viewed as exciting challenges and are quickly resolved for the benefit of all stakeholders involved.
   * TEAM MANAGEMENT: You are an exceptional coach, leader, and mentor for your associates.
   
   What you'll need…
   
   * Associates degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or related field (preferred).
   * 2 years of IT management experience preferred.
   * Technical certifications (MCSE, MCSA) preferred.
   * Proven ability to supervise and motivate department staff members required.
   * This position requires an individual to be bondable.
   
   Preferred Education and/or Experience:
   
   * Experience in a multi-state sales company with a remote workforce.
   
   What Burkhart will provide for you…
   
   * In addition to providing free Dental insurance to our associates (of course!), Burkhart offers two affordable medical plans (plus a medical plan for your canine & feline family members), health savings accounts, healthcare flexible spending accounts, a 401k retirement plan, and a free employee assistance program.
   * Free Wellness program including gift card incentives for completing wellness activities, company-wide events (like Fresh Fruit Fridays), and Principal's financial wellness program.
   * Up to 3 weeks of vacation time off, 8 paid holidays, a day off to celebrate their work anniversary, and paid sick leave.
   * Recognition for exceptional performance, anniversary milestone rewards, and various recognition programs.
   * Associate events throughout the year such as coffee carts, summer BBQ's, March Madness contests, and the very popular Take Your Dog to Work Day.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right help desk supervisor 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 help desk supervisor job on Zippia to find and attract quality help desk supervisor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with help desk supervisor 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   If your interviews with help desk supervisor 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 help desk supervisor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the help desk supervisor 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new help desk supervisor. 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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