We are recruiting a technical support team: instructions for use

To find an engineer in a support at first glance is simple - there are clearly defined requirements and metrics, a list of skills and abilities. It would seem that for this you need? View CVs and chat with suitable candidates. But in fact, everything turns out differently. For half a year I conducted about 50 interviews and reviewed more than 200 selected resumes. I read a lot of books about how to properly conduct a dialogue and what is the system of competencies. Perhaps, I will not describe this in detail here, since everything has been stated for a long time. Just talk about your experience.

Boiling over - once again after the fifth interview in a day, in a fit of emotion, I decided to write about it. I think that this article will be useful to those who manage the technical support services in IT companies, those who are going to work there or for some reason have already left it. Please note that this is only my biased assessment, and you can safely disagree with me.

For myself, I singled out 4 main categories of candidates with whom we had a conversation.
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Quiet

Everyone met him - this is a guy who quietly greets you and is silent, you have to pull out every word with forceps. Perhaps he knows something and knows a lot, but he will never praise himself and will not tell you about it. The main problems with candidates and employees from this category begin when they do not know how or do not know something - you will never know about it either, because they themselves do not recognize you. The difficulty is that at the interview you need to talk to him.

What to do : act slowly, use short phrases, be sure to look into your eyes and, if possible, smile. Discuss the abstract topics - who plays what game or what “the sun is especially bright today”. When making a decision, remember that this can be a hardworking and executive employee, but he will not take the initiative. If you agree to “babysit” with him day by day - this is your option.

Narcissistic fool

A category that is replete with examples. “Fool” is not because there is a lack of knowledge and skills, but because the narcissist. He laughs at your questions and shows disrespect, looks, snorts, rolls his eyes. He talks about his achievements as something super cool, but he cannot talk about what is stated in his resume. He calmly states that “fortunately, relatives tend to die,” and the dog is not at all a friend of man. Will you take this to work?

What to do: if you know that you will easily beat the arrogance and change its way of thinking - it is yours. Keep in mind that the interview with the candidate in this category is “both ways” - not only will you interview him, but he will also interview you. Therefore, at the first meeting it is important to show that you are a professional in your field and respect his opinion. Do not argue, do not react to his phrases about relatives - in a word, be polite and cold. Ask clear questions and demand clear answers. Answer all questions of the candidate briefly and with confidence.

Salesman

Sell ​​everything around and yourself as well. Will talk about your experiences and achievements until you stop him. This type is generally similar to people who used to walk in the streets in suits with bags in their hands and tried to sell everything and everyone to passersby. Always with a tight smile and unnatural energy. When you start asking questions, a simple “yes” or “no” will not get exactly, instead - detailed answers with reflections and examples, as a result of which you never know what you wanted.

What to do: it ’s easy to fight salespeople - just give them logic puzzles - you’ll understand if he’s really good and if he has technical knowledge besides communication skills. Show that you also do not miss, and can support any conversation. Smile a little more, and when you talk about the company, mention insignificant but interesting little things that cannot be learned without working with you, for example, that on Mondays at 6.02 am you have a minute of grumbling, and in the kitchen on the eighth on Fridays plays Billie Holiday. The candidate will appreciate the creative approach and, in response, will tell you the most interesting things about himself.

Adequate guy

He answers questions honestly and straightforwardly, has all the necessary skills and abilities, can keep up the conversation with you, be it advice, how to rearrange the axis or make a burger - briefly and to the point. He listens carefully, does not interrupt, thinks before answering. I read about your company in advance on the site, looked through your products. Tried a lot and taught “hands”, is not afraid to work and wants to develop further. Not afraid to laugh at yourself, and indeed with a sense of humor everything is in order. And when you see him, you do not even want to doubt and check him, what are the tasks and technical issues.

What to do: it is adequate, that says it all. But you are not looking for a friend yourself, but an employee, so reach out for tasks and be interested in work experience - everything is on the list. Hold on naturally, do not rejoice ahead of time and do not promise anything, yielding to the impulse.



The classification is too subjective, and the description is exaggerated. There are mixed types, but it happens that at the first interview you have a quiet mind, and the second is an adequate guy. At the interview because everyone is nervous and behave unpredictably. You can work with all, most importantly, to find an approach. And then, for a certain period of time, you will recruit a dream team, in which each employee will try on all four roles - depending on the situation and on the client on the phone.