Recruiting for any business is a difficult task, especially when you’re an MSP in the IT industry. Amongst other things an MSP is generally a highly pressurised environment and the fear for business owners is that this will be too stressful to handle for many candidates. 

Not only do you have to consider whether your ideal candidate will be the right fit for your business and team, but you’ve also got to prioritise whether they have the essential technical knowledge and specified skill set required for the position. 

Since the pandemic, the need for candidates in the IT industry has massively increased but how can we determine the candidates that are right for our business? Those with skilled knowledge inData Analytics, Cyber Security and Digital Transformation are in high demand across the IT industry and these demands will continue to grow as the traditional ways of working are evolving, meaning now more than ever IT is a prioritised necessity. 

What qualities can a candidate bring to your MSP?

1. Good communication skills

This really is a given as an IT support engineer or technician will be working and communicating with clients on a daily basis. Their communication skills and ability to provide excellent customer service to your clients should be something that you’re looking out for throughout the whole recruitment process.

2. The ability to work as a team

When looking for an IT support engineer for your MSP it is essential that they can handle the busy customer focused environment both individually and as a team. Additionally, consider your other team members and whether you think this individual will fit with the rest of the team. Working as a team is crucial to delivering fast and accurate resolutions. So, it’s essential that your ideal candidate has great team working skills and can listen and communicate with their colleagues effectively, allowing them to progress as a unit together rather than just performing as an individual. 

3. Analytical and Creative thinking

When working in the IT industry it is very rare that there is only one solution to a problem. This is where creative thinking comes in which is a great quality to look out for in an ideal candidate for your MSP. Those with creative minds can think on their feet and come up with amazingly creative solutions to any technical problem. (This quality somewhat relies on the experience and teamwork of the candidate as both will magnify the creative thinking in a high-pressure situation). 

As well as being creative it is essential that your IT candidate is logical and analytical with their thinking and problem-solving skills.

4. Time management skills

A common struggle within the IT industry is that IT support engineers tend to have too much to do and simply not enough time to do it. Especially within computer networking, technicians cannot waste a minute of their time and must resolve a variety of highly intricate support tickets within the time promised or recommended to the client. There is nothing worse than having a client chase you for the work that has overrun its deadline. Therefore, good time management skills and focus is essential quality to look out for when looking for an ideal candidate for your MSP.

5. Technical skill

This goes without saying! A high degree of technical skill is required for the majority of IT positions within an MSP.  One way to find out if your ideal candidate has the technical knowledge needed for the position is to simply test them. Many MSPs use a technological assessment test before even interviewing a candidate to ensure that their technical skills are where they should be for the specific position. This ensures there is no time wasted for the recruiter or the candidate during the recruitment process. Additionally, experience within the field and potentially in a similar position will also ensure that some technical skill is present within your candidate, checking references and previous work is another great way to clarify the skill set level of your ideal candidate.

6. Active Listening skills

You would think that this would be required in any job role of any industry, and yes, it is to a certain degree. However, when it comes to a technical position that is heavily reliant on continuous interaction with others whether this is with clients or colleagues, active listening becomes a necessity. When it comes to IT support within an MSP your ideal candidate will likely be talking to a variety of different clients from different industries, most of which will have limited knowledge of their IT needs. Therefore, active listening is even more important as your candidate must be able to listen to the client and interpret the problem whilst somewhat translating it into their own technical language that may not be understood by the client. This is an integral part of any IT role and should be highly considered throughout the recruitment process.

7. Adaptability

Dealing with such a wide range of customers and environments it is important for candidates to be adaptable. Be this location, surroundings or technology whilst ensuring no loss of productivity. Although many of the tasks performed by an MSP can be done increasingly remotely it is still crucial for candidates to be able to drive and have their own transport.

8. Someone who has the right attitude towards learning!

In a fast moving environment of MSPs  learning never comes to an end. Your ideal candidate needs to be someone who is curious about IT and is looking to continuously improve their knowledge. the training opportunities are extensive and currently engineers are undertaking the following courses and exams:

  • MS 365 Admin
  • MS 365 Bundle (MS 100 – 101 SharePoint)
  •  Windows Server 2016 (70 – 740)
  •  Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
  •  Watchguard
  • CompTIA A+901
  • CompTIA A+902
  •  Network
  •  Security
  •  PowerShell
  •  Veeam
  •  Google for Education
  •  G Suite Exam
  •  Microsoft for Education
  •  Trend
  •  Libra
  •  PRTG, ESET.

What are your candidates looking for in an MSP? 

In today’s world of adaptation in the workplace,  it is not only about what your ideal candidate can do for you but also what you can do for them and what many now expect to be available to them as an employee. 

  1. Training & Certification
  2. Progression – Opportunity to progress from 2nd to 3rd line support with no “glass ceiling”
  3. Chance to put newly learnt skills into action
  4. Hybrid working
  5. Appreciation
  6. Good benefits
  7. Caring company culture
  8. Attractive salary

Whoever you hire as the ideal candidate for your MSP could expect these working conditions that have increased in need and popularity over the past few years. 

If you’ve found this blog useful, get in touch today for support finding your ideal candidate or check out our other useful blog topics here: /https://constantrecruitment.co.uk/blog/