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Helpdesk Job Description

by Mercer Smith-Looper · Updated Nov 3 2020

If you're lucky enough to be hiring right now, you already know that candidates are swamping the job market. Even more so than usual, helpdesk jobs are hot commodities, and many people are interested in them. So, what's the best way to ensure that you get the candidates that fit perfectly for your needs? It starts with writing a helpdesk job description that encompasses everything that your team finds valuable about support.

In this blog post, we'll break down how to write a helpdesk job description fit for a support pro and also provide you a template to take and use as you see fit.

What to consider

When working on a helpdesk job description or a post to try to attract people to your company, it's essential to think about what is unique about how you do support. Do you offer out of the queue time for your team members? Is there an ideal path for upward trajectory? Will they have the opportunity to work with really cool customers? Are your company values unique and special to your team? These are all things to include in your job description.

Beyond that, make sure to note any job expectations that are outside of the norm. For instance, will they need to know specific programming languages? Are the expected hours outside of the standard nine-to-five in their timezone? Will they be required to go and visit clients in person? If something makes the role different from a traditional support job, you should be sure to note it in your job description.

Lastly, try to figure out a way to weed out candidates that may just be mass applying. While it may seem cold, if you can cut down on a few of the bulk applicants, you will give yourself space to more deeply consider other candidates in your applicant pool. Some companies choose to ask in the middle of the post that people include a sentence in their cover letter proving they read the description. Others may ask some to solve a simple math equation. It's like a CAPTCHA, but for your application process. We’ll give an example in our template.

How to structure it

You aren't writing a novel. Figure out what is most important to convey to your reader, and write it as concisely as possible. The three key components to include in a listing are:

Bulleted lists make your listing easy to read and quick to skim. Even though it's ideal for a candidate to read the whole listing (thus the sneaky CAPTCHA like we mentioned above), allowing them to quickly skim first ensures that you'll get even more eyes on your listing.

Start with the most critical information to the company (why you're fantastic!) right at the top, and the essential information to the candidate (what they need to get hired) at the bottom.

Other key components

While a summary, idea of the day-to-day, and required credentials are the meat and potatoes of any helpdesk job description, there are other things that you may choose to include in your job listing. For instance:

Similarly, consider where this page will live. Do you have a place where all of your jobs are listed? If so, what does it look like? The job page may be the first thing that many individuals see of your company. Try to ensure that you are putting your best foot forward.

Include tons of great pictures of your culture, show partners, or companies currently using your product. Add testimonials, link to Glassdoor, and share links to your blog posts related to working for your company or company culture in general.

Always ensure that you double-check your postings for biased and alienating language or role requirements that may discriminate unnecessarily. For instance, does someone really need a bachelor's in computer science to succeed in the role? If not, remove it. The language you use here indicates the types of individuals you'll draw attention from—consider every word and what kind of person it resonates with.

What it looks like

Here's a template job posting that you can pull from for your own company. We've also designated some aspects of the listing that would be better for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 support person.

Introduction

At [your company], we are building a dedicated team of individuals committed to [your values]. We recognize that there is more to support than just answering emails and empower everyone on our staff to do best by the customer every step of the journey. [Add information here about what makes your company or working in support at your company unique and exciting. This is a great place to talk about unique benefits or specific, fundamental problems your product is trying to solve.

What to expect (Day-to-day responsibilities)

Your objectives will center around supporting our customer base both proactively and reactively and will include some of the following:

[Tier 1]

[Tier 2]

You may be a great fit if (Role requirements)

[Tier 1]

[Tier 2, in addition to the above]

Closing

Many companies choose to include a statement about diversity and hiring here. An excellent example of that might be:

Our company is devoted to equal opportunity hiring and is an affirmative action employer. We recognize that a diverse team is a strong team.

Make it your own

No matter how you choose to include these aspects in your job listing, make sure it reflects your company. Your values and what makes your team unique will make your helpdesk job description exciting for the people reading it. Shine light on all of the things that you and your team members do that are special.

Start by introducing your company and the things you find essential, and then move on to explain what the candidate can expect and how they'll know they're a good fit. Traditionally support responsibilities are nice to include and make sure to draw attention to anything that may be out of the ordinary, such as stretched hours or more advanced knowledge. Make it compelling—people should be excited to want to work for you, not just applying to stick another feather in their hat.

Check out our Customer support interview questions and 3 Things to Look for When Hiring for Customer Support Job.