Due to limited resources, availability, and lack of applicants that meet particular qualifications, service desks managers and leaders alike have difficulties finding the right members to add to their team.

Developing and improving the IT Service Desk team requires not only technical skills but people skills as well that will make the organization competent and confident in providing necessary IT support and solutions to its users.

Here are six essential skills to focus on to help you improve and build your dream team.

1. Communication Skills

The ability to communicate efficiently and assertively is a vital life skill and is most beneficial in the aspect of one’s professional and social life.

Service desk team members are customer’s first point of contact, so it is expected that they should communicate excellently—verbally and non-verbally. This is essential in building customer relationships and leveraging the relationship to business success.

2. Analytical Skills

As a service desk personnel, the ability to visualize, gather accurate information, articulate, analyze, and handle complex problems is important to ensure productivity and that other areas of the workforce are functioning smoothly for a tactical execution.

3. Project Management Skills

Workers that can carry out and manage projects of varying scopes, as well as send deliverables on time is a valuable asset to the team. Further, someone who has the initiative and is capable of using advanced project management software or other tools that will make work easier and more organized is definitely a strength.

4. Cybersecurity Skills

With threats constantly evolving nowadays, cyber security skills have become a necessity in an organization to protect the most critical data from unauthorized access.

Having someone who can manage security demands, can identify threats and possible attacks, has knowledge on how to prevent and stop attacks, and has the skills in collecting evidence and information following a threat can help save both the customer and the company.

5. Hardware and Software Skills

Anything about computer, gadgets, and internet are technological and complex. Members of the service desk team must know how to correct and detect issues in the servers, repair, upgrade, and perform maintenance to prevent any of these machines and equipment from breaking down or interrupting any of the business processes.

Further, they should also teach and guide other members in troubleshooting processes.

6. Database Management Skills

Organizations are establishing new initiatives and reevaluating existing strategies while examining how they can transform their businesses using big data.

The ability to use data effectively, understanding database design concepts and the needs of your clients/audiences, and the willingness to explore creative approaches to using data is one of the essential qualities of an effective IT service desk officer.

There is no doubt that the IT industry has strict competition with regards to technical skills and training certifications. Someone who understands how computers interact with humans and learns to match its thinking to the machine is worth having.

However, working in the industry does not only revolve with that kind of competencies, as someone who understands and promotes customer requirements and success must also be taken into consideration.

Candidates who lack skills in both aspects are often overlooked, and an organization must make opportunities available to train and manage its people to have win-win situations.