Training

It is vital that all Service Desk staff are adequately trained before they are called upon to staff the Service Desk. A formal induction programme should be undertaken by all new staff, the exact content of which will vary depending upon the existing skill levels and experience of the new recruit, but is likely to include many of the required skills as described above.

Where possible, a business awareness programme, including short periods of secondment into key business areas, should be provided for new staff who do not already have this level of business awareness.

When starting on the Service Desk, new staff should initially ‘shadow’ experienced staff – sit with them and listen in on calls – before starting to take calls themselves with a mentor listening in and able to intervene and provide support where necessary. The mentor should initially review each call with the trainee after it concludes to learn any lessons. The frequency of such reviews should be gradually reduced as experience and confidence grows but the mentor should still be available to provide ongoing support even when the trainee has reached the stage of going solo.

Mentors may need to be trained on how to mentor. Service Desk experience and technical skills are not the only requirements for mentoring. Effective knowledge-transfer skills and the ability to teach without being condescending or threatening are equally important.

A programme will be necessary to keep Service Desk staff’s knowledge up to date – and to make them aware of new developments, services and technologies. The timing of such events is critical so as not to impact upon the normal duties. Many Service Desks find that it is best to organize short ‘tutorials’ during quiet periods when staff are less likely to be needed for call handling.

Note: Investment should also be made in the professional development of Service Desk staff. Internal mentoring and shadowing second- and third-level support staff is a good start, but best-of-breed Service Desks benefit from a formalized programme of staff development. Organizational commitment to professional development helps instil a sense of accomplishment and opportunity to staff. This often leads to innovation in Service Desk operation (such as specialized services) which in turn drive operational efficiencies at all tier levels of support. It helps to build skills that can be used in their current role as well as it jump-starts the training for a new role. While it is important to develop their core competencies in their current role, having a clear career path and recognising future requirement and development needs is also important.

Date: 2014-12-29; view: 886