tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380153732007-05-20T16:37:52.212-07:00Steven McElweeBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38015373.post-1165976459755079832006-11-23T18:19:00.000-08:002006-12-12T18:41:33.723-08:00Help desks can create great entry level positions, since responsibilities can be divided according to skill level, with senior analysts handling the difficult calls and entry level analysts handling more routine calls or email. With this in mind, it's especially important to create a logical progression from entry level to senior level analyst. This will help you to retain the help desk analysts and keep people motivated to do their best.<br /><br />One of the most important parts of career progression is help desk training. You may choose to send your analysts to a training course or to develop your own training materials. Often a combination of both is best.<br /><br />When considering help desk training, make sure it is balanced and customized to the needs of the individual analyst. For example, if you have good metrics in place, you can target training to topics that will improve first call resolution in areas where the analyst is weakest.<br /><br />Make sure your help desk training program covers:<br /><ol><li>Your own help desk processes, which should be documented and have related training materials.</li><li>Customer support skills that help with soft skills, like handling difficult calls.</li><li>Business application support skills that cover standard business applications as well as custom-developed applications.<br /></li><li>Technical skills for resolving trouble with remote connectivity and PC issues.</li><li>Career growth training in areas like ITIL, knowledge management, service desk management, and Sarbanes-Oxley.</li></ol>Help desk training is one of the best ways to promote career development, improve effectiveness, and get great results.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >-Ashley Glenn</span><br /></div>Steven McElwee