Biggest Challenge for an MSP - Hiring and Retaining Technical Resources

If you ask anyone having a business what some of their greatest fears are, you will find out that attracting and retaining the right staff is a standard answer. It is a challenging yet essential way to ensure your business grows. MSPs are no exception; having the right people by your side as you run your business can bring a lot of difference and set you apart from your competitors.

Finding technical talent is becoming a real challenge, proving to be an even more significant challenge to keep that talent. You may find one with the best certification but lacks social skills, communication, and interpersonal skills. At times you will be lucky to bag top talent, but they seek opportunities elsewhere because your company lacks opportunities for your employees to advance. Some roles that MSPs find difficult to fill are developers and system administrators.

Over the years of running an MSP, you will discover some essential things that make candidates stand out and help you pick the crème de la crème. 

• Your team should have the same core skills essential to supporting your clientele. You must be driven by a targeted hiring profile and perform stringent candidate screening. You need to use tools that ensure that each candidate fits the team, the job description, and the work environment. Your job posts need to be like a marketing exercise; therefore, it needs to get the attention of candidates who think they match the role.
• Having identified your ideal profile, you should have a short list of candidates that initially fit the role. Afterward, you should focus on individual evaluation to see how they work in your team.
• After evaluating the candidates and technical testing, you need to assess whether a candidate culturally fits into your team by looking at how well they think outside the box, handle pace, and minimal supervision, to name a few.
• You should then do a detailed background check but first, allow the candidate to discuss anything that may come up during the review.
• Your candidate is now ready to become a recruit, and you can now present the letter of offer stating their duties, compensations, and responsibilities.
• Train your recruit in the first 90 days to ensure they are successful in their new role. This training helps them understand precisely what is required of them and is an investment in your company. Help them feel empowered and comfortable with the processes and the tools to help them excel in what they do.
• Ensure that your staff constantly undergoes development to obtain new certifications and skills. You must ensure that training is practical for their personal goals and the company.

The process seems standard, right? But how do you retain this technical talent? Something your MSP recruiting team can do, right?

Things you can do!

You primarily need to look at your hiring process and ensure that you work with experts to ensure that you get top technical talent. To further retain your technical resources, you must start listening to your employees' needs and incorporate those priorities.

Employees also love to have a voice, and having an environment where their opinion is valued will make them loyal and willing to stay. You can also resume employee benefits packages that remove some burden off their shoulders; medical covers, bonuses, and retirement plans are an excellent way to start.

You should also offer opportunities for your employees to train and improve their skills and introduce opportunities that help them learn the latest skills that make them more marketable. Additionally, you should offer the flexibility of work where employees can also work from home. A slight pay rise would not hurt, and finally, creating a work environment that allows everyone's personality to thrive will help retain your technical talent!