6 Questions Every MSP Must Ask Before Hiring Helpdesk Staff
- David Ushar
- May 6
- 2 min read
How to Staff Your Helpdesk the Right Way (for MSPs)
For Managed Service Providers (MSPs), helpdesk staffing is one of the most important operational decisions—because labor often accounts for 60–80% of the support budget. Getting it right means better service, faster ticket resolution, and less burnout for your team.
If you’re considering scaling your support team or exploring outsourced helpdesk technician here’s how to approach the decision with strategy and data.
Ask These 6 Key Questions Before Hiring
Before bringing on new staff, it’s important to define your needs clearly. These six questions provide a framework:
Why?Are you currently overloaded? Taking on new clients? Expanding services?
Who?Do you need entry-level techs for routine tickets, or skilled professionals with experience in tools like RMMs, 365, or firewalls?
What?Will they be resolving tickets, managing alerts, assisting with onboarding, or maintaining systems?
When?Is coverage needed full-time, part-time, or just during peak hours or after-hours?
Where?Will technicians work onsite or remotely? Many MSPs now hire helpdesk staff abroad due to time zone alignment and cost efficiency.
How Many?Use real data to determine headcount. Don’t rely on gut feeling—measure your actual workload.
Let Data Drive Your Decisions
A key metric to monitor is Average Handle Time (AHT)—the time it takes to resolve a single ticket. For example, if your helpdesk receives 200 tickets per day and each takes 5 minutes to resolve, that’s 1,000 minutes of work.
If each technician can contribute around 300 productive minutes a day (accounting for breaks, meetings, and training), you’d need at least 4 technicians.
But don’t stop there—factor in shrinkage, or time lost to unplanned interruptions, which can range from 20–40%. Ignoring this can lead to chronic understaffing and long resolution times.
Final Thoughts
Helpdesk staffing isn’t just about filling seats—it’s about making smart, data-driven decisions that align with your MSP’s growth and service goals. By answering the right questions and analyzing your actual support workload, you can build a lean, effective support team—whether locally or through global outsourcing.