MSP Hiring Tips

First things first: are you hiring new team members because the current ones are leaving for other positions, or you continually need to let subpar team members go? If so, you might need to focus more on training those employees you have, as well as putting together a good hiring process. It’s always less expensive to keep good team members than hire new ones, so putting focus on retention is always a smart idea.

Create an ‘Elite’ Team

If your entire team is perfect and you wouldn’t change a thing, you’re in luck! Unfortunately, most large companies find that some team members perform better than others, and it’s important to ‘shine a light on what’s right’ in this situation. Designate a portion of your team that consistently receives high marks on customer service, dependability, and skill and get them involved in the hiring process. Not only will they be able to set the tone for new hires, but the rest of your team may also step up so they can be included as well.

Let Your Current Team Talk to Potential Hires

Many HR managers don’t let interviewees near their other employees, and this could be a mistake. Who knows better if a new hire will be a fit than those who will be working closely with him or her? Allow a few members of your team to visit with interviewees you’re considering hiring. Their insight could be invaluable when finding a new addition to your managed services team.

Make Culture Fit a Necessity, Not a Bonus

Too many HR managers and business owners focus entirely on education, past employees, and knowledge of the industry. They figure that if they can perform the work, they’ll naturally fit in. However, being a good fit for the culture of the team is just as important, if not more, as performing the actual work. Make sure you include questions that help you identify if new employees will fit in with the rest of your team and your company culture as a whole.

Have a Standardized Question that All of Your Current MSP Employees Agree On

How did you find the great team you currently have? Take a look at your best and brightest on the team and see what they have in common, then develop a question or set of questions to identify these qualities in interviewees. Get your current team involved to help you figure out the best questions that get right to the point and weed out bad fits.

Your managed services team is crucial to the success of your business, and the last thing you want is to waste precious time and money when you’re trying to hire new team members. If you’ve trained your current team correctly, you can use them to assist you or your HR manager in the hiring process.

About the Author

Brent Whitfield is CEO of

DCG Technical Solutions, Inc. providing IT Support in the Los Angeles area since 1993. DCG exists to contribute to the success of their clients' small businesses by helping them monitor, manage, & optimize their mission-critical information technologies, with a top priority of solving IT problems as soon as they arise. They strive to help customers with their tech troubles, so they can get the most from their IT investments.

He started DCG as a results-oriented IT solutions company for small businesses in 1990, and built it into a company that was recognized among the Top 10 Fastest Growing MSPs in North America by MSP mentor. Brent has been featured in Fast Company, CNBC, Network Computing, Reuters, and Yahoo Business.