According to research from Hornbill Systems and the Service Desk Institute, more IT workers start their career working on the helpdesk, early employment that stands them in good stead for the rest of their working lives.

The two groups jointly commissioned research and found out that many employers are now using psychometric testing to identify which workers were likely to thrive in a corporate environment, before placing them in support positions. Further, more emphasis is being placed on the social skills of candidates, meaning that employers expect more personal skills from their staff.

In a whitepaper released today they also point to other practices, currently being used to woo and retain good staff. More than fifty seven percent of the firms that responded to a survey said that they were building rewards into their employees contracts, and had already found that staff were staying longer in their positions, and were happy to remain employed at the company for longer.

Further, investments in IT training and staff development are equally likely to have a positive affect on retention, the survey found.

According to Patrick Bolger, Chief Marketing Officer at Hornbill Systems, said,
“The last five years have seen a shift in the role of the service desk. The delivery of business goals is often underpinned by the success of the IT infrastructure, which has elevated the importance of IT and the service desk to be central to an organisation’s success.

“While technology has been an enabler for many service desks to run successful support functions, there has also been recognition that the human touch – service desk personnel – is what delivers customer satisfaction. Good systems and working practices must support service personnel and empower a personalised service – but interpersonal skills are what counts..”