Define the support boundary
Describe the user population, systems, channels and coverage hours. Explain the ticketing process, available knowledge base and escalation paths. Clarify whether the role is first-line support, more advanced troubleshooting or a blend of support and administration.
List the common issue types and the decisions the person can make independently. Avoid using a title such as service desk engineer without explaining the access and responsibility attached to it. If the role includes shifts, travel or on-site support, state those requirements before candidates enter a lengthy process.
Assess the process, not only the answer
Use a fictional support scenario and ask the candidate how they would gather information. Look for questions about impact, scope, recent changes and what has already been tried. Ask how they would record the work and decide when to escalate.
A candidate should not be penalised simply for refusing to guess an answer without enough information. At the same time, they should be able to explain a practical sequence and recognise the limits of their access or knowledge. Calibrate expectations to the level of the role and the training your team can provide.
Listen to the user communication
Ask the candidate to explain a technical issue to a non-technical user and to give an update when there is no confirmed fix yet. Assess clarity, respect and honesty about uncertainty. Promising a resolution time without evidence may sound reassuring but create a service problem later.
Explore how they handle several requests and a frustrated user while keeping useful records. Discuss handovers between shifts and how repeated incidents become knowledge that the team can reuse. Strong support work should improve continuity, not depend on one person remembering everything.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
A role-relevant work sample
Give the candidate a short fictional ticket: “Several users cannot access the finance application; one says it worked yesterday.” Ask for initial questions, a priority rationale, an escalation note and a short user update. This tests several useful behaviours without requiring access to a real customer environment.
Your practical checklist
- Define support scope, systems and coverage hours.
- Assess information gathering and escalation judgement.
- Include a plain-language user communication task.
- Discuss documentation and shift handover.
Take it forward
Recruit for the complete support interaction. A person who diagnoses carefully, communicates clearly and escalates with evidence can contribute more reliably than someone who only recalls isolated fixes.
