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5 Tips for Sourcing Great MSP Candidates

June 13, 2018

 All business owners understand the challenge of finding the right talent for their team.  It's an even bigger challenge  in the Managed Service Provider (MSP) space as we currently have a negative unemployment rate for technical engineers.   So how do you go about finding your next rock star in such a competitive market?   The following are five tips we recommend for attracting potential candidates and getting your search for talent off on the right foot.

#1 Clearly State Job Requirements

Step one in ensuring you are attracting the right talent is the job description.  It is crucial to clearly state what you are looking for in your next employee, and to set specific expectations right from the start.  The job title should be both accurate and descriptive.   Don't just list an opening for an Engineer, list an opening for a Technical Help Desk Support Specialist. 

When listing job duties, only include those that are absolutely essential to the role.  It is not necessary to list every single job duty.  You want to make the role appealing to candidates while still stating key responsibilities.  If the job is not appealing to you, it won't be appealing to potential candidates.   Focus on the most important skills and technologies that are necessary to be successful in the role.  

#2 Understand What to Look For 

When sourcing a new candidate, it is important to look for consistent employment history with positive career progression.  If you come across a candidate with less than a year experience at their previous employer,  it could be a red flag.    Consistency shows loyalty in a potential candidate and is a sign of someone with the ability to be an ideal team player.  Additionally,  positive career progression within their roles shows they're a leader and a go-getter looking to excel given the right circumstances.  

You also want a candidate who is confident in their skills and is engaged in the tech industry.   Not only should they be comfortable talking about technical support processes, they should understand current trends in the space.  This shows a commitment to their field, their career, and their growth within the space.  

#3 Know Where to Find Them 

Now that you have a clearly defined job description and know the key traits for a great potential hire, where do you find them?  While there are many options that give you access to applicants, there are few that give you access to the RIGHT applicants.   

As an MSP, you're likely targeting the passive job seeker, and by this I mean someone who is only willing to move for the right opportunity.  Passive job seekers will not be posting their resumes on job boards like Monster or Indeed.  So how do you get to them?  The first place to look is at your current employees.  Your employees are a built in testimonial for your company and will provide a level of trust to potential candidates.   

Investing in LinkedIn is another great option which provides you direct access to the specific candidates you're looking for.  You can easily search your competitors, vendors, and even recent grads from local colleges for potential candidates.  LinkedIn allows you to directly message these potential candidates with easy options for them to apply immediately, if interested. 

Other great places to find top talent are internship programs, industry events, as well as job fairs that are targeted to specific specialties.  

#4 Utilize Social Media Effectively 

Sharing engaging content via social media that connects with your current employees shows the personality of your staff and the culture of your business.  It's an opportunity to give your business some color.  TAKE IT!

As I previously stated,  LinkedIn is a powerhouse for sourcing the RIGHT candidates and will be your biggest resource, but don't underestimate the other platforms.  Facebook and Instagram are great places to highlight employee engagement.  If your employees are excited about something, they'll share it, which helps you gain free visibility in your immediate area.  

Also, keep in mind when a potential candidate is researching your company, it's likely that they will look at your social media pages.   Make sure the content you're putting in front of them shows not just what you do but who you are as a company.

#5 Create a Clear Referral Program 

Referrals are one of, if not the best way to hire great candidates.  You should have something in place that encourages your employees to help you with recruitment by offering incentives and rewards for bringing in talent.

Create a clear and concise policy framework with specific guidelines for your referral program.  Make sure there are no grey areas, and your employees know exactly what they get for bringing in a great new team member.  

At IT By Design, we include incentive payments that are paid out after the successful conclusion of the referred candidate's 90-day probation period.  If you'd like a copy of our referral policy, please fill out the form below and we'd be happy to share! 

For a successful referral program, regularly and consistently make sure your team is aware of open positions that need to be filled, and reward employees quickly once their referral has passed whatever probation period you choose.  This will keep your team motivated to help in your search for the perfect hire.

 

Engineers for Hire If you're still struggling to find adequate technical talent, IT By Design has a full bench of MSP trained technical engineers available for immediate hire.  All our engineers have been trained in MSP best practices and are comfortable using multiple PSA and RMM tools.  For more information on our Dedicated Remote Staff Augmentation Services, click the link below.

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