What Does a Help Desk Supervisor Do?

A help desk supervisor job is a mid-level position in most companies with a dedicated information technology (IT) support staff. This department provides assistance to others who need help with their computers, and may involve everything from installing new hardware and software on a computer, to troubleshooting problems that employees or clients have, depending on the nature of the company. As a help desk supervisor, the individual will be responsible for providing technical support as well as supervising the other IT staff to be sure they are on task and performing their jobs as required. Other tasks like scheduling, implementing goals, or training new employees may also be required of a supervisor.

Generally, someone who works as a help desk supervisor has already worked for a few years as a technician on a help desk in order to gain experience, both in the specialized area of expertise, and in speaking with clients in an easily understandable way. Some may also have college degrees in information technology or a related field, like computer programming. Many people who want to work in the information technology field will start out on a help desk as a way of making contacts and moving up within a company.

On a daily basis, a help desk supervisor will primarily be responsible for supervising other employees, and making sure they are following the policies of the company, showing up to work on time, and taking regular breaks as required by law. If the call volume is especially high, the help desk supervisor might take some help desk calls, but usually he or she remains available in case a call needs to be elevated. For instance, if a a caller is getting angry or belligerent, or the help desk tech cannot solve the problem, it might be elevated to the supervisor.

Administrative tasks are often a large part of the job as well, such as keeping records and following daily reports regarding call volume or problem resolution. The help desk supervisor might be responsible for creating the weekly schedule as well. Certain departments will also set goals regarding the call time or the amount of calls taken per hour, and it is the job of the help desk supervisor to help encourage employees to meet these goals. Training new employees should also be expected, though the hiring and firing of employees is generally the job of a manager, not a supervisor.