Help Desk Interview
Questions and Answers

Help desk interview questions investigate a number of key abilities and skills that applicants for all help desk jobs need.

Help desk specialists need more than basic technical know-how. They have to answer phone calls, listen and question effectively, interpret and solve problems, give simple technical support and keep track of problems and resolutions. Help desk jobs are actually more about people and communication than technology.

In addition to product and technical knowledge the following abilities and competencies are essential to success in help desk work:

• communication skills
• customer-service orientation
• problem-solving ability
• the ability to adapt to different demands
• stress tolerance

Expect help desk interview questions that explore these competencies:

Communication

The focus of help desk interview questions is often around the candidate's communication skills.

"Tell me about a time when it was particularly difficult for the caller to explain the problem to you. How did you reach an understanding of the issue?"

Your answer should demonstrate your ability to ask the right questions and continually clarify to get the correct information. The emphasis is on active listening, effective questioning and clarification.

"Give me an example when you had to simplify complex information in order to explain it to a caller."

Key to your performance on the help desk is an ability to break down complicated information so that it can be easily understood by people with limited technological expertise. Your answer should show how you can express your knowledge in a clear and simple manner.

"Discuss a situation when the caller had great difficulty in understanding what you were explaining. What did you do?"

Focus on your ability to adjust your communication style to the level of the caller. You have to able to talk to people of all levels of education, experience and technological expertise. Highlight your patience and willingness to repeat the information until understanding is reached.

Pay attention to the way you communicate with the interviewer. Your listening skills and questioning ability will be under close scrutiny. Go to tips for job interviews to find out how to communicate effectively in the interview.

Each caller is a customer and your customer service motivation will be explored with help desk interview questions like these:

"Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a particularly difficult customer/caller, how did you resolve the issue?"
"Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker."
"How have you responded when callers become demanding beyond an acceptable level?"

Help desk interview answers to these questions should all highlight your ability to remain professional in difficult situations. Focus on the effort you made to understand the callers' issues and to meet their needs without becoming upset or negative.

Expect common customer service questions including What does excellent customer service mean to you?. Go to Customer Service Interview Questions to prepare well for this question - it is often asked.

Problem-Solving Ability

"Describe a complicated problem you had to deal with. How did you gain a better understanding of the problem?"
"Tell me about a problem that really tested your analytical abilities? How did you reach a solution?"
"Tell me about a problem that you could not immediately solve. What resources did you use?"

Adaptability

"Tell me about a time you had to had to adjust your approach to deal effectively with a work demand."
"Tell me about a time you experienced conflicting work demands. How did you respond?"
"What kind of people are your current users? How do you adapt to their particular demands?"

The interviewer wants to know if you can effectively deal with different people and different demands. Show that you can adjust your communication style, your behavior and your actions to meet changing demands and tasks. Show how you are able to maintain your effectiveness in dealing with different people.

Stress Tolerance

"Tell me how you have dealt with a hostile caller. What was the outcome?"
"Describe a highly stressful interaction you've had with an internal/external customer. How did your react?"
"How did you respond when you received negative feedback from a caller about you personally?"

These help desk interview questions require you to show how you can handle negative and stressful situations. Your answer should show a patient and positive attitude when challenging situations occur and that you do not allow your personal ego to get in the way of helping the caller. Describe the coping techniques you use to keep calm under stress.

Help desk staff may be required to work outside the 9 to 5 day. Your willingness to have a flexible work schedule may be explored.
"Tell me about your current work schedule."

They need to constantly learn new technologies and stay current."How do you keep your knowledge and skills current?" Demonstrate a willingness to learn and implement new knowledge.

Expect help desk interview questions that explore your product and technical knowledge.
"In which areas do you consider yourself to be an expert, and how do you envisage being able to utilize this expertise within this organization?"
Demonstrate that you understand the overall systems environment as well as specific products. Highlight your specialist skills and how they will benefit this position.

Be prepared for these help desk interview questions that explore key job behaviors as well as questions that explore your technical and product knowledge. The Behavioral Interview provides a comprehensive explanation of how to answer behavioral or situational questions such as these.

Answers to Behavioral Interview Questions

Use this detailed Help Desk Job Description to understand the job tasks and competencies.

View The Customer Service Interview Question Guide to help you get that help desk job.

Call Center Interview Questions

Go to these common Job Interview Questions with sample interview answers that will also come up in your help desk interview.

Example Answers for Interviews

Job Interview Tips

Prepare good questions to ask in your interview. Use the list at Job Interview Question to Ask

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