Top Tips for Finding Great SaaS Tech Support Talent

The ideal SaaS tech support candidate has that rare combination of technical background and excellent communication skills—a blend that can be hard to find, but makes a huge difference.

In this article, we’ll explore the key qualities you should look for when building a strong SaaS technical support team, where to find the best talent, and how to fine-tune your interview process to identify the right candidates.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating a support team that wows your users, driving retention and business growth.

How is hiring SaaS tech support different from other industries?

In some industries, like direct-to-consumer brands with a large customer base, you might be able to get by with relatively low-skilled support agents. But in the SaaS world, where you rely heavily on subscription revenue and a smaller pool of high-value customers, top-notch technical support is crucial.

While SaaS companies handle a fair share of repetitive tickets (think password resets), many of these simpler queries are increasingly being managed by AI tools. This automation means your support team is left with fewer “easy” tickets, pushing the bulk of the workload toward more complex technical issues and bugs. And let’s face it, no macro or template can troubleshoot a technical issue or fix a bug.

That’s why SaaS support teams need highly skilled agents ready to tackle these technical challenges head-on. These agents need advanced technical expertise as well as deep product knowledge and an understanding of the unique support processes that vary from company to company.

They need to be equipped with critical skills to deliver smooth and exceptional customer experiences.

Key skills to screen for when hiring SaaS tech support agents

The key to providing excellent user support is identifying the specific skills your agents need to assist with your app and then creating a training program that develops those abilities.

For example, agents supporting a webinar platform must be familiar with networks, audio and video bitrates, and connection characteristics. Agents supporting a CRM platform need expertise in APIs, integrations, and email deliverability issues.

But generally, great SaaS tech support agents should demonstrate the following skills:

• Effective communication is essential for clearly conveying information, instructions, and solutions. Agents must be proficient in both written and verbal communication, adjusting their tone and style to suit customer preferences.  Look for agents who can explain technical concepts in simple terms, as many customers aren’t tech-savvy and may get confused by overly technical language.
• Problem-solving. Great support agents excel at troubleshooting and resolving issues efficiently. They are resourceful, creative, and persistent in finding solutions, ensuring a positive customer experience. Recreating (and resolving) issues often requires critical thinking, and agents should be equipped to tackle these challenges head-on.
• Technical proficiency. When users face technical issues with integrations, APIs, or connectivity, support agents must be comfortable navigating these problems. They should understand hardware specs, be able to diagnose software issues, and resolve them effectively. Without this knowledge, your support team won’t be efficient, piling up an escalations backlog for the engineering team. The exact skills required will depend on your product and underlying technical architecture.
• Empathy and patience. While empathy is a universal customer service skill, it’s especially critical in B2B SaaS environments where app performance can directly affect someone’s job, provoking strong emotions. Tech support agents must understand the impact these problems have on customers, listen carefully, validate user concerns, and stay calm, even under pressure.
• Adaptability. SaaS tech support agents must be comfortable with constant change. They have to keep up with new technologies and communicate across various support channels, such as live chat, social media, and messaging systems. Frequent product updates are a hallmark of SaaS, and agents who can adapt quickly will remain engaged and satisfied in their roles.

Questions to ask at SaaS tech support interviews

When hiring for tech support roles, there are countless interview questions that can yield valuable insights. But first, you’ll want to ask questions clarifying candidate background and expertise to confirm their technical knowledge and experience relevant to the role you’re hiring for.

Here’s a question that Andrew Horne, Peak Support’s Director of Enterprise Applications, always includes when interviewing technical support candidates:

Tell me about the most difficult case you’ve experienced with ______ technology. What challenges did it present, and how did you solve them?

You can tailor the question by filling in the gap with the specific technology you’re hiring for—whether it’s SQL, C#, CSS, HTML, Javascript, or another relevant skill.

Generally, you’ll receive one of three types of responses:

1. The candidate doesn’t answer directly and talks around the question—often a sign they lack significant hands-on experience.
2. They provide an overly simple example, which indicates they have some experience but haven’t really gone deep.
3. They explain the issue in detail, demonstrating that they’ve encountered real challenges and have the ability to talk through how they handled them.

If a candidate can describe the challenge and walk you through their thought process, you can build on that by asking further questions to see how they think, why they took certain steps, and how they approach problem-solving.

People with real technical experience usually have at least a few issues burned into their memories. If they can’t talk through those experiences, it may be a sign they lack understanding or practical experience.

Here are some additional questions to help further assess customer service skills and determine how well a candidate might fit into your company culture:

1. What does “good” customer service mean to you? Ask for a specific example to better understand how the candidate views supporting customers and what they consider excellent service to ensure values alignment.
2. Give me an example of a time when you helped an angry or unreasonable customer. Look for how the candidate managed their emotions, stayed calm, and kept the situation under control.
3. Can you tell me about a time when you had to say “no” to a customer’s request? This question assesses how the candidate navigated a tough conversation and handled a situation where they couldn’t meet the customer’s expectations—which is especially common in SaaS support where teams face never-ending feature requests.
4. What’s an example of a time when you worked successfully as part of a team? Here, you’re looking for examples of how the candidate collaborates, seeks help when needed, and builds strong working relationships. But be cautious of candidates frequently using “we did” instead of “I did.” While this might be a cultural difference, it’s worth asking to clarify what part of the solution the candidate personally contributed to ensuring they’re not taking credit for the work their team did without being directly involved.

Lastly, beyond understanding a candidate’s skills and how they would handle specific scenarios, it’s crucial to hire someone who will fit well into your company culture.

One way to assess this is through the airport test, first popularized by Amazon. After each interview, ask interviewers a single question: “Would you want to be stuck in an airport with this person?”

This simple question helps you evaluate whether the candidate would be a good cultural fit, ensuring that your team will not only work well together but also enjoy each other’s company.

Role-playing assignment to include in the hiring process

Role-playing is one of the most effective ways to gauge a candidate’s real-time problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and emotional intelligence during the hiring process. What you’re looking for during role plays is the candidate’s ability to ask thoughtful questions, solve problems efficiently, and demonstrate empathy toward customers.

Here’s a scenario you can use:

Pretend you’re a user attempting to integrate a third-party application via an API and running into error responses. This is a critical situation with your team expecting the integration to be configured for a project deadline, and you need immediate assistance.

A technical support agent should understand how to approach troubleshooting API issues and what information is required to get started. This scenario allows the candidate to demonstrate their technical acumen while also managing the user’s frustration.

What to evaluate during the role-play:

1. Does the candidate recognize the frustration the user is likely feeling? Pay attention to how they communicate and whether they’re empathetic. Do they acknowledge the user’s emotional state and adjust their tone and approach accordingly?
2. Do they make assumptions, or do they ask specific, probing questions to zero in on the issue? Pay attention to the order of steps they are following—do they start with reviewing the request details and the response error message? Is it the most efficient approach? It’s a great opportunity to assess their critical thinking and how they gather information to pinpoint the problem.
3. While tech support agents don’t need to be software engineers, they should have a solid grasp of how APIs and webhooks work, including common error codes, authentication methods, and data flow. Does the candidate demonstrate a sufficient understanding of these concepts? Are they able to navigate your API docs and effectively guide the user through troubleshooting steps?

This exercise transforms the interview from a theoretical discussion to a real-life scenario, giving you a clearer picture of how the candidate will perform under pressure. It helps you evaluate their ability to handle complex issues, communicate effectively, and demonstrate empathy—all essential qualities of a great tech support agent.

By using realistic scenarios like this, your hiring process will feel more natural, and you’ll gain valuable insight into whether a candidate is the right fit for your team.

Providing exceptional tech support for your SaaS business

When things go wrong, customers turn to your tech support team, often frustrated or upset. Your support team should address these moments with efficiency and empathy, transforming a negative experience into a positive one.

To achieve this, you need exceptional team members. Finding these individuals can be challenging, but this article should, hopefully, make the process easier. However, you don’t have to start from scratch.

At Peak Support, we understand what it takes to deliver outstanding customer experiences in the SaaS industry. We have the lowest attrition rates in the industry and the highest Glassdoor rating in the BPO sector. And we’ve accomplished this while consistently doubling the size of our team year after year.

Contact us today to learn how we can help you provide exceptional tech support at scale!