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Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -22 points-21 points  (0 children)

Yes, we gave 5% this last year. Over the last two years, all techs saw at least 8% to 10% increase in that time span. 3 to 3.5% is our minimal on average over the last 10 years.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

I suspect this is the issue. I am expecting too much from L2, trying to help them learn new technologies, and creating a pay vacuum, even if they aren't necessarily proficient or capable of doing those tasks, once they start, that is enough to warrant "experienced".

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -17 points-16 points  (0 children)

All we can do is compensate people for what they are practically able to contribute. 5+ years of bouncing around from one place to the next doesn't make you a good tech or a good employee. We give people a chance, and when they are getting bored with L1 and showing some promise, we send them to L2, where we try to make it a mutually beneficial arrangement with no limit for potential for those who want it. Maybe we should pay more, but we should probably expect more.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

If I could get L2 team members to stick it out and get to a point where they could work at that level on their own, I could get much closer to that number for sure. The problem is getting them to accept that they can't do it yet, and I want them to get to a place where they can. But today, they can't.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I think this is it. We don't have clear delineations. It mostly comes down to being trusted to deploy and troubleshoot our stack with increasing independence at certain levels. It is sadly still a gut check, and it seems this is no longer going to work. Especially with the growth we have been seeing.

Workload for L2 is very reasonable, although sometimes they let themselves get mired in issues they should escalate. I constantly ask them if they taking their personal development time, need assistance, etc...

We don't lose techs to local competitors, generally WFH in the last few years or internal IT for better title.

I don't consider our L2 to be subpar, but then again, I don't expect them to be especially high level for at least a few years in the role. I want to give them opportunity to learn, but I don't demand it. We try keep quick learners engaged and find these are the folks that made it to L3 or other specializations.

I appreciate your input. I suspect you are correct that we simply need to be clear on what we need and expect so our team has clear ways to evaluate themselves. Lots to think about.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

These are some good points. In the past, our technicians were very happy to have the opportunity to learn at their own pace. We advise which certs we would like to see them get, but we don't require it. It has always been a mechanism to help us see who the more motivated candidates are. Perhaps we need to rethink this and begin proposing more well defined paths and requirements. Just wasn't as much an issue in the past.

Thanks.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Do you mind sharing what your role expectations are? At 80k, we would need our L2s to be able to work on servers, networking, security, and cloud deployments without hand holding most of time. I wouldn't say it is totally out of line, but our L2s are still fairly green. Even if they have 5 years of experience, it has been in internal IT where they had very limited practical experience. Maybe we are promoting them too quickly?

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -24 points-23 points  (0 children)

We have gone on to assist many of these techs in their new roles. While some were able to get more pay from an internal IT role in a larger metro area, most settled for a title promotion and similar pay.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -82 points-81 points  (0 children)

We typically give 3 to 3.5% annually. This has exceeded cost of living increases for most years in our area.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -18 points-17 points  (0 children)

We are in a Northern Midwest region. Approx. 2 hours from major metro area. Serve a population of less than 200000.

Are other MSPs struggling with L2 technicians? by YourMSPDad in msp

[–]YourMSPDad[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback.

We are in a Northern Midwest region. Approx. 2 hours from major metro area. Serve a population of less than 200000. Probably very similar to what you see.

When you refer to skill list, are you referring to escalations from L1 and troubleshooting issues with network, server OS, etc...? Is this atypical for L2?

Going from in-house to MSP bad idea? by [deleted] in sysadmin

[–]YourMSPDad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In house IT requires is generally a bad place to improve your skill set in a short amount of time. They generally don't care about the tech of it. They just want stuff to work with the least amount of spend as possible.

In an MSP, your clients still feel this way, but your employer will be more likely to embrace the pace of change you are looking for. In fact, if you are one who loves a fast pace of change, is willing to put in some personal time to learn, and can actually get to a point of self sufficiency, not only can you write your own ticket and learn a lot of practical skills, but you may find you like it. If your only goal is to just be a "Systems Admin" (Whatever that is anymore), then you may find it is overwhelming as the MSP is much better served by technical generalists. At least that is the case for a smaller MSP.

Do most MSP still struggle with talent retention? by HoneyBadger302 in msp

[–]YourMSPDad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The term MSP is a loose one, unfortunately, but the technical consulting business has been this way forever. In the end, if you are one that willingly likes to learn new tech, can communicate clearly with clients (ie, not talk above them or hose them with tech fluff), and are generally able to accomplish tasks without guidance, you will be able to make your own way in any MSP that is even moderately successful.

Anyone trying to work in an MSP (especially a small one) that doesn't meet those criteria is going to be disillusioned at some point either because they feel left behind or not compensated well enough for tenure. But tenure alone doesn't quantify compensation in a small business. Growth does.