Question 1 — Are you ready to manage this hire?
This is the first question, and the most overlooked. When you hire your first support agent, you become their manager — at least in the early days. That means:
- Setting weekly priorities with them
- Holding regular check-ins (at minimum a bi-weekly 1:1)
- Crafting feedback, both critical and positive
- Being available for urgent questions during the first few weeks
Honest reality check: how many hours a week will you actually spend on this? If the answer is "fewer than 3 hours," you're not ready — your new hire will drift, you'll frustrate each other, and they'll probably leave within 12 months.
Action: before posting the ad, block out 3 recurring hours a week in your calendar labeled "Support management." If you can't, consider other options: outsourcing, a freelancer, or hiring a Head of Support first who can operate independently from day one.
Question 2 — What profile do you actually need (junior or senior)?
Classic mistake: hiring a "scrappy junior" because it's cheaper, when what you really need is someone who can take ownership end-to-end. Or the reverse: hiring a senior at €55K when what you need is someone to execute macros.
Junior profile (€30–38K): the right call if you already have processes, tools, and playbooks in place. The hire executes, ramps up, and you handle the strategy.
Senior / Head profile (€45–65K): the right call if you're starting from scratch (nothing structured). This hire will build the processes, pick the tool, then hire downstream. Near-total autonomy is expected.
Action: run the honest test. Can you write out a detailed job description in 10 minutes (5 concrete responsibilities, 5 expected deliverables at 3 months)? If yes = a junior is enough. If no = you need a senior who'll build the function.
Question 3 — Do you have the bare-minimum tooling for them to be productive?
Hiring someone into an environment where support runs out of a shared Gmail inbox = guaranteed burnout in 3 months. Before your new hire arrives, you need:
- A support tool, even a simple one (Crisp at €25/month is enough to start)
- An internal FAQ covering the 10 most common topics with template responses
- Access to source systems (CRM, product database, etc.)
- A 2-week minimum onboarding plan (who to meet, what to read, what to shadow)
Action: if you have none of the above, start with an audit (yourself or with an outside partner) to lay the foundations. A hire who arrives in a structured environment will be 2–3 times faster to reach full productivity.
Question 4 — What will you evaluate this hire on at 6 months?
Set the success criteria BEFORE the hire. Without them, you'll fall into the classic trap of "I just feel like it's not working" without any basis to make a call (keep, course-correct, let go).
Concrete, usable criteria:
- Autonomy on X% of support volume by month 3
- Average CSAT ≥ Y
- Z documented processes shipped
- Positive feedback from N operational peers (sales, product, etc.)
Action: write these criteria into the job description and share them with your new hire on day one. It's honest, it sets the frame, and it helps everyone.
Conclusion
A first support hire is a €40–80K investment over 12 months (loaded salary + management time + tooling). Better to spend 2 weeks on these 4 questions than rush into a job posting that attracts candidates you won't know how to evaluate.
If you'd like help framing this hire, our audit includes a dedicated module on the HR structuring of your support function.