Certification
Upon completing our comprehensive training program, your team members will have the opportunity to earn their HDI Support Center Team Lead (HDI-SCTL) certification. This certification verifies that support professionals in a team lead or supervisor role possess the essential leadership skills needed to provide operational support and ensure team success.
It emphasizes expertise in coaching for staff development, managing day-to-day operations, fostering collaboration, and aligning team performance with organizational goals. This certification demonstrates their ability to inspire and guide their teams toward delivering exceptional service and achieving operational excellence.
Training
Support center team leads serve as the communication link between the team and the manager as well as the first point of internal escalation for the customer.
HDI Support Center Team Lead training ensures that participants learn how to deliver exceptional customer support, promote process improvement, coach for success, and take charge of the day-to-day operational activities of a team. This course is designed for support professionals who need to develop fundamental management and leadership skills.
What You Will Learn
- Essential team lead management and leadership skills
- The importance of service level agreements and operational level agreements
- The ITIL® processes of incident, problem, change, release, asset, and configuration management
- An overview of security management and knowledge management
- Strategies for managing conflict
- The essentials of people management: hiring, scheduling, evaluating, and retaining employees
- An eight-step method for effective coaching
- Proven team-building and motivational techniques
- Essential performance metrics and key performance indicators
Who Should Attend?
- Technical support professionals who must understand support center processes and best practices and master important daily functions like quality assurance monitoring, coaching, and escalation
- Individuals who are preparing for the HDI Support Center Team Lead certification exam
Upcoming Classes
| Start Date | End Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| On Demand | On Demand | Online |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Aug 14, 2026 | Virtual |
| Sep 17, 2026 | Sep 18, 2026 | Virtual |
| Oct 13, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | Virtual |
| Nov 17, 2026 | Nov 18, 2026 | Virtual |
| Dec 8, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | Virtual |
Course Curriculum
Unit 1: Support Center Overview
- Evolution of Service & Support
- Successful Service & Support
Unit 2: Role of the Support Center Team Lead
- Role of the Team Lead
- Effective Leadership
- Emotional Intelligence
- Managing Relationships
Unit 3: Business Planning and Strategy
- Strategic Perspective
- Building a Strategy
- Service Level Management
- SOPs
- Alignment
Unit 4: Support Center Processes
- Best Practices for Support
- Service Operations
- Additional Processes
- Knowledge Management
Unit 5: Service Delivery Methods & Technology
- Systems Thinking Approach
- Support Tools & Tech
- Service Delivery Methods
- Social Media
Unit 6: Workforce Management and Training
- Workforce Management
- Sourcing and Recruitment
- Training
Unit 7: Communication and Coaching
- Communication Skills
- Cross-Cultural Communication
- Managing Conflict
- Coaching
Unit 8: Teamwork
- Motivation, Rewards, Recognition
- Performance Management
- Retention
Unit 9: Metrics and Quality Assurance
- Metrics
- Quality Assurance
- Using Surveys
- Performance Reporting
- Promoting the Support Center
Certification Exam Details
The certification exam is included with training purchased. It may also be purchased separately. All learners are provided a 12-week window in which to take the exam.
The certification exam is based on the Certification Standard and is delivered online through the HDI Community Learning Platform.
Each exam consists of 65 multiple choice questions and must be completed in 75 minutes. A minimum score of 80 percent is required to pass a certification exam, unless otherwise published. Individuals who achieve the passing score will receive a certificate from HDI acknowledging their accomplishment and a credentialing logo that may be added to signature blocks and business cards.
Our courses are developed from the certification standards and are designed to assist a student in preparing for an HDI certification exam. They reinforce the core concepts of the certification standards and provide skills-building opportunities for the attendees.
Exam Format
- Type: Multiple choice
- Number of Questions: 65
- Time Limit: 75 minutes
- Passing Score: 80% (unless otherwise published)
Exam Weighting
The certification exam is randomly generated from a pool of pre-authorized exam questions. As a result, each certification exam is different. The questions have been classified by the categories of the HDI Standard. The certification exam is designed to test the candidate’s knowledge in each category.
The number of questions presented from each category is based on the certification weighting. When the time available to study prior to taking a certification exam is limited, consider the certification weighting and review the categories with the highest allocations.
The following table represents the weighting for each of the standards categories within the certification exam. This information is provided to help you focus as you prepare for the exam.
| Category | Weighting % |
|---|---|
| Leadership | 30% |
| Policy and Strategy | 10% |
| People Management | 30% |
| Resources | 10% |
| Process and Procedures | 15% |
| Performance Results | 5% |
Exam Extensions
A 28-day extension is available for an online exam.
Exam Retakes
Exam retakes can be purchased for a fee.
Practice Test
HDI practice tests provide additional preparation for HDI certification exams. Once you complete a practice test, a report is provided that lists the questions missed and what competency within the HDI Standard you should review.
- Each practice test is 30 questions and must be completed in 35 minutes
- You may take multiple tests
- Each practice test is randomly generated from a pool of test questions