We suffer from the same disease here. Upper Management has decided to make Help Desk staff P/T, they are only allowed hours below the Obamacare minimum hours per week.
It takes 12 to 18 months to get them up to speed to perform to a level we can rely on to function independently. Those with any ability and drive are usually gone in less than 2 years for a Full Time position some where else.
The Poor ones never leave. Out of 8 Hired 2 years ago, 4 left for Greener pastures, two were fired and the other two can hardly log a call properly.
Sounds familiar. They keep hiring more people not realizing that the problem is competency and not numbers. I’m predicting that advanced systems comprehension will become a rare skill while basic computer skills will become unnecessary as more people opt for mini and micro platforms that are considered “throw away.”