Table of Contents
Overview
Are you Struggling to find the right developers? Let us share some tips to identify and hire skilled professionals to support your business goals.
With clear requirements and strategic hiring, you can build an effective development team to customize Dynamics 365 and drive success.
Ask yourself:
- What modules are needed – Sales, Finance, Operations, Marketing etc?
- Is this a new implementation or customization of an existing instance?
- Which procedures require Dynamics 365 integration or automation?
- What are the main workflows and use cases?
Having specific criteria can assist you in determining the responsibilities, abilities, and experience required of a Dynamics 365 developer.
Understanding the project scope also helps you decide the number of developers required and the best technical and functional knowledge combination.
With defined needs, you can better screen candidates for the specific Dynamics 365 development skills you seek. This initiates your hiring process in the right direction.
What customizations are needed – integrations, workflows, custom entities, complex business logic?
What technical skills are prerequisites – .NET, Power Platform, Azure, APIs, SQL, etc?
What project delivery approach – waterfall or agile methodology?
What timeline is expected for the project?
Document all functional and technical requirements that are crucial for project success.
This will make your hiring search more focused.
Determine the Dynamics 365 roles that you need
Solution Architect – designs overall Dynamics 365 solution architecture
Developer – builds customizations, integrations, code extensions
Functional Consultant – configures Dynamics 365, conducts analysis
Project Manager – manages timelines, resources, delivery
Ensure you have a balanced mix of technical and functional experts in your hiring plan.
Focus Your Candidate Search
Once you have project requirements and roles defined, expand your candidate search through multiple channels:
Dynamics 365 Community and Forums – Many experienced professionals participate in Dynamics 365 community forums and events. Connect with them through LinkedIn and community meetups.
Microsoft Partner Network – Microsoft-certified implementation partners have skilled Dynamics 365 resources. Get recommendations from the Microsoft account team.
Freelance/Contracting Sites – Large pool of independent Dynamics 365 contractors who
offer flexibility. Sites like Upwork, Freelancer, etc.
Recruiters – Specialist IT and Dynamics 365 recruiters can help source candidates faster. Leverage their expertise and network.
Social Media – Platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter enable you to directly connect with Dynamics 365 professionals for hiring.
Internal Transfers – Look within your organization for resources with the right skills willing to take on new roles.
Cast a wide net using these channels to source and screen candidates efficiently.
Assess Dynamics 365 Skills and Experience
Go beyond technical skills to assess the real Dynamics 365 experience of shortlisted candidates:
Ask for work samples – case studies, sample code, custom projects done
Give a short technical test – creates object model, writes fetch XML query, etc
Discuss scenarios – troubleshoot issues, and approaches to complex requirements
Evaluate soft skills – communication, collaboration, problem-solving
Cultural fit – assess ability to align with company values
Check references – past project success, feedback from managers
Combining all these assessments will showcase not just skills on paper but also their ability to apply them in real-world Dynamics 365 projects.
Provide a Competitive Compensation Package
Also highlight other benefits in your offer – bonus, retirement plans, stock options, workplace flexibility, and learning & development opportunities.
An attractive compensation package gives you an edge over other employers.
Partner with Recruiters and Staffing Firms
Partnering with specialist IT and Dynamics 365-focused recruiting firms can significantly boost your results in attracting top-tier talent for current and future hiring needs. Here are some of the key benefits:
Candidate Screening: Recruiters will vet candidates as per your criteria around skills, experience, project fit, etc., and only recommend the most relevant profiles.
This saves you time from interviewing unfit applicants.
Candidate Engagement: During the interview process, candidates may lose interest and drop off.
Recruiters maintain continuous contact and keep them enthusiastic about the role until hire.
Specialized Networks: Recruiters use proprietary platforms, job portals, events, and networks geared towards IT and Dynamics professionals which individual employers find difficult to leverage for sourcing candidates.
Performance Incentives: Recruiters earn their fees only on properly placing candidates that are retained by clients.
This financial incentive aligns them closely with your goals of finding the best talent match.
Create an Efficient Interview Process
Your interview process plays a big role in convincing the best Dynamics 365 candidates to accept your job offer over competing employers. Here are some tips:
Limit interviews to only 4-5 rounds at maximum. Too many interview hoops lead to candidate fatigue and drop-off.
Ensure each interview round has a clear purpose and focuses on evaluating specific skills, experience, and cultural fit. No filler questions.
Involve recruiting managers and end users early in the process to evaluate role-based competencies beyond technical skills.
Present your organization and professional development options to the candidate. The interview is a two-way street; they will also evaluate you.
Set expectations upfront on the next steps and keep prompt, timely follow-ups. Delayed communication loses candidates.
If the candidate is a strong match, expedite offer approval and provide a salary that meets industry standards.
Build a Long Term Hiring Strategy
One-off recruiting for individual projects often requires starting over from scratch when new requirements come up. Develop a long-term strategy:
Maintain a robust candidate pipeline by nurturing your network and recruiter relationships even when there are no active openings.
Re-engage suitable candidates who were not selected for past openings to discuss new roles.
Create a talent brand for your company on social platforms highlighting your Dynamics 365 work and culture.
Institute an employee referral program with bonuses to incentivize tapping into internal networks.
Building this pool of qualified candidates will help you rapidly fill Dynamics 365 roles as needs arise.
Use Industry Knowledge
One smart approach to hiring Microsoft Dynamics 365 developers is to tap into industry knowledge. This means finding developers who have worked in your specific industry.
These developers understand the unique details and issues of your field. They know the special words, steps, and rules, which can make building your Dynamics 365 system easier.
When you’re looking for developers, try to find ones who have succeeded in your industry or similar ones.
Look for developers who have done projects like yours or have learned about your industry.
By using industry knowledge, you can hire developers who already know a lot about your business.
They can start work quickly, understand what you need, and help make your Dynamics 365 plans successful.
Evaluate Both Technical and Functional Skills
When evaluating Dynamics 365 candidates, look beyond just technical skills to get a full picture of their capabilities:
Review work samples like custom projects, code snippets, and case studies they have delivered to see real examples of their experience.
Give a small technical test like creating a sample object model or writing a fetch XML query to assess hands-on skills.
Discuss complex scenarios and requirements and how they would design a solution.
Evaluate problem-solving approach and soft skills with situational questions.
Assess cultural fit with your team’s work style – are they collaborative, flexible, and self-driven?
Check references thoroughly to validate past project success claims and feedback from managers.
The goal is to evaluate both expert-level technical chops as well as the ability to apply those skills to real-world Dynamics 365 implementation challenges.
This showcases not just theoretical knowledge but how they can perform on the job.
Those with both strong functional knowledge and technical expertise will have the highest impact.
Hiring skilled Dynamics 365 developers takes time and effort, but following this structured approach can help you find the right resources for your projects.
Taking time to understand role requirements, assessing skills beyond basic qualifications, selling candidates on working for your company, and building relationships with passive candidates are all key factors to successful Dynamics 365 recruiting.
Leverage these best practices to avoid mis-hires that could derail your Dynamics 365 projects.
What strategies have worked well in your experience hiring Dynamics 365 developers? What challenges have you faced? Please share your thoughts below!
