How To Hire A Microsoft Azure Expert

Starting a new Azure build is a complex endeavor. Regardless of the size of your company, migrating your organization’s data bank to a cloud-based system can be plagued with problems and leave you and your IT team seething with frustration.

For a successful implementation, you require an advanced level of knowledge that only a Microsoft expert with proficiency in the Azure platform has.

However, finding the right person for the job isn’t that easy. Since this is a project that can quickly unravel into catastrophe, you can cause a lot of damage by making a bad hire.

So here are some tips on hiring Microsoft experts who can help you deliver a smooth Azure transition.

1. Don’t Skimp 

To put it bluntly, if you want your Azure build to succeed, you need to set aside a significant sum of money. Trying to skimp by hiring on the cheap will only create problems that will end up draining your budget anyway, as you’ll probably have to hire an expensive contractor to fix the mess at some point.

When hiring, many small-to-medium-size organizations will set their sights on candidates who have experience working with larger firms. This can be a mistake, as a Microsoft expert who worked in a larger team is more accustomed to sharing responsibilities with more individuals.

Furthermore, a Microsoft expert used to a large setting might be reserved about working with a smaller company, since they assume the financial gain is not worth their effort. 

On the other hand, Azure professionals that worked in smaller companies may have overseen complete cloud transformation, and as such, have the experience to repeat the results. Additionally, since they have enough expertise to conduct full migrations on their own, they’ll have no trouble working in a larger setting once the pressure is evenly divided across a larger team.

The biggest benefit of hiring an experienced hire without looking to save money is that you’ll be able to tighten the budget later down the line.

Why?

The senior Microsoft expert can help train the rest of the staff - a clear win on both fronts.

2. Look Past Certifications

An engineer or a Microsoft expert with knowledge of Azure is an in-demand individual. They may not have time to chase certifications since they’re busy working.

While certifications are a good thing and a clear indication that you’re signing up with a bona fide professional, they’re not the be-all and end-all factor when it comes to hiring. 

That isn’t to say that having no certifications isn’t a red flag. Hence, if you’re wondering which certifications are mandatory, you should definitely insist on a Microsoft Certified Solution Expert Productivity certification. 

This validates that the person you’re hiring has the necessary skills for the task at hand.

3. Consider Paying for Additional Training

Hiring a Microsoft Azure specialist can be a challenge during the ongoing labor shortage, so if you find a perfect hire with outdated certifications, don’t steer clear of them just yet. 

In those cases, you can benefit from paying for additional training.

For example, if you’re going by resumes, you’re bound to end up with a situation in which a candidate claims they successfully carried out a certain role, only to learn they’ve been part of a large team and did a small fraction of the required work.

If these candidates pass the tech test and you find they are ill-equipped to perform a full migration, it might be worth investing in them until they’re up to scratch.

4. Broaden Your Scope

Azure is a cloud platform that can successfully be applied to most industries, which is why you shouldn’t brush aside those who don’t fit your industry background. For instance, it’s not that hard to introduce extra processes in the fields of Finance or Marketing to successfully upskill the candidate.

On top of that, many larger companies will insist on hiring someone with enterprise experience who deals with thousands of users.  Similarly, some smaller companies will avoid hiring a Microsoft expert from an enterprise background simply because they feel they won’t fit in a small team. But since Azure is a scalable platform, these distinctions don’t matter all that much.

Thus, you can find the right candidate by broadening your scope when hiring to include experts outside your industry.

5. Upskill your existing staff

While years of experience are all fine and well, many developers can do the job properly without ever learning the correct methodology. This means you can find a candidate in your own ranks. Maybe you already have someone who could successfully fill the role of the Microsoft expert, and they’re actually eager to learn.

For example, an employee may not check all the boxes with their technical credentials, but they may be driven to learn new things.

By identifying and ultimately upskilling these employees, you can avoid wasting time waiting for a perfect candidate (which may take months upon months). You could spend that time training someone to do an equally good (perhaps even better) job than a certified Microsoft expert.

This can also do wonders for your retention rates as you’ll inspire your staff to stick with you.

6. Assess the candidates online

When interviewing a lot of candidates or  fast-tracking your hiring process, you should try taking the assessment stage online to narrow down your choices.

While large companies with a broad pool of candidates will benefit from an online assessment the most, a smaller company can also experiment with this approach. For instance, they can gauge if the Microsoft expert they are hiring will fit into their team dynamic and the company culture.

Let’s say you’re filling five roles but you have close to 100 candidates - you can save quite a bit of time and money by weeding out the unfavorable candidates right away.

The Perfect Candidate is Out There

Finding the one, so to speak, is not an easy task. However, you can overcome some of the inherent obstacles by setting aside a generous budget, casting a wider net, along with looking for someone eager to learn and providing them with a valuable professional opportunity.

With a Microsoft expert who specializes in Azure, it might take some creativity on your part, but you’ll eventually find a perfect candidate.

If everything else fails and your search ends up dry, you can always get in touch with Griffin Global. We are a staffing agency and we can act as a mediator between you and your candidates.

We can handle job postings (written specifically to weed out the subpar candidates), discover the salary you should offer, conduct background checks, and all the other “fun” stuff that can drain a significant amount of your resources.

Just like that, you can relax while we work behind the scenes to connect you with an Azure expert who’s an ideal match for your company.