There’s a talent shortage in the tech space—and it’s been on the minds of Microsoft Dynamics 365 partners for many years. Partners need professionals who can deliver expertise and outstanding service to the Dynamics 365 ecosystem, especially as the popularity of smart business solutions grows.
However, the supply of talented people with the right skills continues to far outstrip demand, not only from partners, but from Microsoft customers too. In fact, one in every three Business Central job postings is currently going unfilled, and this skills crunch is having serious consequences.
Not having enough resources on the bench severely limits the ability of partners to take on new projects, hampering business growth for partners and their clients alike. Investments in Dynamics 365 cannot be fully maximized, and partners have to leave money on the table because they don’t have enough people to pick up the work.
This supply and demand issue creates a ripple effect, driving up salaries that lower delivery margins for employers within the Microsoft ecosystem. Turnover has increased too, with qualified professionals being tempted away by better compensation packages from competitors with deeper pockets. Faster turnover also makes it harder for partners to build skills internally since they don’t have enough time to imbue employees with the broad and deep knowledge of industries and products they really need.
Combine these challenges with the rise in remote work, an increase in competition for global talent, and the fact that traditional models like graduate recruitment aren’t evolving fast enough to keep pace with changing skill sets, and you have a multifaceted talent problem that’s having a tangible impact on the partner ecosystem. In a recent survey, 77% of Microsoft Dynamics 365 partners said that they’re held back from achieving their goals because of a shortage of talent.
Enter the ReSKILL program
In response to the growing need for certified, delivery-ready Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central professionals in the partner ecosystem, Microsoft and its collaborators, created the ReSKILL program, part of the Business Central Talent Initiative. This unique initiative gives partners access to new talent ready to make an impact in their organization, while helping people from all kinds of backgrounds build rewarding careers.
The program helps partners bridge their talent gaps quickly by sourcing, training, and certifying new talent with the industry experience they need to thrive in the partner space. By cultivating the next generation of Dynamics 365 Business Central talent and giving partners a cost-effective way to get in-demand skills on their team, the ReSKILL program is changing the way partners hire and develop talent.
How ReSKILL is tackling the most pressing issues in the Dynamics 365 talent market
It’s clear that the talent gap can’t be addressed exclusively by training more people. Firstly, it’s important to find the right people with the right backgrounds. Next, they need to be equipped not only with product expertise but with soft skills, enabling them to create great client experiences. And lastly, partners need to know how to keep them as they continue to invest in their development.
In designing ReSKILL, Microsoft took this bigger picture well into account.
Liaising with partners from across the ecosystem, it became apparent that industry knowledge such as accounting and finance or supply chain and logistics was just as important to them as product skills. Soft skills were another obstacle, with many candidates lacking consultancy abilities like requirements gathering, documentation production, and client management.
Finding candidates with industry experience and relevant foundational skills who weren’t already working in the Dynamics 365 space was, partners said, near impossible. And they often didn’t have the time to spend tracking potential candidates down, selling them on the Business Central opportunity, and assessing their suitability.
Aiming to address these issues and help partners find the right talent fast, ReSKILL was designed with four key steps.
1. Recruit
ReSKILL gives partners the option to source their own talent to be cross-trained or have the #BCTalent team recruit potential candidates for them. With years of experience in Microsoft talent development, our team of expert Talent Acquisition Consultants are uniquely placed to identify industry-experienced professionals excited to cross-train into Business Central as Functional Consultants or Developers.
Depending on partner requirements, we use a variety of recruitment strategies and can focus on candidates with a particular horizontal skill, such as accountancy or procurement. Alternatively for Developer roles, recruiters may focus on those with a particular tech skill or experience with a specific coding language. Either way, partners are consulted throughout the process to make sure any candidate is a great fit, with no financial obligation until the new hire starts the course.
2. Train
Whether a candidate has been sourced by the #BCTalent team or a partner is enrolling existing employees in the ReSKILL program, extensive, in-depth training is the next big step.
The program’s Business Central training combines self-paced learning with instructor-led courses delivered by experts. Supported by industry-leading training materials and plenty of hands-on, practical labs, participants are equipped with everything they need to pass their MB-800 or MB-820 Microsoft certifications.
But product knowledge is only part of the equation. Participants also receive in-depth professional skills training, which has recently received an 8.8 SAT score. The training covers a wide range of consultancy skills, focusing on key areas like delivery methodology and techniques, establishing a consultant mindset, handling objections and conflict, stakeholder engagement, and understanding the project life cycle. These skills are a key part of reducing time to billability for partners’ new hires.
3. Coach
Ongoing coaching helps participants build habitual behaviors through continuous development. During and beyond the initial training program, participants receive sessions with a career coach who delivers regular feedback from the partner and helps participants manage their time and workload effectively. This feedback and ongoing support encourage continuous learning and build on on-the-job experience.
4. Community
Learning is more fun when you do it together. That’s why all participants can further reinforce their training and build professional networks by joining the program’s specially created community of ambitious and enthusiastic Business Central learners. Every two to four weeks, those on the course have access to scheduled community sessions with industry experts, thought leaders, and professional skills coaches.
In between the formal development sessions, the community provides peer-to-peer support and encourages learning and growth in a supportive environment where participants can celebrate each other’s successes, share advice, and discuss the latest industry news.
The ReSKILL impact
So far, more than 200 Microsoft partners around the globe have used the Business Central Talent Initiative to source, train, and hire the capable, billable Business Central talent they need to deliver for their clients. Over 300 new Business Central professionals have been created by the program already, injecting a significant amount of new Consultants and Developers into the ecosystem.
At Microsoft partner Navitrans, 10 new hires, comprised of Functional Consultants and Developers, got to work fast across Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, becoming billable on customer activities within 12 weeks. “We experienced that the hiring process with the ReSKILL program was a very fast process which gives us the certified and experienced people that we are looking for”, says Bart Beeckmans, CEO of Navitrans.
For Socitas too, the impact of their new hires is already evident. “The new recruits are doing very well,” said Sales and Operations Partner Felix Franken. “The split of 1.5 days of training and 3.5 days of practical work with co-workers, supporting on client projects, is ideal for us. These new hires have had an impact right away, being part of client workshops, where they not only learn but are able to give advice right away, thanks to their experience from previous jobs.”
And over at Vektus, new hires are continuing to build valuable skills. “This program made it possible to recruit candidates for roles we were previously not able to fill,” said Henrik Nielsen, Consulting Manager. “What’s more, the candidates recruited through the program have all been showing a growth mindset. The alternation between the e-learning modules and the hands-on, practical tasks, as well as the organization of the study materials and engagement forums, has also been excellent.”
Add Business Central talent to your team with ReSKILL
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