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The Ultimate Guide for Hiring SharePoint Developers
With over 200 million users, Microsoft SharePoint has become the go-to platform for businesses looking to streamline collaboration, automate workflows, and centralize document management. Companies worldwide trust the platform to enhance productivity through document sharing, intranet portals, and effective communication.
The challenge? How to hire SharePoint developers with the right combination of technical skills, platform knowledge, and experience is often easier said than done. This is because advanced SharePoint projects require specialized skills in areas like custom solution development, complex system integrations, and ensuring scalability and security.
With our expertise across more than 100 industries, we know how to find developers with the specialized skills needed to build, customize, and optimize Microsoft SharePoint solutions tailored to your specific business needs.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what to look for when you hire SharePoint developers, from critical technical abilities to the soft skills that foster a strong team fit. Whether you’re building a Microsoft SharePoint development team or augmenting an existing one, you’ll be equipped to find the developer that best fits your specific needs.
Before You Start Hiring
Project or Team Requirements
When you hire SharePoint developers, the first step is to clearly define your project and team requirements. Are you building a custom SharePoint solution, optimizing existing workflows, integrating with platforms like Microsoft Teams, or leveraging Power Apps for enhanced app development?
For the team, decide if the developer will focus on tasks like custom web part development, creating Power Automate workflows, or configuring advanced permissions. Clarifying whether the developer will collaborate with your IT team for ongoing support and maintenance or take full ownership of the solution will help you find Microsoft SharePoint developers aligned with your project’s technical and operational goals.
Timeline and Budget
Understanding your timeline and budget constraints is critical when hiring SharePoint developers. Each task—from building a custom intranet portal to automating workflows—has different timeframes and cost implications.
Determine if the project requires rapid deployment for a time-sensitive SharePoint migration or if you have more flexibility for tasks like optimizing document management or implementing customizations. By defining these factors, you can hire SharePoint developers through flexible hiring models, ensuring high-quality results on time and within your budget.
Niche Experience in SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint’s versatility means that developers often specialize in areas like workflow automation using Power Automate, advanced document management, or building custom intranet portals with the SharePoint Framework (SPFx).
By hiring SharePoint developers with targeted expertise, you’re able to build practical solutions that optimize workflows and improve collaboration. This expertise leads to more robust and scalable SharePoint solutions tailored to your organization's needs.
Adaptability
When it comes to Microsoft SharePoint development services, adaptability is essential. Your developers must quickly adjust to updates in SharePoint Online, changes in Microsoft 365, and emerging tools like Power Virtual Agents and PowerApps.
When you hire SharePoint developers with a proven track record of adapting to shifting requirements, your solution remains flexible, scalable, and aligned with the latest industry standards.
Culture Fit
Beyond technical skills, culture fit is vital for the long-term success of any SharePoint development project. Choosing SharePoint developers who align with your company’s values and work environment allows for smoother integration with your team and stakeholders.
Developers who fit well within your company’s culture are more likely to collaborate effectively on projects like building custom workflows or managing document libraries, helping you achieve your business goals.
18 Skills Every SharePoint Developer Should Have
Looking to turn your SharePoint platform into a powerful tool that boosts efficiency and team collaboration? The right developer can make it happen. They automate your team’s repetitive tasks, improve workflows, and seamlessly integrate the tools your teams rely on.
But what exactly makes a developer the “right” developer for your business? The answer comes down to a blend of specific technical skills and the ability to work well with your team. From key technologies like SPFx and Power Automate to excellent communication skills, here’s what to look for when you hire SharePoint developers:
Technical Skills to Look for in Your Ideal SharePoint Developer
1. SharePoint Framework (SPFx)
Your developer should be proficient in SPFx to build modern, responsive web parts and extensions. This skill is essential for creating custom enterprise solutions that scale effectively and securely across your organization.
2. Workflow Management
A strong grasp of workflow automation tools like Power Automate is crucial for streamlining business processes. Your developer should be capable of designing automated workflows that reduce operational friction, improving overall software development efficiency, and speeding up routine tasks.
3. Custom Web Part Development
Developers need the ability to create custom web parts tailored to your business requirements. This capability allows SharePoint to serve as an adaptive content management system, aligning closely with your organization’s specific needs and enhancing functionality.
4. REST API and CSOM Integration
Your developer should understand how to use REST APIs and CSOM to integrate SharePoint with other systems. This skill helps facilitate communication between platforms and ensures your SharePoint environment is flexible enough to handle evolving business requirements.
5. SQL Server and Database Management
Experience with SQL Server is essential for optimizing database performance within SharePoint. Your developer should be able to manage large datasets efficiently, ensuring fast data management and a smooth user experience.
6. Security and Permissions Configuration
SharePoint developers must be skilled in configuring role-based access and managing permissions in the development process to protect sensitive information. This expertise is critical for maintaining compliance with industry standards like GDPR.
7. Front-End Development
Knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS is key for personalizing SharePoint interfaces. Developers with strong front-end skills can enhance the user interface, ensuring that it aligns with your organization’s brand and needs.
8. Office 365 and Teams Integration
Your developer should know how to integrate SharePoint with Office 365 and Microsoft Teams to enable real-time collaboration solutions and efficient document sharing across your organization.
9. Version Control with Git
Experience with Git is crucial for managing code changes and deployments. A SharePoint developer proficient in Git ensures smoother updates, collaboration, and rollback capabilities when necessary.
10. Power BI and Reporting
Developers with Power BI or SSRS experience can create custom dashboards and reports. This skill is valuable for turning raw data into actionable insights that drive better decision-making.
11. SharePoint Online and Cloud Expertise
A strong understanding of SharePoint Online and cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure is necessary to optimize performance, security, and scalability. Your developer should know how to leverage the cloud for enhanced flexibility and reduced infrastructure costs.
12. Agile Methodologies
Familiarity with agile development practices allows developers to adapt quickly to changing business needs. This helps ensure faster delivery and continuous improvement of your SharePoint environment.
13. Mobile Optimization
Your SharePoint developer should be capable of optimizing the platform for mobile apps. This can help your team be more productive, regardless of where or how they access SharePoint.
14. CI/CD Pipelines
Experience with continuous SharePoint integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines is critical for automating testing and deployment processes. This skill helps ensure that updates and new features are rolled out smoothly and efficiently.
Soft Skills to Look for in Your Ideal SharePoint Developer
15. Problem-Solving
Microsoft SharePoint development often involves integrating various systems, automating complex workflows, or customizing SharePoint-based solutions for specific business processes. Developers must be quick to assess and resolve issues. Dedicated SharePoint developers with strong problem-solving skills can efficiently address unexpected challenges, troubleshoot issues, and innovate to create effective, scalable solutions. These professionals do an excellent job at identifying root causes and developing long-term fixes that benefit clients.
16. Attention to Detail
In SharePoint development, overlooking small details can lead to system inefficiencies or security vulnerabilities. For Microsoft SharePoint developers, even minor oversights can cause major disruptions. Attention to detail is critical to keeping all aspects of the system functioning correctly and securely, whether configuring permissions, setting up workflows, or managing content. Developers well-versed in SharePoint use tools like SharePoint Designer to create smooth and secure systems.
17. Time Management
SharePoint integration projects often involve tight deadlines and complex tasks, such as configuring advanced permissions, integrating external data sources, and optimizing large document libraries. Microsoft SharePoint developers who excel at time and project management contribute to a smoother workflow, avoiding rushed deployments and missed quality checks while keeping project milestones on schedule, and offering regularly scheduled support and maintenance for long-term success.
18. Leadership
Leadership skills are key in SharePoint development, whether joining an existing team or leading a project from scratch. A strong leader makes smart technical decisions, clears obstacles, and brings people together. A Microsoft SharePoint developer with strong leadership can guide others and work seamlessly within a team dynamic, promoting clear communication and driving the successful delivery of tailored SharePoint solutions.
8 Questions to Identify Top SharePoint Developers
When interviewing SharePoint developers, it's important to ask questions that first assess the candidates' technical skills and knowledge. Employers will also usually conduct a coding test to further assess specific on-the-job knowledge.
The following set of questions aims to uncover not only the developers's technical knowledge but also their problem-solving abilities, teamwork, communication skills, and adaptability—all crucial traits for success in a collaborative environment.
Here are a few examples of technical interview questions:
1. How do you approach designing a custom workflow in SharePoint?
I begin by reviewing the SharePoint development requirements and mapping out my workflow management. Depending on the complexity, I use Power Automate or SharePoint Designer to create workflows. For more advanced automation, I prefer Power Automate, allowing triggers based on specific events like item creation or document updates. I focus on building workflows that automate approval processes, document routing, and notifications so that the solution is efficient and tailored to the company’s needs.
2. What strategies do you use to configure advanced permission levels in SharePoint?
Microsoft SharePoint Groups allows me to manage permissions centrally. This gives me proper access control without overcomplicating the security structure. I often create custom permission levels to provide users with the minimum access they need for their roles. To keep things simple, I avoid breaking inheritance unless absolutely necessary. For high-security environments, I integrate conditional access policies through Microsoft 365, adding restrictions based on device compliance or user location. This approach makes sure that enterprise solutions stay secure while remaining flexible.
3. How would you integrate SharePoint with other Microsoft 365 services or third-party tools?
When integrating SharePoint with other Microsoft 365 services, I typically use Microsoft Graph API for a smooth data exchange between SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook. For instance, I often link SharePoint document libraries with Microsoft Teams to centralize collaboration. When connecting third-party tools like Salesforce or custom APIs, I use Power Automate to set up automated workflows, facilitating SharePoint integration and efficient data handling across platforms.
4. What steps do you take to optimize SharePoint performance and improve load times?
To optimize Microsoft SharePoint performance, I focus on several key areas. First, I use content indexing to improve search functionality while reducing the load on resources. I also implement content delivery networks (CDNs) to serve static content, which helps reduce page load times. For large lists, I apply indexing and carefully manage view thresholds to avoid bottlenecks. For systems hosted on-site, I regularly perform SQL database maintenance to keep everything running smoothly and minimize delays.
5. How do you handle version control and document management in SharePoint?
This question evaluates the candidate’s understanding of governance policies, ensuring that they can maintain a compliant and well-organized Microsoft SharePoint environment. Strong version control and content management system skills are essential for ensuring efficient document handling across SharePoint applications.
6. Can you describe your experience migrating legacy systems or data into a SharePoint environment?
When you hire SharePoint developers, asking this question helps assess the developer’s ability to handle complex Microsoft SharePoint migrations while minimizing downtime and data loss. This question helps assess the developer’s ability to handle complex SharePoint solutions and migrations while minimizing downtime and data loss. Effective SharePoint integration is key to seamless transitions from legacy systems.
7. Explain how you’ve used PowerShell to automate administrative tasks in a SharePoint environment?
This question assesses the candidate’s proficiency in PowerShell, which is critical for automating repetitive tasks and managing large SharePoint applications efficiently in a complex environment.
8. How do you balance multiple priorities and manage tight deadlines while handling SharePoint development tasks?
This question assesses the candidate's project management skills by evaluating their ability to prioritize tasks and manage deadlines across multiple SharePoint development projects within a broader software development strategy.
FAQ
What key factors should you consider when you hire SharePoint developers?
When hiring dedicated SharePoint developers from a development company, look for experience in custom SharePoint development services, proficiency in integrating third-party tools, and expertise in managing SharePoint environments. Developers should also demonstrate strong knowledge of UI/UX design, SQL Server integration, and be able to manage complex workflows in specific environments.
How do Microsoft SharePoint developers handle complex integrations with third-party tools and Microsoft 365 services?
Microsoft SharePoint developers use tools like Microsoft Graph API, Power Automate, Visual Studio, and custom APIs to seamlessly integrate SharePoint with third-party applications and Microsoft 365 services. These integrations enhance collaboration, streamline processes, and provide custom functionality tailored to your SharePoint development needs.
What performance optimization techniques should SharePoint developers implement for large-scale environments?
Microsoft SharePoint developers should focus on techniques like content indexing, caching, load balancing, and optimizing list views. These performance optimization strategies are essential in large-scale SharePoint development to maintain speed and efficiency while handling high data volumes, ultimately boosting business performance.
How can a SharePoint developer optimize search functionality in SharePoint environments handling large data volumes?
To optimize search in large SharePoint environments, developers configure managed properties, create custom search scopes, and use result sources to target specific content. SharePoint developers can also implement query throttling, adjust crawl schedules, and leverage the Content Search Web Part (CSWP) to improve search result relevance and system performance.
How do SharePoint developers improve the UI/UX in custom SharePoint development services?
SharePoint developers enhance UI/UX by creating responsive designs, customizing SharePoint page layouts, and implementing intuitive navigation structures. They use tools like the Microsoft SharePoint Framework (SPFx) and client-side scripting to build user-friendly interfaces that improve usability and deliver a seamless UI/UX across devices.
Why is hiring a freelance SharePoint developer beneficial for short-term projects?
Hiring a freelance SharePoint developer is an efficient way to access specialized skills for short-term or niche projects. Freelance developers can provide quality implementation services tailored to specific project needs without long-term commitments, making them ideal for companies seeking flexibility and expertise in Microsoft SharePoint development.
How do dedicated SharePoint developers handle the complexities of custom integrations and large-scale deployments?
Dedicated SharePoint developers play a critical role in advanced SharePoint development services, especially when dealing with complex SharePoint integration projects. For example, they leverage Microsoft Graph API and RESTful services to integrate SharePoint with external systems like CRM or ERP platforms, ensuring proper data exchange and synchronization.
How can dedicated SharePoint developers support continuous improvement post-implementation?
Dedicated SharePoint developers offer ongoing support and maintenance after the initial implementation services by monitoring system performance, applying updates, and optimizing workflows. Their role keeps the Microsoft SharePoint development environment up-to-date with new features, security patches, and UI/UX enhancements.
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