We can’t find qualified data science candidates

Yes, your company is having a hard time hiring qualified data scientists, and there are two reasons why.

First, organizations in need of good data science employees don’t always appreciate what a bona fide data scientist looks like, or what skills they may need. Second, in a compact talent market, a lot of candidates benefit from this lack of knowledge.

Data science requires a variety of technical and analytical skills, and the candidates who don’t possess the required skills needed for the job sometimes sneak through recruiting efforts. In other situations, you may recruit a candidate who looks promising on paper. However, when your hiring manager asks in the interview whether they can construct an ML application that highlights a common learning theorem, the candidate hems and haws, and says no.

Now you, the hiring manager and the candidate are all frustrated and disappointed.

Why This Happens

More and more companies realize the incredible importance of data as an asset. Small and mid-size businesses that are just starting to build a data-driven culture need data scientists and access to the power of their information. However, they write job descriptions that attract candidates with low-level skills. This happens because of limited resources and of not understanding the roles and responsibilities of qualified data science talent.

Even at larger organizations, job descriptions may not always be well defined or too broad in scope. Sometimes, recruiters don’t have enough insight into initiatives to correctly qualify and screen candidates. Other times, the technical jargon and details are beyond what a recruiting professional can reasonably be expected to know.

What are Quality Data Scientists Doing

Many data professionals are going to big firms. At these larger firms they are able to perform at a higher level and succeed. On the other hand, many of their peers are finding success in the “gig” economy. Freelancing or contract work gives these analysts the flexibility to seek specific career paths that fit their skill sets, schedules, and professional goals.

This kind of free-agent economy is growing and organizations of all sizes see this type of market as an opportunity to find qualified talent. These companies enjoy the flexibility of being able to find vetted data scientists for very specific needs.

Recruiting the right analytics team is vital to your company’s implementation of its data-driven culture. The ability to find talent quickly helps recruiters accomplish that mission and meet the high-pressure demands of hiring managers and senior leadership. In a competitive market, it’s hard enough to find candidates for permanent roles. When the jobs are posted for short-term engagements, the challenge to find qualified candidates quickly increases.

How to Source Quality Data Analytics Talent Quickly

By the time a request reaches your desk, the need for a candidate has likely existed for a while, and may be further delayed as budget approval and HR processes are needed to ultimately get the job posted.

In other words, by the time the request for a data science position reaches the recruiter’s desk, everyone is anxious to get the position filled quickly. Most data analytics roles are highly specialized, with a lot of technologies and jargon involved.

If you aren’t a data scientist yourself, are you confident that the profiles you scan on LinkedIn are as capable as they proclaim? Do you miss potential candidates because you don’t know that if someone has experience on Trifacta software, they could easily use Alteryx, which is the technology referenced by the hiring manager? Is the skill level portrayed really as senior as the candidate declares?

With the time pressures, not only on you, but on the hiring manager, you want to make sure that those candidates you bring in truly meet the quality thresholds. By partnering with an organization which pre-screens candidates for you, you can cut the time it takes to research their skills. Plus, you will increase the confidence, for yourself and for the hiring manager, in the capabilities of those candidates brought forward.

Chisel Analytics can help you find the right data science talent for your company. Whether you are recruiting for a specific need, team growth or a change from your current direction, we can partner with you to find qualified data professionals with the skill sets you need.