Step 1: Collect data. Step 3: Profit. Step 2: Hire data scientist?

Data science is, and has been, in vogue.  Every forward-thinking company wants to have a data science program because by now it is conventionally understood that it will improve profitability and efficiency across the business.

To some companies with troves of data waiting to be ‘data scienced,’ his means hiring data scientists willy-nilly even if they don\’t know exactly what they’ll be doing.  Several months down the line, many find that nothing meaningful has come of their data science efforts and that they have invested in a team of highly-paid individuals that are now looking to jump ship.

We call this the “Step 2 Problem”.  Companies erroneously think that the next step after collecting or simply having data is hiring data scientists and building a team – but what many companies fail to realize is that a data science strategy must precede the onboarding of data scientists themselves.

Having a plan is key to hiring and retaining top talent

The data science market is competitive and it can take more than just generous compensation to lure and retain talent.  While it is certainly still the case that money, benefits and corporate culture are crucial factors, we often find that data science candidates want more – they want to understand the part they’ll play in a well-considered corporate data science strategy and the specific nature of the problems they will be solving.

We often come across data scientists that are interested in a change because they feel underutilized in their current jobs despite having all of the necessary skills.  These candidates tend to favor opportunities with companies that can clearly articulate the path towards achieving the objectives of their data science strategy as well as how that data science strategy plays into the overall business strategy.  So, be prepared and keep strategy in mind when crafting job descriptions and reaching out to candidates that you want to bring into your fold. They want to know that your organization will be able to give them the mentorship and skill development that they need to grow within the industry as well as a few feathers in their caps in the form of successful projects.  

Do you need help conveying your strategy?

We are always happy to kick ideas around and can also help you convey your data science strategy to prospective candidates.  We speak the language of data science and can help you and your organization avoid falling victim to the Step 2 problem.

Dataspace can help with job descriptions, screening, and interviewing candidates for your team. We have an unusually high rate of success in finding and screening the data science practitioners companies struggle to find on their own. In fact, most of our recruiting customers come to us because their internal teams are having trouble locating and even more frequently, screening candidates.

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