6 facts about Analytics Hiring

Almost everyone is talking about Analytics these days, well a lot of companies are looking for Analytics talent. While the resource availability is scarce, the Recruitment eco-system is equally scarce with a very limited Recruiters with this skill-set and fewer vendors with the expertise. Here we go with 6 facts on Analytics Hiring

1 – Not all come with all skill-sets

Yes, we all look for that one person with all the skill-sets, But people with multiple skills exist only in the movies, where they can fight heavy thugs, hack into computers , have a model girlfriend and then save the day. You’d need to figure out what skill-set you’d need the person to come with, If you are say, hiring a SAS  Resource . Figure out what module of SAS you are looking for like DI or BASE or MACRO etc. Let’s face it, Analytics is not a small industry anymore.

2 –  CV fibbing is too Rampant

I have had Hiring managers almost giving me a thumbs  up just as they look at the profile, then after the interview they almost banged their heads on the table cursing their careers. A candidate mentions about statistics, reporting and data science in the CV while all that the person does is basic MIS. The secret to identify this is to narrow down on shorter CVs which are 1 or 2 pages long

3 – There is no “economy” candidate

We all have budgets to hire, But then if you are the best person on the skill , will you not be earning a decent salary already??, you cannot hire a resource like you shop for clothes at a discount. Like i have heard a Sr VP Analytics say “ if you pay peanuts, you can only get monkeys. If you hire monkeys they will make you dance”

4 – Job culture and freedom of thought sells

Today’s employee isn’t focused just on Salary and incentives, They yearn for a free and fair work place which offers them a forward focused growth plan , with ample opportunities to learn new stuff on the way and create newer solutions (this is great for the company, If you didn’t realize). Eg – Hiring a SAS superstar is a great accomplishment, But retaining the person becomes the next focus, offer the person a chance to learn R/Spotfire/Tableau/some rare skillsets. Trust me, the person will stay regardless of a salary/designation hike

5 – Designations must be up-to-date

Analytics is a growing sector and a niche one at that, You have to be cutting edge to attract the right talent –Have great designations that are simplistic and futuristic at the right time, Some companies are giving out “Decision scientist”, “Lead Analyst”,”Associate VP” etc... to entry and mid-level folks , Coooool huh

6 – Tech infrastructure is Key

The Current generation is tech savvy , if you have stringent tech policies and give out just a desktop which just “does the job”, you are initiating a possible resignation from a future best employee , Mind you spending a tad little on offering a top-of-the line laptop or even do a BYOD in your company will help you retain top talent and attract more people too.   Analytics is the “in-thing”, you have to have a “cool quotient” to be a good brand in this industry, the competition is mainly start-ups which are sprouting up here and there.