The Do's and Don'ts of Attracting Data Scientists to Your Business

Attracting data scientists to your business isn’t easy, but that’s not to say it’s an impossible task. Though there are certainly data scientists out there, finding experienced and skilled workers in the midst of a skills shortage is proving difficult for a lot of businesses. There is a small pool of talent and many businesses desperately seeking data scientists, so standing out is key. This is why it’s so important to think about what you can do to ensure that you find the ideal talent for your organisation.

How to Attract Top Talented Data Scientists

DO Have a Clear Career Path

For a lot of careers, there is a clear path; starting from a junior, employees move through the ranks until they reach managerial level. However, this isn’t always the case with data scientists. Instead of moving up a career ladder, data scientists aim to become experts in their field. To do this, they need to keep up with the industry via training and tools. This is why it’s important to offer a career path, with opportunities to progress and improve their skillset, that data scientists can follow. 

DON’T Hire the Wrong Person

There are a lot of specialisms within the data industry, and some businesses make the mistake of hiring the wrong person. For example, they might automatically assume they need to hire a data specialist, then there’s actually another role that needs to be filled beforehand. There are a lot of talented candidates out there, but don’t immediately hire the first person who appears to have some of the skills that you are looking for. Though these individuals are keen to work with the latest technology and solve complex data problems, they might not be right for your specific business. Before hiring anyone, think about the skillset you need.

DON’T Undervalue Them

Despite their experience and skillset, a lot of organisations undervalue data scientists in the workplace. This could lead to them feeling underappreciated and undervalued, giving them a reason to consider working elsewhere. This is why undervaluing data scientists is something to avoid from the very beginning. Be clear about how you see a data scientist contributing to the business, and make this clear from the start of the interview process. 

DO Let Them Use New Technologies and Techniques

Data scientists want to feel challenged in the workplace, and they want to be inventive with how they do things. This is why you should let them use new technologies, techniques and tools. Instead of asking a data scientist to complete the same tasks time and time again, utilise their skillset and challenge them with something new. Not only does this help them to improve their abilities, but it makes them feel valued and a vital part of the business. Allowing data scientists to be innovative means giving them the opportunity to better benefit the company with their data.

DO Give Them Freedom to Work Flexibly

Nobody wants to feel micromanaged at work, least of all skilled data scientists who are confident of their own capabilities. They want to feel trusted to work independently or with others, and they want the freedom to work in the way that’s most efficient for them, even if this means working from home. Giving them the freedom to work flexibly has a whole host of benefits, such as freeing up a lot of time that would have otherwise been spent micromanaging. 

If you want to get the best talent around, you need to go above and beyond. With a skills shortage and a lack of candidates, data scientists have the luxury of choosing from a variety of job offers. If you want to attract them to your business, you need to highlight the value and progression associated with doing so.

If you are looking to hire Data Scientists then reach out to one of our specialist consultants, we only focus on the data market and out in conversations with the top talent in the industry every day, whether you are looking for a permanent hire or a contractor to hit the ground running we can help.