Hiring Mistakes You Probably Made Last Year When Looking for Data Professionals. (and How to Fix Them)
Data Science has been voted as the ‘sexiest job of the 21st century’ and it is very clear the current market favors the candidate. Hiring skilled STEM employees is already a challenge for companies and the talent shortage is evident. Finding the ideal talent can be a struggle, and wasting time attracting the wrong candidates is not an option.
Here is a list of the common reasons HR’s have struggled with attracting STEM talent in the past, and how not to make those mistakes.
- Company culture not adapted or/and showcased.
Data scientists are on the lookout for companies that showcase their unique personalities. They are drawn from communities that accept change, are open-minded and offer a comfortable working environment. Being engaged in such community, empowers them to engage and excel in their role.
Common mistakes companies make — for example — is maintaining a strict dress code for all employees when it’s not practical. Having to oblige to such attire on a daily basis may be restraining to engineers and reserving them from performing at their best. If the nature of their role is not customer-facing, offering a flexible dress code may empower them to perform at their very best.
Furthermore, offering training to your talent, will reflect positively on your employer brand and assist on your efforts in attracting great talent. In return, developing your employees skill-set will ultimately help your business grow.
As technology progress, your needs will also most likely grow. Taking the initiative to train and develop your existing talent will not only prepare your company for the future, but will also help in promoting your employer brand to prospects.
2. The benefits offered are not just right.
In the current market, the value of the data scientist has seen a dramatic increase with complementary benefits backing their high salary. Having nowadays to compete with other companies over a great talent, can hardly allow you to get away with offering lower salaries and fewer company benefits.
Providing additional corporate benefits, does not automatically mean that you will break the bank. For tight budgets, simple offerings such as flexible working times and working remotely are one of the most common benefits data scientists look-out for. Also, asking the candidate what benefits they would rather have can give you a lot of insight but also make them feel more valuable.
Keep in mind that in such high demand, data scientists can be often pickier about the type of companies they work for.
3. Your brand is not properly communicated
Sending out messages that are unclear and vague — or even worse copied and pasted — is definitely not a way to stand out from competitors. Data scientists now more than ever want to have transparency across everything. No surprises are accepted when applying to a job opening, and they will immediately reject the message if information provided does not generate interest in the first place.
Having a catchy opening line will will increase the traffic on your job listings.Job description that are detailed, simple and genuine are highly prefered by data scientists. When communicating with them, talking about previous projects and explaining how to you they’ve been recognised, will grasp their attention and engage them..
4. You do not speak the same language
Data scientists feel like their company is not engaged with their interests and needs. To attract data scientists, consider being found in the right places. You can attend events, forums and hackathons to engage with the community and stand out as an employer. Visiting sites that they love spending time on can also show your interest in learning more.
Lastly, when looking for a tech talent, bear in mind that data scientists are are some of the most in-demand professionals. Candidates you are interviewing are most probably interviewing for multiple jobs.
This trend is not expected to change in the coming years — thus incorporating a passive candidate recruitment and employer branding should be a priority.
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