Hiring Data professionals in a candidate short

Pre-pandemic, hiring data centric professionals was hard enough with a war for talent already raging. Roll on 2021 and things have not got easier with borders still shut and the usual influx of talent no longer landing on our shores, individuals who don’t want to risk moving in the current climate along with a hike in salary expectations that organisations simply don’t have budget for and we have a perfect storm for a candidate short market.

So, in a market where everyone and their dog is looking to hire the best Data talent out there from data engineers to data scientists to data governance professionals, clients are asking what is the best way to secure resources to meet project deadlines and improve business efficiency.

Time kills

Ask yourself, are we ready to hire? Do you have budgets signed off? Do we have project work ready to go?

Creating a high level of staff engagement starts even before a first interview and nothing can drain a candidates interest better than a lengthy drawn out hiring process involving six interviews over a three month period.

A slick, pre-planned interview process will impress from the beginning will raise you above your competitors with the old attitude of “everyone should want to work for us so we can go as slow as we want”.

Are the lengthy technical and psychometric tests really helping you select the right candidates? Or are they just part of a process you have always followed. Being given a long tech test even before they interview can add weeks to a process or indeed kill it at the first hurdle so we find doing problem solving exercises live in an interview can be more effective and engaging.

What is your employee value proposition?

Having a clear employee value proposition to present from the very beginning gives candidates a clear insight into the culture of your organisation and can be a major factor in a decision making process, cash is always important of course but is no longer king.

Why would a data professional want to work for you rather than another?

Are you working with new and interesting technologies? If not, what are the benefits of them taking a role and what can they learn?
Do you have clear strategies and goals that are articulated consistently through the process? Nothing puts doubt in a candidates mind better than an inconsistent message, be that about the role itself or about the culture of your organisation.
Are you setting your workplace up for the future? Flexible working is a concept that will be going nowhere, so showing candidates how they will be working and engaging with colleagues is key, so think about how you are keeping employees engaged and happy.
Showing prospective employees how they can expect to be managed, developed and treated is a powerful tool in attracting the right employees.

Are we paying people what they are worth?

We know, we said cash is no longer king, but at minimum still a prince.

Great data professionals know their worth, it’s a simple concept of supply and demand and the demand is high and the supply is low, so offering realistic salaries on par with market rates puts you on the dancefloor! Going through a long interview process only to be let down by cash at the end can damage your brand and effect your ability to hire long term. Offering great candidates less than they are currently earning on the promise of shiny and exciting projects or new technology will probably not lead to long-term hiring success so keeping an eye on market rates and how you are compensating your current staff is critical in the current market.