Graduate data scientists are an important part of every organisation but for many, it can be challenging understanding where they fit in, especially if the organisation isn’t traditionally tech focussed.
These five tips for organisations that are hiring data scientists that will help make the hiring and integration process and simple and effective as possible.
A job specification or role profile is your wish list. Don’t be overly fixated on individuals at an entry level ticking every box. Make hiring based on the person’s attitude a key component of your selection criteria. An applicant with the desire to learn, the willingness to undertake training and the aptitude to absorb new ideas quickly can often be brought up to speed with any areas of experience that they are lacking in a short timeframe.
Remember, academic courses are often designed to attract student applicants in the first instance – sometimes the needs of industry are secondary to this purpose. Take a flexible, holistic view of a Graduate candidate’s experience and, very often, you will be rewarded.
We work in an industry that measures and promotes user and customer experience as key metrics, so make sure that all applicants to your role have a memorable, pleasurable experience, regardless of the outcome of their experience.
The candidate experience should be a key metric for everyone involved in the hiring process. News travels fast – bad news even faster – so make sure your organisation receives the right type of publicity for the way it works with emerging data science talent and use this to help become an Employer of Choice.
Build relationships with the universities where data science courses best mirror the needs of your business. There’s a variety of ways that academic engagement can be realised by organisations: advisory boards, collaborative projects, formal placements and internships, guest lectures and presentations, hackathons and meet-ups.
If you want to ensure that graduate data scientists are easily transitioned into your business, don’t wait for them to graduate to influence their course of travel.
Remuneration and reward is only a cornerstone in what graduate data scientists look for but access to the right technology stack is important. The tech stack should help them continue their learning journey, work on the latest tools and techniques and augment their existing skills.
Have an open mind when it comes to the balance between organisational delivery and appealing to the needs of fresh data science talent. The ability to play with the newest toys can often influence decisions in your favour when several opportunities are being considered.
It goes without saying, but the more interesting the work that graduate data scientists can get involved in early in their new role, the more likely they will be to want to work for you.
Someone who has spent many years understanding the underlying mathematical principles of deep learning may not be too happy if the work they are asked to do doesn’t draw upon this knowledge, or if the tasks or functions you ask them to carry out are not of interest or stimulating to them. Employ the buddy system wherever possible, where experienced mentors can supervise graduate talent as they undertake challenging, but interesting, work.
These five tips will help you navigate the hiring process and integrating new data scientists into your team, but future of talent is always changing and evolving. For a complete guide about how to create an organisation that people love to work for, download our guide on talent magnetism.