Data is the future of the world. Companies, both small and big alike, are now realizing the importance of data to their processes. With more and more organizations invest their resources on data science, the question is, how do you hire data scientists?
As data science is a relatively new field, there are still many grey areas that the public is not aware of. This translates to companies running the risk of hiring an incompetent employee. Worse, if he/she will be your first data scientist, then there is no absolute way for you to identify whether he/she is providing accurate information.
Companies deal with massive amounts of raw data daily, whether or not they are aware of it. These data, when appropriately analysed, provides valuable insights that could improve the business operations of your company. Below are the factors to look out for in candidates when you’re trying to hire data scientists for your organization.
Skills
Data science is an interdisciplinary field that requires the expertise of several subjects. The right candidate you want must be more of a Jack-of-all-trades type than a one-trick pony. You should hire someone who is an expert on at least these three categories: Math, Programming, and the Industry.
- Math – Data Scientists will be dealing mostly with numbers. They must have a firm grasp on specific mathematical concepts such as statistics, linear algebra, probability, and differential calculus to do their job correctly.
- Programming – Basic coding and programming skills are a must when it comes to becoming a Data scientist. They must be proficient in primary coding languages such as Python, R, and C++
- Industry Knowledge – The ideal candidate must have an understanding of the industry to provide insights into the company’s improvement accurately
Eagerness to Learn > Experience
They may not be the best, but if they’re eager to learn, then in due time, they will be your best employee. You can always put your trust in a wide-eyed fresh grad and invest in them to learn more about data science through online courses like Teachable plans.
Trustworthiness
The data scientist that you hire will have access to the private information of your company, such as sensitive personal data, your company performance, and even your business strategies. This is the reason why anyone you get should be trustworthy. You want to avoid someone who gets quickly poached by the competition as it could lead to so many problems for you.
Personality
The personality of your data scientist is essential. Some key aspects to look for are hardworking, perseverance, and ability to work well with others. The field of data science can be frustratingly exhausting, which is why you need someone who will not give up in the face of adversity.
Likewise, they must be friendly enough to work well with others. A new hire that has poor social skills can slow down the entire organization instead of making it more efficient.
From this list, you can see that it’s not precisely the skills and knowledge that’s the most important when it comes to looking for a data scientist. This is because anyone can learn how to transform raw data into valuable insights. However, their contributions to the company far exceed this.
They must also be able to identify any inefficiencies inside the organization. If they do not care for the company or its employees, then there is a high chance that he will be ineffective in giving recommendations that are geared towards the betterment of the company.
