Why is it so hard to hire Data Analytics leaders today?

It’s really difficult to hire successful Data & Analytics leaders today.

10 years’ ago Data Analytics leaders were expected to deliver Insights to Senior Management to inform business decisions

Today, they are expected to be part of Senior Management delivering on business strategy, and they therefore require a whole different commercial & leadership skillset on top of what was required only a few years ago.

A lot of the Talent Pool hasn’t caught up.

The coaching and education market in and around data & tech has thrived in the last 5 years though, so there are many looking for these roles, which is why when you put a job advert out you will receive many hundreds of applications.

But having an online certificate, having achieved a corporate “award”, or having appeared in a Top 100 list, does not necessarily translate into being competent.  And it is not an indicator of success in role.

It is very difficult for companies to decipher who is actually competent and who has achieved success worthy of note, when there is so much noise, false adulation & personal brand building.

This is compounded by the fact that the Data & Technology world is moving so fast, which means that companies are often hiring roles for the first time.   Therefore you regularly see stakeholders that are misaligned on exactly the skillset required.

So you have the nasty combination of misaligned stakeholders, who aren’t able to assess candidates in an effective way anyway.

No wonder companies often either mis-hire, or just don’t end up making a hire at all.

This is why the part of our Search process that is the most important is right at the very start –  “Vacancy Consultation”.

This process ensures:

1. There is a realistic & defined target
2. A decision making scorecard to assess candidates against
3. That all stakeholders are aligned.

+ much more.

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