7 Proven Strategies for Hiring A Data Superstar

Are you struggling to find skilled data professionals for your SMB? In today’s fast-paced tech world, attracting top data talent is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Learn how to identify and hire the perfect data superstar for your business needs.

Small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) face a major challenge: they can’t find enough skilled people to handle all their data. According to the Digital Leadership Report from Nash Squared, 54% of leaders worldwide feel the effects of a skills shortage and attribute it to their inability to keep up with the pace of change. This talent shortfall is most severe in the data sector, with 51% of CIOs looking to expand their internal data teams in the coming year.

Importance of data leadership for SMBs

As the rush to adopt new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and the Internet of Things grows, finding people who are good at working with that data is getting harder. These professionals need to have masters in programming and statistical modeling, understand how businesses work, and be able to explain complex ideas and stories that the data tells them. SMBs generally need more business acumen from their data professionals and leaders.

The industry is looking for potential hires from a wide range of sources, from recent graduates to seasoned experts at top tech companies. To make this strategy successful, companies are giving them the power to blend external hires with the existing skills of employees already working there.

Building a data-driven culture

This approach, often described as the "hub and spoke system," positions data leaders as pivotal for bringing together different skills in the team and helping the whole company understand and use data better. However, attracting and maintaining such talent extends beyond competitive salaries and benefits. These professionals seek roles where data is used to make big decisions and often want to be in charge of those decisions.

For businesses to improve their data-working skills, they need to hire new people with the right skills and help further develop the skills of their existing internal talent. Individuals from different fields, such as engineering, software development, marketing, and finance, might have the natural creativity and data skills to spearhead transformative big data initiatives.

Integrating ERP expertise

A critical skill for data professionals is proficiency using software solutions like industry-specific Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). These systems help companies manage their work better and optimize their profitability. If data professionals are good at using these systems, they can make data processes faster and more accurate and help the business run more smoothly. By getting and understanding the useful information from these systems, data professionals can help the company make good decisions and improve how it works, making ERP expertise a valuable addition to the data professional's toolkit.

7 skills of a data professional that make a difference:

• Data visualization and storytelling: Ditch the data jargon and turn those mind-bending spreadsheets into clear stories that everyone can get behind.
• Comfortable with ERP: It can be extremely valuable to know how to work within a centralized ERP environment to identify, extract, and analyze various data points.
• Programming and database management: Unlock the stories hidden in big data. Your key is a mastery of programming languages like Python, R, and SQL.
• Statistical analysis and mathematical modeling: These skills are your secret weapon for spotting trends and turning data into "aha moments" that guide smart decisions.
• Advanced analytics and machine learning: Predictive analytics and machine learning help you build models to predict what will happen next, from customer trends to market shifts.
• Business acumen and strategic thinking: These help data professionals understand the company goals and make data-based decisions with those goals.
• Curiosity and continuous learning: The world of data constantly evolves, so staying on top requires a growth mindset and a willingness to adapt. 

To stay ahead of the competition, companies can help develop employees with a potential knack for data and provide them with targeted training. Meanwhile, they should tap into external talent pools, looking for people with strong technical abilities, strategic insight, and a passion for innovation.

Conclusion

Finding a data superstar involves a strategic approach combining technical skills and business understanding. By focusing on these attributes, SMBs can effectively attract and retain top data talent, ensuring they stay competitive and make the most of their data.