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Why data science conferences are great to recruit future data scientists
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be riddled with biases. A good data scientist is able to come up with the best model that treads the line between being too complex to be trusted and too simple to be meaningful. A great data scientist is always ready to simulate, test and validate every piece of data. It is a rare mixture of skills that make one a good Data Scientist. And it might be to your surprise, that the ideal place to find this rare individual, is at a data science conference – read on and find out why Data Science conferences are great to recruit your next top Data Scientists.
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The data scientist is currently one of the most sought-after positions and demand is already higher than the supply. A McKinsey study found that, by the end of this year, the United States alone could face a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills as well as 1.5 million managers and analysts with the know-how to use the analysis of big data to make effective decisions.
As a result, in the last few years, we witnessed a proliferation of data science bootcamps to address this shortage. Also, many top universities are offering data science master’s degrees. But what skills should you look for when recruiting a data scientist? We liked Drew Conway’s answer which presented the required skills as a Venn Diagram:
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According to Drew Conway. the most important skills you should look after are:
- math and stats knowledge
- hacking
- substantive expertise (domain knowledge)
As we already mentioned, the intersection of the diagram is a rare combination of competences and it’s getting harder and harder to find people falling in that category.
To make the matter even more complicated, there’s another personality trait that makes a good data scientist: passion. Passion is critical for a data scientist because results take time, data is often messy and there are many blinds alley to navigate. Passion is the fuel that pushes through. Unfortunately, you can teach skills but you can’t teach passion.
Putting all together, it is clear that recruiting top data scientists is not an easy job.
In the last couple of years, companies used all the standard approaches to recruit top talent: job fairs, LinkedIn, referrals, job posts and so on. Unfortunately, as time passes and the demand grows, it is harder and harder to find your next star for your team using one of these methods. Even more, many people are now wary of a large number of companies that are trying to reach them.
Good news that there is an often overlooked approach! Why not make use of a data science conferences recruit your next top talent?
Unlike a job fair, where people attend as they wish, a data science conference is a congregation of the very best professionals. Since all the participation costs are paid by the employers, you can be sure that the professionals attending a data science conference are the best in the field.
The best technical experts, the best salespeople and also the best managers.
Having all these people together at once makes a data science conference the best opportunity for you to recruit. And how can you showcase your company’s strengths better than to sponsor the data science conference?
Most companies are not exploiting the value of recruiting at data science conferences even if there are plenty of reasons to make it one of the most effective approaches:
1. Only the best in the field attend
These days, budgets are tight and only the best professionals are attending. The managers decide only to send their top talents to represent their companies.
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2. There is a great recruiting diversity
Most often it is almost impossible to scan a candidate’s CV to find out if he’s diverse. At a data science conference, it is useful to identify these diverse persons because you can see them in person.
3. Incredible access
Top performers are usually very busy people but at a data science conference their schedule is really flexibile. In most cases you could approach them directly. Even more, if you decide to sponsor the conference or get a booth for yourself, you will be surprised to see them come up to talk to you.
4. Relaxed atmosphere
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The time spent at a conference is usually relaxed and some professionals even see these events as short vacations. Simply put, people’s guard is not up. This is the reason vendors like this kind of events. Why not, as a recruiter, employ the same battle strategy as the vendors to recruit at a data science conference?
5. It is easy to find people with the right skills
Another big advantage of recruiting at a data science conference is that you can scan for top professionals based on their actions. We know it is obvious that the knowledge and communication abilities of presenters are easy to be observed. But you can also look for persons who ask interesting questions and add them to your list of possible candidates.
6. It is inexpensive
Use managers to recruit at data science conferences! Your costs with HR will be zero since the top individuals are already attending. Also because you only have your top performers at the data science conference you can be assured that they are qualified to identify and assess other top performers.
7. You can always learn
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Since your people are at a data science conference they can also use some of their time… learning more about the subject they are recruiting for.
The strategy
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Even if recruiting at a data science conference is, in most cases, producing great results with minimal costs, we encourage you to devise a good strategy to further optimize your results:
Select conferences based on relevant data
Pick the right data science conference to attend and sponsor by asking your top performers for reference. Don't just send your top employees! Check to see if there is a sponsor slot available to better showcase your company’s strengths. For even better results, you could also get a booth.
Prescreen your targets
Get a list of the people who will attend. Try to estimate which sessions top performers are going to attend. Make sure you will be also there.
Make use of referrals
Try to get the data science conference brochure as early as possible. If it's a big conference it is expected that more than one speech will happen at the same time. As a result, it will be impossible for your team to keep a close eye on each speaker. Identify the most knowledgeable and well-connected speakers and use your connections to encourage them to send you the names of the attendees who asked the best questions.
Seek out opportunities to be visible
If your top performers are good enough to serve as speakers or as moderators this is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge in the field. Furthermore, you can sponsor the data science conference to gain edge over your competitors. It will not only make your company more visible but will also let the participants know that you are committed to this specific field. For more suggestions, you can try these "5 Tricks to Help You Stand Out at a Trade Show".
Ask questions
By standing up and asking questions you will be noticed by other attendees. Assuming that you asked a good question, top experts are likely to approach you after the session to discuss it in more detail.
Conclusion
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Many recruiters choose their approach based on “gut feeling” and tend to ignore facts and data. Obviously, their recruiting results are no more than mediocre. A good example of time consuming and expensive strategy is attending or organizing “hiring events”.
In reality, top performers have no interest in attending these events and you will end up having to choose from your attendees who are, in the best case, mediocre ones.
To hire top talent, you have to spend your time with them and attend the same events. Since the world of data science is rapidly evolving, it is critical for these individuals to attend and learn about best practices in solving the newest problems.
We think that data science conferences are a great way to target data scientists in a non-intrusive, personalized and valuable manner. It is one of the easiest ways of approaching high-quality potential hires. And because everybody will have their guards down it is, at the same time, incredibly effective.
To maximize your chances of success it is important to make your name visible and show the attendees your commitment to the industry by sponsoring the event. As often sponsorships include brand placing on various conference materials and prime logo, you will even reach more people that you initially thought. Just think about media opportunities or VIP receptions. If you have a marketing budget, ask early about sponsoring a data science conference!