Finding Top Analytics Talent
By: Jon Foster, Analytics
It’s no secret that the analytics industry is booming and so is the demand in jobs and candidates. Many see this as a smart career decision as the field is continually expanding. I agree.
What people aren’t talking about is how very broad the industry is and how analytics can mean something different for every company. For one company the analytics team could be doing predictive modeling and advanced data science, and for another they could be conducting data collection and reporting. Enova has seven internal analytics teams, so the company looks for a variety of talent ranging from statistical modeling and machine learning to data warehousing and visualization. But how do we ensure we’re bringing in the right candidates for interviews and ultimately hiring top talent for our teams?
What we’ve done to help identify the best candidates for our team is introduce a hands-on data problem that evaluates the skills candidates will be using here on the job. This has multiple benefits for both Enova and candidates. Most importantly, it gives the individual an opportunity to showcase their skills in an efficient and effective way. Candidates have 48 hours to complete this take-home assessment, with the ability to use the tools and methods of their choice. By the time candidates even have a phone interview, we have a great idea of their skill level.
A lot of school work is based in theory, but what we care about is candidates understanding the theory and knowing how to apply it. At this point, you may be asking, “What is the assessment measuring?” In summary, it’s measuring technical skills and business acumen. We want to see how you code, how you model, how you communicate, and most importantly, how you approach a problem and solve it.
We’ve been piloting this for some time and have seen great results so far. The analytics team has seen an increase in the quality of talent interviewing onsite, but also an increase in our interview-to-offer ratio. For the candidates, it clarifies Enova’s Analytics expectations and gives them an opportunity to play with more data and demonstrate their skills.
Right now in an industry where many analytics teams are just starting out, our analytics team is tenured, highly respected, and baked into the core of the business. Our value of “Best Answer Wins” ensures that decisions are made based on reliable data and comprehensive analysis. It’s what enables our business to function and fulfill our mission of helping hardworking people get access to fast, trustworthy credit. Recently, we even extended beyond that mission to offer our advanced analytics capabilities to other businesses through Enova Decisions. With Enova Decisions we’re helping companies make data-driven decisions in real-time and at scale! Just as we’re always innovating and finding new ways to use analytics, we’re always trying to find new and creative ways to build our team. This assessment is just another example of how recruiting and analytics works together to build the best analytics team in Chicago!