With the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology within the IT industry, as well as an increasing focus on collecting data and analytics of this data, means that professionals with data and advanced analytics skills are in demand. It is also a highly specialised industry so data recruitment can be very difficult for most businesses which is where we can help.

In recent years, organisations have been more interested in making data driven decisions to influence how their business operates, including it’s service models and how they can better serve customers. As a result there has been a greater move towards automation which means data professionals are in high demand.

However data professionals covers a wide range of roles which fall under software engineering including data analysts, business intelligence developers, data scientists and database developers.

There has been a clear trend in businesses moving towards this making data professionals very high in demand, especially if they have skills in more recent changes such as predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and automation. Since the Covid-19 pandemic many of these roles have moved increasingly online, which though this does raise an opportunity for businesses to find skilled workers from further afield, it also raises a challenge as those same candidates will be considering roles from further afield, so issues such as local salaries won’t be as important to them.

Shawthorpe offers a specialist recruiters service for employers looking to fill their data analysts roles.

What skills should I look for when choosing a data analyst?

When choosing someone for a a data professional role, there are various technical skills that may be required which will of course vary according to the role and industry. However some common skills to look out for can include SQL and Excel, as well as knowledge of databases including SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, NoSQL as well as data visualisation tools such as PowerBI, Tableau and Qlik.

However as well as technical prowess, it will also be important to recognise soft skills that can separate someone from the crowd such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and attention to detail. Through many organisations there will be different stakeholders with varying levels of understanding – from senior management through to the sales team which makes stakeholder management and communication skills especially important. Other skills will include analytical skills, inquisitiveness and being able to approach challenges in different ways.

What salary should I pay a data professional?

Salaries can often vary dependent on the role, location and company type as well as how specialised the skills are required the higher salary may be required.

Most junior level roles tend to have salaries ranging from £25k to £50k depending on experience. However developers tend to range between £40k and £60k with managers earning more than this.

Data science is a focus for many organisations and salaries can start from £56,000 for these, rising to £74,000 for senior data scientists. Also, as machine learning has become more popular, salary uplifts have resulted with salaries now averaging at around £62k with a peak of around £90k for those based in areas such as London.

About Shawthorpe

Shawthorpe is a professional recruitment agency based in Shropshire, Telford. Our recruitment services are built on four core values of honesty, consistency, dependability and reliability. We have many links to the tech and IT industries in the West Midlands and around the UK so that we can find exceptional people to help your business with talent acquisition.

When we find potential candidates for our role, we also aim to interview every single one before even passing on their details to you so that you can be sure every candidate is of a high quality and is a natural fit to help your businesses long term success. We can also assist you with your recruitment process to make sure that you are fully happy with any prospective candidate.

For example, it may be worth implementing a technical assessment to ensure your staff have technical competencies, as well as coming up with the right interview questions to ensure that they can communicate effectively and that you can dig deeper and find out how effective they are at resolving customer issues.

If you would like to find out more about working with Shawthorpe as your recruitment agency, speak to us on 01952 263973 or fill in our short contact form and one of our team will be in touch to assist you.