Data science specialists in high demand
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Demand for data science specialists is on the rise, driven by employers across a range of industries including retail, travel, logistics and technology.
As more businesses come to recognize the value data scientists can deliver in terms of tracking consumer activity and improving the efficiency of business processes, existing talent pools are becoming increasingly stretched.
“While data science has been an established field for some time, demand for specialists in this area has seen a significant increase over the last two to three years,” commented June Tam, Senior Manager for Tech & Transformation recruitment at Robert Walters, Hong Kong.
Key skills in demand
While demand for data science professionals is high in general, there are certain skill sets within the field which are particularly sought after.
Professionals with experience using Hadoop ecosystem are in noticeably high demand, as are specialists with a background using technologies such as Spark and Kafka.
With demand for data science professionals outstripping supply, businesses are having to adapt their recruitment processes in order to secure top talent.
The current talent shortage is putting data science specialists in a strong position to negotiate with employers.
“With demand so high, data science specialists are often being head hunted for several roles simultaneously,” said Vivian Tsang, Senior Manager for Tech & Transformation recruitment at Robert Walters, Hong Kong.
Impact of talent shortages
Businesses with lengthy, complex hiring processes risk missing out on their first-choice candidates if they cannot move rapidly to make a job offer. The current talent shortage is putting data science specialists in a strong position to negotiate with employers, securing generous salaries and bonus packages when moving roles.
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