The hunt for analytics talent hots up
The 21st century’s sexiest job is the data scientist, Harvard Business Review claimed recently. Such employees are “a hybrid of data hacker, analyst, communicator and trusted adviser”, the US business school journal said, pointing out that this combination of skills is extremely rare.
《哈佛商业评论》(Harvard Business Review)近期声称，21世纪最性感的工作是数据科学家。这一美国商学院期刊表示，数据科学家集“数据黑客、分析师、沟通大师和受信任的顾问”于一身，并指出，这种技能的结合极为罕见。
Therein lies the problem for many businesses across the globe. While company managers recognise the benefits that big data can bring, they are struggling to find people with the right skills.
这正是全球各地诸多企业的问题所在。尽管公司经理深知大数据所能带来的效益，但他们难以找到拥有合适技能的人才。
The rush to make use of big data shows no sign of slowing. A survey of 600 companies in the US and UK conducted last year by Accenture, the management consultancy, found that two-thirds had appointed a senior figure to lead data management and analytics in the past 18 months. Even among companies that had not made such an executive appointment, 71 per cent expected to do so in the near future.
利用大数据的潮流毫无放缓迹象。管理咨询公司埃森哲(Accenture)去年调查了600家美国和英国公司，结果发现有三分之二的公司在之前18个月任命了负责数据管理和分析工作的高管。即使是尚未设立此类高管职位的公司，也有71%准备在不久的将来作出任命。
Recruitment consultants also report soaring demand for data analytics specialists. Cititec, which specialises in the information technology sector and has offices in London and Amsterdam, says: “In the first six weeks of this year we received as many big data requests as we did for the previous six months. We reckon it will be up 100 per cent on last year, if not more.”
招聘顾问也表示，对数据分析专家的需求正在飙升。专注信息技术领域、在伦敦和阿姆斯特丹设有办事处的Cititec表示：“今年前六周，我们收到的大数据招聘请求与之前六个月一样多。我们估计，该数字今年将比去年高出100%，甚至更多。”
Indeed, big data is fast becoming a crucial specialism for IT recruitment agencies. “We now have a big data specialist – we didn’t have one a year ago,” Cititec adds. “It’s a competitive market, with many companies vying for experienced talent.”
的确，大数据正快速成为IT招聘机构的重要专长。“我们现在拥有一位大数据专家，而一年前还没有，”Cititec补充道，“这是一块竞争激烈的市场，有很多公司竞相争夺资深人才。”
Brian McCarthy, executive director of Accenture’s financial services analytics practice in North America, says global demand across the industry means there is a massive shortage of data analytics skills, especially in the US and the UK.
埃森哲北美金融服务数据分析部门执行董事布莱恩•麦卡锡(Brian McCarthy)认为，全球及各行各业的需求意味着，数据分析技能严重供不应求，尤其是在美国和英国。
“Graduates with the right kinds of backgrounds for data scientist – computer science, statistics, machine learning – are coming out of the universities, but they are not coming out in sufficient numbers,” he says.
他说：“背景适合从事数据科学家工作——计算机科学、统计学、机器学习——的毕业生正在走出校园，但他们的数量还不够。”
Mr McCarthy adds that although many companies are turning to contractors – nearly six out of 10 companies report turning to external analysts and consultants, according to Accenture – they are still unable to find the people they need.
麦卡锡补充道，尽管许多公司转而聘请合同工——埃森哲调查表明，有近60%的公司求助于外部分析师和咨询顾问——但它们仍无法找到需要的人才。
The shortfall is such that IT contractors who are experienced data architects or business analysts can command between £500 and £650 a day in the UK, says Cititec. At the most highly qualified end of the profession, PhD-level data scientists have attracted salaries of £95,000.
Cititec称，这种紧缺十分严重，以至于英国承接IT外包工作的资深数据架构师或业务分析师可日赚500英镑至650英镑。在该领域资质最为优秀的一端，博士级别的数据科学家能够拿到9.5万英镑的高额年薪。