Hiring Big Data Talent

© 2013 CareerBuilder

© 2013 CareerBuilder | Survey conducted by IDG Research Services, April 2013

Hiring Big Data Talent


Sample

Field Work March 26, 2013 – April 16, 2013

Total Respondents 312

Collection Online Questionnaire

Number of Questions

14 (excluding demographics)

Method

Survey Goals

To understand if there is a talent shortage at organizations with respect to the skills required for big data initiatives, the challenges organizations are facing implementing their big data initiatives/recruiting talent, and the steps they are taking to address those hiring challenges.

Audience

Respondents were screened for: a job title of at least IT manager or higher; involvement in IT hiring decisions within their organization; and employment at an organization with at least 500 employees that has already deployed or plans to deploy big data initiatives.

METHODOLOGY & RESEARCH OBJECTIVES


Total Respondents Organization Size

312Less than 10,000 employees 55%

10,000 or more employees 45%

Average # of employees: 28,350

Job Title Breakdown

All Respondents

<10,000 employees

10,000+ employees

C-level (CIO, CTO CSO) 25% 33% 14%

Executive VP/Sr. VP/VP 12% 10% 13%

Director/Manager 64% 57% 72%

Top Represented Industries

Public sector/Nonprofit (including govt and education)

Banking & Financial Services

Healthcare

Technology

Manufacturing/Auto/Industrial

Business/Professional Services

Insurance

17%

13%

12%

9%

8%

5%

5%

METHODOLOGY & RESEARCH OBJECTIVES


Executive IT leadership at larger enterprises is leading the charge for big data initiatives. Sixty-two percent of respondents at enterprises with at least 10,000 employees indicate their organizations have already deployed/are currently deploying big data initiatives, compared with only 33% of enterprises with less than 10,000 employees. When asked who is driving those initiatives, IT plays a key role, with 36% reporting that senior/executive IT leadership is the primary driver, and 26% reporting that IT management is the primary driver.

The current alignment of existing employees’ skill sets with organizations’ big data initiatives shows room for improvement. Only 4% of respondents surveyed rated that alignment “excellent,” with most rating it “good” (38%) or “fair” (44%), highlighting the limitations employers often find within their existing workforce. The problem is magnified at organizations in the planning/consideration stages – only 31% of respondents at those organizations rated the alignment as excellent or good. Larger organizations have placed a greater emphasis on finding/recruiting big data talent to address the gap. At organizations with at least 10,000 employees, 47% rate finding/recruiting talent as a critical or high priority among all IT priorities, compared with only 33% at organizations with less than 10,000 employees.

There is a talent shortage of employees able to successfully execute on big data initiatives at 88% of respondents’ organizations. A majority (52%) feel that it is the same as the shortage for other IT positions, but 29% feel that the shortage is worse than other positions while only 8% feel that it is better. This shortage negatively impacts organizations: 39% of respondents report difficulties making data driven decisions, 36% are falling behind in their big data initiatives or have unfinished projects, and 35% have a mismatch between the skill sets of people leading big data initiatives and the skill sets required for those roles.

KEY FINDINGS


Despite poor alignment of available skills with big data initiatives, most respondents indicate that budgets at their organizations have remained the same over the past 12 months. A majority of respondents report budgets to train existing staff for big data initiatives (57%) and recruitment of new IT staff for big data initiatives (51%) remained the same.

Organizations are taking several steps to address the shortage in talent. On average, respondents report there are currently 10 open reqs for big data-related positions at their organizations. At least one-quarter report taking steps such as sending current employees to external training programs (43%), starting internal cross training with other departments (30%), and searching other departments within the organization for talent (26%) as methods for filling the talent gap.

KEY FINDINGS (continued)


SURVEY RESULTS

► 6 ◄


Forty-six percent of respondents indicate that their organizations have deployed or are in the process of deploying big data initiatives. Another 19% have plans to deploy big data initiatives within the next 12 months.

Base: 312 qualified* respondents

19%

28%

19%

19%

15%

We have already deployed/implemented big data projects/initiatives

We are in the process of implementing or pilot testing big data projects/initiatives

We have plans to deploy or implement big data projects/initiatives during the next 12 months

We are considering deploying or imple-menting big data projects/initiatives within the next 13-24 months

We are likely to implement big data projects/initiatives in the future but we are struggling to find the right strategy or solu-tions

Organizations with 10,000 or more

employees are nearly twice as likely to have

deployed/started to deploy big data

initiatives than those with <10,000 employees.

*All respondents were screened for big data plans; Overall, 8 out of 10 companies responding currently have or plan to deploy big data initiatives.

“Is your company (at the workgroup, departmental, division or enterprise level) currently considering or embarking on any big data projects or initiatives as defined in this survey?”


Sixty-one percent of respondents report that IT management (either senior-level or manager/director level) is primarily driving big data initiatives, compared with only 32% who say business management is driving the initiatives.

Base: 312 qualified respondents

Senior or Executive IT leadership (e.g., CIO/CTO or VP of IT)

IT management (e.g., IT Directors, IT Manager)

Executive business leadership (e.g., CEO, EVP, CFO)

Line of business management (e.g., Business unit, department or work group leaders)

Business staff (non-management)

IT staff (non-management)

Vendors, consultants, partners

Other

Don’t know

36%

26%

21%

11%

2%

1%

1%

2%

1%

“Who was/is the primary driver for big data initiatives at your organization?”


A majority of respondents are involved with the purchase or management of the technologies involved with their organizations’ big data initiatives.


I have involvement in or influence over the purchase of technologies/solutions that will help me/my company extract value from big data sets by enabling data capture, integration and/or analysis

I have involvement in the implementation or ongoing management of technologies/solutions that will help me/my company extract value from big data sets by enabling data capture, integration and/or analysis

I have involvement in setting organizational strategies/goals/needs related to the use of big data at our company

I have involvement in hiring IT talent for my company’s big data initiatives

I am a knowledge worker in a role that benefits from the access, capture, integration and/or sharing of big data

62%

61%

49%

43%

29%

“Which of the following applies to you and your role at work? (Please check all that apply.)”


The top challenge reported by respondents is a lack of big data skills among their existing IT employees. Of those directly involved in hiring big data talent, approximately half report that a lack of employees, lack of resources, and difficulties finding new IT talent with big data skill sets are also key challenges.


Limited big data expertise/skills among existing IT employees (i.e., we know who we have and find our team lacking)

Too few IT employees to keep pace with big data project demands placed on the organization

Limited resources for training existing IT employees for big data initiatives

Difficulty finding new IT talent with the right skill set for big data initiatives

Difficulty finding talent that can go beyond data analysis to communicate actionable findings effectively to the business side

Difficulty defining the skill sets needed for the roles we need or are creating

Difficulty attracting new IT talent with the right skill set for big data initiatives to our company

Challenges retaining existing IT employees with big data appropriate skill sets

None of the above

Don't know

50%

44%

36%

35%

35%

27%

24%

20%

6%

3%

62%

51%

49%

49%

43%

36%

33%

19%

1%

2%

42%

39%

26%

25%

29%

20%

18%

20%

10%

3%

Not involved in hiring big data talent (n=178) Involved in hiring big data talent (n=134) Total (n=312)

“Which of the following are key challenges facing your company today with respect to its big data initiatives/strategies? (Please select all that apply.)”


Forty-six percent of respondents indicate that their organizations have deployed or are in the process of deploying big data initiatives. Another 19% have plans to deploy big data initiatives within the next 12 months.


29%

52%

8%

12%Yes, and it is worse than the shortage for other IT posi-tions

Yes, and it is about the same as the shortage for other IT positions

Yes, but it is better than the shortage for other IT posi-tions

No

Thirty-six percent of senior-level titles

(VP+) view the big data talent shortage as worse than the shortage for other

positions, compared with only 24% of

directors/managers.

“Is your company facing a shortage of IT talent able to successfully execute on big data initiatives?”


A majority of respondents are involved with the purchase or management of the technologies involved with their organizations’ big data initiatives.

Base: 276 respondents who indicated their organization is facing a big data talent shortage

We have difficulties making data-driven decisions

We are falling behind in our big data initiatives/have many unfinished projects

We have people leading/involved in big data initiatives without the qualifications/skill sets required

We have a long queue of big data projects we are unable to accommodate

We rush through initiatives and end up compromising data quality

We have seen our revenues decline or new revenue opportunities disappear

Other

Don't know

39%

36%

35%

31%

26%

9%

2%

11%

Unqualified big data project leads are more common at

large enterprises with at least 10,000

employees (41%).

“How is the big data talent shortage impacting your company? (Please select all that apply.)”


Spending on training of existing staff and recruitment of new staff have mirrored each other over the past 12 months. A majority of respondents reported both budgets remained the same, with roughly 3 in 10 respondents reporting an increase.

29%

57%

10%

5%

Increased Remained the same Decreased Not sure


30%

51%

13%

6%

Recruitment of new IT staff for big data roles/initiativesTraining of existing IT staff for big data roles/initiatives

“How has your company’s spending in the following areas changed in the past 12 months?”


Total (n=312)

Deployed/deploying big data initiatives (n=145)

Planning/considering/likely to deploy big data initiatives (n=167)

4%

7%

2%

38%

50%

28%

44%

38%

49%

12%

5%

18%

2%

1%

2%

Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know

Those with big data initiatives in place or in progress rated the alignment of their existing IT employees’ skill sets much higher than those planning or considering big data initiatives; however, a substantial percentage (43%) still rated the alignment fair/poor.


% Excellent/Good

43%

57%

31%

“How would you rate the alignment of the skill sets of your existing IT employees with your company’s big data initiatives?”


Total (n=312)

Organizations with <10,000 employees (n=171)

Organizations with 10,000+ employees (n=141)

5%

2%

9%

34%

31%

38%

40%

41%

40%

16%

20%

11%

4%

6%

3%

Critical priority (5) High priority (4) Moderate priority (3) Low priority (2) Not a priority (1)

Finding/recruiting big data talent is a significantly more important priority for larger enterprises. It also is significantly more important for organizations that have already deployed or are currently deploying big data initiatives – 54% rate it critical/high compared with only 27% in the planning/consideration stage.


% Critical/High

39%

33%

47%

“Thinking about your company's IT hiring needs, where does finding/recruiting talent for your big data initiatives fall among all other IT hiring priorities?”


Overall, respondents anticipate meeting about 60% of their big data staffing needs through existing employees. They expect the remaining 40% to be split nearly even between hiring new external talent and outsourcing to a third party.

60%18%

21%

Existing IT staff

New staff (hired from outside the company)

Outsourced to a third party


Note: 6% of respondents answered “don’t know” and did not provide percentages

“Thinking about your company’s overall big data staffing needs over the next 12-18 months, what proportion do you anticipate will be met by the following (total must equal 100):”


Total (n=187)

Organizations with <10,000 employees (n=119)

Organizations with 10,000+ employees (n=68)

30%

42%

9%

44%

45%

44%

7%

4%

13%

18%

9%

34%

0 1-5 6-10 More than 10

Larger enterprises report having significantly more open positions related to their big data needs. Overall, most organizations have five or fewer open reqs for big data jobs/roles.

Base: 187 respondents who provided a numerical answer

Avg. # of open positions

10

7

15

“How many open reqs for jobs/roles related to your organization’s big data needs do you currently have?”


Most organizations have focused on more traditional methods such as training to meet big data talent needs. A substantial number (28%) report that they have not taken any extra steps to fill open big data-related positions or retain employees.


Sent current employees to external training programs

Started internal cross training with other departments

Searched other departments (outside of IT) within the organization for talent

Offered flex hours and/or telecommuting options

Offered signing bonuses or recruiting bonuses specifically for positions with big data skill sets

Invested in a human capital management (HCM) solution that helps us to recruit strategically using data

Made the IT office more casual/fun (e.g., game room, pizza lunches)

Tied salary increase or promotion to big data training

Offered "free" time to work on special projects chosen by employee(s)

Increased advertising budget for open positions with big data skill sets

Other

We have not taken any extra steps to hire for or retain positions requiring big data skill sets

43%

30%

26%

23%

17%

14%

14%

11%

9%

9%

1%

28%

“Which of the followings steps has your organization taken to recruit new talent or retain talent for big data initiatives? (Please select all that apply.)”



Select responses:

“We have major data issues where each department has built their own systems and data keys/dictionaries so talking from one system to another is difficult as well as trying to align data across the organization from end to end. We are in the middle of a multi-year project to build a new cross-functional data store but lack the resources and talent for me to believe it will be successful.”

“Data warehouse project using information from multiple systems. Expansion of SalesForce CMS to cover multiple new uses. Reprogrammed staff fro the SalesForce initiative. May hire consultants.”

“Two major clients are asking about big data driven projects. This would benefit everyone, but especially these 2 clients. However, we have been in a hiring and salary freeze for the past 2 years. So a VERY limited number of people are attending outside training and are expected to bring that knowledge in house to share with others.”

“New cloud technology required hiring new techs in the technology and training existing ones on the new tools.”

“One of our organizational entities is engaged in a massive effort to move their procurement system from a batch and queue lagging methodology to offer their customers real-time pricing analytics based on current spend. Ton of integration work to get started, then analysis needed to inform and execute on the data.”

“We needed to hire someone that had the skills to reorganize our big data solutions in house and we needed someone to work part time to work around the other staff members in order to finish the project. It was a couple months long project and the person was to start in a couple weeks. It would be a temporary job but would require the person to be knowledgeable in big data solutions and other IT skills.”

“Aggregation of social media, consumer action, perception metrics and consumer insights into one MDM/ETL engine for consolidation of the consumer brand experience as well as strategically gauging the brand health based on real consumer actions.”

“Targeted advertising project. We accomplished the staffing requirements by realigning existing staff who were conversant in Big Data, but in the long run this model is not sustainable. Will have to hire or outsource.”

“We are looking to create a new "data lake" for our data warehousing needs. Also looking to replace many of our Teradata instances with new big data solutions. Have been attempting to hire new employees with the desired skills. Also trying to do internships with qualified college students.”

“Please briefly describe a recent example of a big data initiative at your company that required an investment in staff (either hiring new staff or retraining existing staff) to accomplish.”


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