Six tips to hire your next superstar Data Engineer⭐

Data Engineering has become one of the fastest growing jobs in Tech and with a 55% influx in these jobs on the market since 2019, it means the demand for Data Engineers has even stood the test of a global pandemic!

With an arrival of this competition on the market, it’s understandable that some companies don’t know where to start with hiring their next superstar.

Having been at the heart of this increase of Data Engineering Recruitment, we’ve collated 6 tips to help you hire your next Data Engineer:

1. Create a sleek interview process

On average, a Data Engineer will find a job within 20 days of looking for a new role., and some superstars will only stay on the market for 7-10 days!

Our advice would be to move as quickly as possible – like a CV? Do your initial 30-minute phone call within 24 hours of reviewing, like the candidate? Bring them in for an interview within the next 48 hours.

The longer you wait, the more likely this excellent candidate is going to interview and accept a job at a competitor who can move forwards quickly.

We know that this isn’t always possible, but the quicker you can move forward with candidates you like, the better-quality candidates you’ll be able to hire.

Likewise, don’t create excessive interview steps. Not only does this slow down an interview process, but candidates can often be put off if they have to jump through too many hoops. Remember: interviews are about them liking you just as much as you liking them! Too much hoop-jumping can cause a lack of interest and you missing out on that superstar.

2. Make sure you provide feedback

One of the biggest bugbears of job seekers is when they don’t hear back following a CV submission or Interview process.

As an Agency, we will always give honest and transparent feedback, but this means that we need this from you to pass on. Ghosting on a candidate will always look bad and could ultimately harm your brand.

3. Do your research around salaries

Whilst Data Engineers aren’t solely money-driven (they’re more about the tech and the opportunity) it is still an important part of the job offer. Therefore, it is important to get the balance right both internally and externally, so ensure that you benchmark the salaries using trusted advisors and your internal team to offer a competitive salary.

4. Provide the right tech stack

Technology is important for every Data Engineer. They’ll want to understand what your technology is from the get-go. Likewise, they’ll likely want to understand how you keep up to date with new technology.

Current main technologies that get used are:

Python, SQL, big data, Hadoop and ETL. Cloud technologies are also key, with the most common being AWS as well as Azure and GCP. Other technologies which we have seen in very high demand are Scala and Hive.

5. Give them a clearly defined role

Data Engineers like to know what to expect when they are coming into the role. They like to know how big their team is, if they need to mentor, what teams they’ll be working closely with etc.

If these are wrong then it could lead to an individual moving on quickly as they feel like they have been miss-sold a role, or it is not fit for them.

Not every Data Engineer wants to go into management, so if this is something you expect from them after 1 year of the role then they may not be the right person for the team and set you back the costs of replacing them. Did you know that hiring the wrong person could set you back £35k?

6. Recruit in the right places, or with the right people

People who are heavily in the Tech and Data world won’t often have their CV over job boards, and will instead use platforms such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor and their own networks. This means that the best talent is even harder to find.

Make sure you utilise your network – ask your Data Engineers (if you have them) to see what their recommendations are, or even reach out to your wider data team.

Advertising on your company website is important too, as well as other areas such as your Glassdoor and LinkedIn.

Specialist Recruitment agencies will be able to help too – we have a huge network of Data Engineers, understand what makes a good Data Engineer, and what requirements you will need.

Need support? Get in touch.