In 2018, we launched a survey geared towards the folks who kept running up against walls in their organizations: the Frustrated Data Scientist. We wanted to understand the chief barriers that prevented them from being able to provide their best insights and caused them to feel isolated, even when their colleagues surround them.
Over 400 responses later, we compiled those results. We found that the root cause of many pain points was simply a lack of understanding of the capabilities of data science and the actual work that goes into data collection and manipulation. These communication gaps led to lower job satisfaction from data professionals, higher turnover rate, and overall less usage of data across an organization, which in turn leads to a massive loss of opportunities and revenues. Notably, a 2021 KDnuggets poll indicates a significant drop in job satisfaction among data scientists compared to the 2018 poll.
Thanks to our data friends’ responses, we crafted and released our Data Science Communicator Toolkit, which was a presentation packet that facilitated the conversation between data and non-data professionals. This toolkit addressed the most common myths that people have about data analytics and provided some concrete steps for how to launch a successful presentation and how to continue the dialogue beyond the room. We heard a lot of great feedback from people who used this to catalyze their own conversations and open a line of communication to colleagues and leaders in their organizations.
Four years later, we have seen a massive shift in the data science field: an increase in demand for analytics, combined with more data than ever and an increasing need to hire data talent, has led to a much bigger emphasis on the democratization of data (also, COVID, anyone?). Some impressive numbers reflect these trends. In August of 2021, the International Data Corporation estimated an increase of 10.1% in global spending on big data and business analytics solutions in 2021 over 2020. Also, according to a Harvard Business Review and Google Cloud survey, 90% of business leaders indicated that data democratization is important to business success. Still, a 2020 report by Qlik and Accenture noted that only 21% of respondents stated that they feel comfortable with their data literacy skills and 32% of business executives said that they’ve derived measurable value from their data assets.
At Data Society, we’ve expanded our data training programs to include executives, managers, and general staff to develop a common data vocabulary across large companies, federal agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. We’ve spoken to more and more of our clients and partners who are looking beyond technical talent to build a foundational understanding of data.
In the past few years, more and more studies have shown that an organization with a high level of data literacy brings in more revenue, decreases operational inefficiencies, and improves customer satisfaction compared to similar organizations in the same industry. The Data Literacy Index, a Qlik report from 2018, estimates that enterprises with higher data literacy scores can enjoy enterprise values that surpass those of their peers by $320-$534 million. In addition, organization-wide data literacy can play an important role in bringing valuable, diverse perspectives to analytics and helping organizations avoid the pitfalls of algorithmic bias. It’s no wonder that this trend has exploded.
Given all of that, we thought it would be a good time to take the pulse of our data community and see where things have improved and where they haven’t. We’ll share our findings with you and release an updated Data Science Communicator Toolkit that will help you address the key challenges that you’re seeing today. You can help us build the next iteration and make your voices heard by clicking here to respond to our updated survey. Just 5 minutes of your time and we’ll make sure that you’ll be the first to have our latest and greatest toolkit.
Help us continue to build a world where your voice can be heard and you can help build a workforce that not only appreciates data, but understands that the only magic involved is the hard work that you put in every day to make information accessible (no wands necessary).
Data Society provides customized, industry-tailored data science training solutions—partnering with organizations to educate, equip, and empower their workforce with the skills to achieve their goals and expand their impact.
