Hiring for Graduate Data Analysts: Why these pre-employment assessments should be adopted

3 May 2024

As talent acquisition professionals, you will be aware that Graduate Data Analysts are in high demand across all sectors and all business scales. With the surge in big data usage, it is no longer sufficient to solely absorb data. Businesses must interpret this complex data to make informed, data-driven decisions and unlocking this potential lies with highly skilled advanced data analysts. 

This short article offers a step-by-step guide for the best pre-employment assessments and selection tools tailored to hiring Graduate Data Analysts. Our recommended recruitment process will ensure you select the top candidates with the essential skills to thrive in both the data analyst role and your organization.

Contents: 

1. What is a Graduate Data Analyst and what do they do?
2. What is the best assessment process to hire top Graduate Data Analysts?
3. Concluding remarks

1. What is a Graduate Data Analyst and what do they do?

What is a Graduate Data Analyst?

A Graduate Data Analyst is an entry-level role, often recruited as part of a structured graduate scheme provided by companies across diverse sectors. These programmes start with intensive, hands-on training and live projects to help graduates build their foundational knowledge and specialized skills crucial for success within data analytics. 

What are the main types of data analytics a graduate could work in?

A Graduate Data Analyst may choose to work from a range of areas of data analytics, including: 

• Business Intelligence
• Healthcare Analytics
• Data Quality
• Finance Analytics
• Marketing Analytics
• Sales Analytics
• Operations Analytics
• Web Analytics

What would be the duties and responsibilities of a Graduate Data Analyst in my organization?

Graduate Data Analysts, regardless of their particular field, will primarily be involved in collecting, processing, and analyzing large datasets. Under the guidance of senior data analysts, they will derive key relevant insights from company data and figures, effectively present these insights to stakeholders, and influence better decision-making and business strategies.

Common responsibilities for a Graduate Data Analyst include:

• Collecting data, often through surveys or purchasing data collections
• Developing programming skills in languages such as Python, R, SQL, Scala
• Applying statistical methods, mathematical models, algorithms and analysis tools to interpret complex data and address a range of business problems
• Cleaning and reprocessing data to ensure accuracy and reliability
• Writing accessible reports and creating data dashboards, graphs, and visualizations to effectively communicate findings and insights with internal and external audiences
• Organizing and managing databases to ensure efficient storage, retrieval, and data security
• Cross-functional collaboration and effective liaison with colleagues and clients
• Implementing and maintaining automated standardized data and analytic processes

What skills and competencies are important for a successful Graduate Data Analyst?

There are various skills and competencies which are key to becoming a successful Graduate Data Analyst and should, therefore, be considered in your Graduate Data Analyst hiring process. We recommend assessing a blend of technical skills and soft skills such as:

• Analytical skills
• Numerical skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Curiosity
• Attention to detail
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Organizational skills
• Teamwork skills
• Knowledge of data analytics tools, statistical methodologies, and data modelling
• Proficiency in technology
• Commercial awareness

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2. What is the best assessment process to hire top Graduate Data Analysts?

When designing a pre-employment assessment process tailored to a Graduate Data Analyst, it is crucial that candidates are thoroughly assessed against the relevant skills and competencies required for data analytics. 

That is why we are presenting step-by-step our recommended recruitment assessment process for your Graduate Data Analyst role. Following this plan will provide you with a comprehensive and reliable picture of candidates’ on-the-job performance, empowering you to make well-informed hiring decisions.

1. Pre-employment Aptitude Tests

At the initial stage of your Graduate Data Analyst assessment process, we recommend beginning with asking candidates to take selected online pre-employment aptitude tests. These assessments will identify the applicants who possess the required technical skills for the role, allowing for quick and accurate evaluation and sifting. 

What aptitude tests should I include at the initial sifting stage of hiring my Graduate Data Analysts?

When assessing candidates for your Graduate Data Analyst role, you should consider including all or a combination of these skill-based pre-employment aptitude tests:

• A pre-employment numerical reasoning test: Assessing candidates’ numerical skills, analytical skills, and ability to interpret data from graphs, charts, and tables is essential for a Graduate Data Analyst role considering they will primarily be analyzing large datasets of numbers and producing graphical visualizations. A numerical reasoning test will quickly and accurately determine whether applicants can effectively manage numerical information in the workplace.

• A pre-employment verbal reasoning assessment: Whilst data analytics may initially seem to revolve around numbers, Graduate Data Analysts will also need to write lengthy reports, present and clearly communicate their findings, and simplify data insights for audiences without a technical background. This requires strong communication skills, verbal comprehension, and teamwork. Therefore, a verbal reasoning test is an effective assessment method to test these skills. 

• A pre-employment logical reasoning test: The primary role of Graduate Data Analysts in the workplace is to interpret data to solve complex business problems and make data-driven decisions. As a logical reasoning test measures problem-solving and critical thinking skills, this assessment will help you determine which candidates are natural problem solvers and will succeed in your data analytics role.

2. A Pre-employment Situational Judgement Test

During either this initial stage of your Graduate Data Analyst hiring process or as the next stage, it is best practice to also ask candidates to take a pre-employment situational judgement test. In this assessment, candidates will be tasked with selecting the best and worst possible actions to various work-based scenarios. Candidate responses offer reliable insight into candidates’ behavioral competencies and help predict how they might actually perform in the role and the workplace. 

Furthermore, you have the flexibility to customize your Graduate Data Analyst situational judgement test to mirror real scenarios and challenges encountered within your organization. This customization also allows you to focus the questions solely on assessing the specific competencies most relevant to data analytics work.

What specific competencies should I assess in my Graduate Data Analyst situational judgement test?

The competencies which are most relevant for data analytics and should, therefore, be assessed in a situational judgement test are:

• Analyzing
• Communicating
• Solving problems
• Delivering results
• Working with colleagues
• Deciding and initiating action
• Organizing and planning

3. A Pre-employment Error Checking Test

During the early sifting stages of hiring for a Graduate Data Analyst, you might also consider presenting candidates with a numerical pre-employment error checking test. This test measures candidates’ attention to detail and accuracy by requiring them to quickly check two sets of numerical data and identify if there are any errors/differences. 

Graduate Data Analysts will be working with complex systems and large datasets, requiring a high level of concentration and attention to detail. Error checking tests can therefore help you select candidates who will be able to spot missing data or data errors quickly and deal with them under pressure when working as a Graduate Data Analyst.

4. A Pre-hire Video Interview

As the penultimate step in the Graduate Data Analyst assessment process, we recommend administering a one-way timed video interview. During this stage, candidates will be asked to address a series of predetermined questions through recording their answers. Reviewing candidate responses will enable you to learn more about candidates and their skills, relevant technical knowledge, experience with data analytics, and ‘fit’ to the role. 

As a recruiter, what questions should I ask in my Graduate Data Analyst video interview?

Your Graduate Data Analyst video interview could be strength-based, competency-based, technical or revolve around candidates’ goals, motivations, and interest in working with data. As assessors, you have the flexibility to apply your own hiring criteria in candidate selection. This enables you to effortlessly identify the most suitable candidates for the Graduate Data Analyst role and organization and subsequently progress them to the assessment center stage with confidence.

5. An Assessment Center

In the last assessment stage in your Graduate Data Analyst hiring process, especially for a Data Analytics graduate scheme, you will invite your top shortlisted candidates to participate in a virtual or in-person assessment center. This assessment day aims to dive deeper into your candidates’ relevant strengths, behaviors, and their full range of skills. By gaining such well-rounded insight into each candidate, you can confidently select the right candidates first time and make the most informed hiring decisions.

How should I set up an assessment center for my Graduate Data Analyst role?

Your Graduate Data Analyst assessment center must be tailored to your role and organization and involve a variety of exercises strategically designed to assess candidates’ aptitudes, competencies, technical skills, and strengths. Examples may include: 

• A group exercise assessing candidates’ ability to work in a team under pressure and communicate effectively
• An individual or group presentation
• Short problem-solving tasks evaluating candidates’ ability to quickly solve complex problems, use data creatively, and think critically
• A face-to-face interview one-to-one or with a panel of senior staff members – this should be strength-based, behavioral or motivational and focused around candidates’ knowledge of the role and company

By leveraging these exercises, as assessors, you will identify which candidates align best with your data analytics role, your team dynamics and company culture. This will enable you to confidently select those top candidates who will succeed in your organization and should therefore hire.

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3. Concluding remarks 

Incorporating these targeted assessments into your recruitment process for Graduate Data Analysts will quickly yield well-rounded and reliable insights into each candidate, showcasing their diverse skill sets and behavioral competencies. This invaluable, objective understanding will empower you, as recruiters and hiring managers, to shortlist and hire the most suitable top candidates for your role and organization.