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[toc headings="h2,h3" title="Table of Contents"] Over the past decade, Chicago has become a Midwest technology hub. The city's tech workforce has grown by 18% over the last decade, with more than 106,000 people employed in analytics, programming, and other tech roles, according to a recent report from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. That growth is thanks in part to Chicago's strong startup culture. It's a particularly welcoming environment for female founders, with a world-leading 34% of its startups founded by women. The diversity of talent in this location is another plus that has companies across industries looking to Chicago when they need tech talent. Of course, all of that growth also creates a very challenging hiring landscape for Chicago-area businesses who need to hire a computer scientist, business analyst, database administrator, and other critical tech roles. Working with a recruiter can give you the ability to fill your opportunity with the right talent faster, making these firms a valuable asset for organizations of all sizes. If you want to explore how a Chicago recruiter can help take your business to the next level, the firms on the list below are an excellent place to start.
The 5 best data science recruiters in Chicago
1. Nexus IT Group
With an office in the heart of downtown Chicago, Nexus IT Group is as plugged into the Windy City's hiring market as they are to the data science field as a whole. They have other offices in major cities across the US, too, giving them a broad reach to find the right professionals for in-demand data analyst, statistician, or information systems manager roles. With a 95% candidate satisfaction rate and 96% of candidates placed still in their same role after a year, Nexus is the ideal recruiter for those with critical openings that need to be filled quickly. They recruit for a range of positions in the IT niche, with a particular focus on data science analyst and big data engineer positions, including those that need AI skills like natural language processing and machine learning. Read more about Nexus IT Group
2. Burtch Works
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Burtch Works was named one of America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2021 by Forbes, cementing their reputation as one of the top recruiters of data, market research, and analytics professionals. They offer a range of recruiting services, including both contract and full-time staff, and give all of their searches the same hands-on attention, focusing on building relationships with candidates and clients to help them make a perfect match. Read more about Burtch Works
3. Momentum Staffing Group
Momentum was founded in 2009 with a mission to change the way companies hire, centering the candidate's needs in the process. This attention to job seekers is why the majority of professionals they place end up as long-term permanent hires, even those initially hired on a contract or temp-to-hire basis. Their unique search techniques and deep tech industry expertise give them the capability to find high-caliber talent for a range of data science positions, from analysts and engineers all the way up through director and executive roles. Read more about Momentum Staffing Group
4. Smith Hanley Associates
The recruiting teams at Smith Hanley Associates are big on big data, and it shows in their prowess identifying top talent for these roles. They work with companies in a range of industries, including advertising, energy, retail, financial services, and insurance, as well as tech and online businesses, connecting them with job seekers who have in-demand data mining, predictive analysis, and AI/ML modeling skills. They're a particularly good fit for those hiring into marketing analytics or web analytics roles, which they can fill across the Midwest and eastern US as well as in the Chicago area. Read more about Smith Hanley Associates
5. Talentfish
Talentfish doesn't just recruit for the tech sector, they also use and develop their own tech solutions, giving them a true hands-on understanding of the industry. They test and verify the tech skills of all candidates in their network, using AI-assisted search and screening processes to gain further insights into the companies and talent they work with. Their search solutions are customized to the needs of your role, and they can go beyond just finding talent, too, with payroll and process development consulting services to help companies streamline and improve the entire employee experience. Read more about Talentfish
Typical costs of data science recruiting services in Chicago
This is a trickier question to answer than it might seem on the surface. For starters, there are a number of fee models that a recruiting agency could use. The most common for recruiting companies in the United States are contingency hiring and retained search. In a contingency hiring model, the agency doesn't get paid until they've made a successful placement. In a retained search service, the recruiter is paid a portion upfront and the rest of their fee after the employment process. In either case, though, their fee will be a percentage of the new employee's first year salary, normally around 15-25% though it can be as high as 40-50%. This percentage model means you may not know exactly what the recruiter's total fee will be until you've completed your search. You can get a rough idea of what they'll charge by knowing the typical salary of the role in your area. The average salary for a data scientist in Chicago is $110,000 a year, according to Glassdoor, so you can use that to estimate your recruiting costs if you don't yet know the specific salary of your position.
Benefits of a data science recruiting partner in Chicago
Even for larger employers with an in-house hiring team, working with a recruiter can be a smart move for your company. This is especially true for roles like Senior Data Scientist or VP of Data Science, positions that require high-level knowledge and expertise, putting high-quality candidates in high demand. What are some specific advantages of using a recruiter to find solutions to your data hiring challenges? Here are some of the main benefits.
You'll hire better talent.
Recruiters have tools and resources to find and connect with professionals who are often hidden to the hiring managers within an organization. Established staffing agencies build an extensive network of candidates as they fill positions for clients, including passive job seekers who aren't actively checking job boards. They also have the time to reach out to these candidates and engage with them one-on-one about the role. Most in-house HR departments have too much on their plates already to give a search this kind of personal touch, and that can make a big difference, especially for hard-to-fill data analysis jobs. Along with access to more candidates, recruiters have experience matching job seekers to projects and positions. They know what to look for in a candidate's resume, skills, and background that indicates they'll be an ideal fit, and often use advanced research and candidate data analysis methods to gain information and insights in-house hiring teams don't have.
Faster time to hire.
A recruiting agency doesn't start from scratch for every role. They're already in contact with a variety of candidates before you approach them with your hiring needs, and that alone can significantly reduce the length of the recruiting process. Even if they don't have existing contacts for your job type, they know where to search for them and can focus on that work full-time. Because that's all they do, these firms also have a more comprehensive process and strategy than hiring teams in businesses, which allows them to find the right people more efficiently and deliver talent in less time.
Reduced overall hiring costs.
On the surface, it might seem like paying someone to recruit is an extra expense that will increase the costs of your business. While it's true you do need to pay recruiters for their services, you'll also save in other ways by using one. For one thing, your HR team can focus on their other work instead of searching for applicants and screening resumes. Employees hired using a recruiter are also more likely to be an ideal long-term fit for the role. It's incredibly frustrating when you think you've completed your search only to have to start it all over when the new hire quits after just a few weeks, or turns out not to have the skills you need for the role. Turnover isn't just expensive, it can also mean lowered workplace morale, wasted resources, and missed business opportunities. Those are all issues you can avoid by hiring the right person the first time, and working with a recruiter helps you to do that.
Tips for data science recruitment success
How can you make sure you get all those benefits of working with a recruiting agency? First and foremost, it's crucial to know what you're looking for from an ideal candidate and fully understand the needs and qualifications of the role. An experienced recruiter can help you refine your search parameters, but they don't know your business like you do. Before your initial conversation with a recruiter, have a planning meeting with the hiring team and company leaders to clarify what you're looking for. Once you're clear about your needs, the next crucial thing is to share that information with the recruiter. Be as transparent and honest as possible about your company, its culture, and the challenges you've encountered with hiring in the past. Even the best recruiter can't read minds, and they can't deliver the quality talent you need if they don't know what you're looking for. Finally, be communicative and responsive throughout the process. While you don't want to micromanage the process, you should stay involved in every stage of the search, from sourcing candidates to selecting and interviewing the top applicants. Ask questions when you have them, and if you think the recruiter is missing the mark, give them feedback that will help them refocus. The more open the communication between your team and theirs, the higher the odds that you'll find your perfect new hire.
Choosing the right data science recruiter in Chicago
There is no one best recruiter for finding data scientists, and that's going to be true in any city. It all comes down to what level and type of talent you need, what industry you're in, and how quickly you need to make hires. The bottom line is, if you're struggling to find people, tight on time or resources, or have a complex or specialized role you're not sure how to fill, a recruiter can be an invaluable asset to level-up your hiring.
Over the past decade, Chicago has become a Midwest technology hub. The city’s tech workforce has grown by 18% over the last decade, with more than 106,000 people employed in analytics, programming, and other tech roles, according to a recent report from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. That growth is thanks in part to Chicago’s strong startup culture. It’s a particularly welcoming environment for female founders, with a world-leading 34% of its startups founded by women. The diversity of talent in this location is another plus that has companies across industries looking to Chicago when they need tech talent.
Of course, all of that growth also creates a very challenging hiring landscape for Chicago-area businesses who need to hire a computer scientist, business analyst, database administrator, and other critical tech roles. Working with a recruiter can give you the ability to fill your opportunity with the right talent faster, making these firms a valuable asset for organizations of all sizes. If you want to explore how a Chicago recruiter can help take your business to the next level, the firms on the list below are an excellent place to start.
The 5 best data science recruiters in Chicago
1. Nexus IT Group
With an office in the heart of downtown Chicago, Nexus IT Group is as plugged into the Windy City’s hiring market as they are to the data science field as a whole. They have other offices in major cities across the US, too, giving them a broad reach to find the right professionals for in-demand data analyst, statistician, or information systems manager roles. With a 95% candidate satisfaction rate and 96% of candidates placed still in their same role after a year, Nexus is the ideal recruiter for those with critical openings that need to be filled quickly. They recruit for a range of positions in the IT niche, with a particular focus on data science analyst and big data engineer positions, including those that need AI skills like natural language processing and machine learning.
Read more about Nexus IT Group
2. Burtch Works
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Burtch Works was named one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2021 by Forbes, cementing their reputation as one of the top recruiters of data, market research, and analytics professionals. They offer a range of recruiting services, including both contract and full-time staff, and give all of their searches the same hands-on attention, focusing on building relationships with candidates and clients to help them make a perfect match.
3. Momentum Staffing Group
Momentum was founded in 2009 with a mission to change the way companies hire, centering the candidate’s needs in the process. This attention to job seekers is why the majority of professionals they place end up as long-term permanent hires, even those initially hired on a contract or temp-to-hire basis. Their unique search techniques and deep tech industry expertise give them the capability to find high-caliber talent for a range of data science positions, from analysts and engineers all the way up through director and executive roles.
Read more about Momentum Staffing Group
4. Smith Hanley Associates
The recruiting teams at Smith Hanley Associates are big on big data, and it shows in their prowess identifying top talent for these roles. They work with companies in a range of industries, including advertising, energy, retail, financial services, and insurance, as well as tech and online businesses, connecting them with job seekers who have in-demand data mining, predictive analysis, and AI/ML modeling skills. They’re a particularly good fit for those hiring into marketing analytics or web analytics roles, which they can fill across the Midwest and eastern US as well as in the Chicago area.
Read more about Smith Hanley Associates
5. Talentfish
Talentfish doesn’t just recruit for the tech sector, they also use and develop their own tech solutions, giving them a true hands-on understanding of the industry. They test and verify the tech skills of all candidates in their network, using AI-assisted search and screening processes to gain further insights into the companies and talent they work with. Their search solutions are customized to the needs of your role, and they can go beyond just finding talent, too, with payroll and process development consulting services to help companies streamline and improve the entire employee experience.
Typical costs of data science recruiting services in Chicago
This is a trickier question to answer than it might seem on the surface. For starters, there are a number of fee models that a recruiting agency could use. The most common for recruiting companies in the United States are contingency hiring and retained search.
In a contingency hiring model, the agency doesn’t get paid until they’ve made a successful placement. In a retained search service, the recruiter is paid a portion upfront and the rest of their fee after the employment process. In either case, though, their fee will be a percentage of the new employee’s first year salary, normally around 15-25% though it can be as high as 40-50%.
This percentage model means you may not know exactly what the recruiter’s total fee will be until you’ve completed your search. You can get a rough idea of what they’ll charge by knowing the typical salary of the role in your area. The average salary for a data scientist in Chicago is $110,000 a year, according to Glassdoor, so you can use that to estimate your recruiting costs if you don’t yet know the specific salary of your position.
Benefits of a data science recruiting partner in Chicago
Even for larger employers with an in-house hiring team, working with a recruiter can be a smart move for your company. This is especially true for roles like Senior Data Scientist or VP of Data Science, positions that require high-level knowledge and expertise, putting high-quality candidates in high demand.
What are some specific advantages of using a recruiter to find solutions to your data hiring challenges? Here are some of the main benefits.
You’ll hire better talent.
Recruiters have tools and resources to find and connect with professionals who are often hidden to the hiring managers within an organization. Established staffing agencies build an extensive network of candidates as they fill positions for clients, including passive job seekers who aren’t actively checking job boards. They also have the time to reach out to these candidates and engage with them one-on-one about the role. Most in-house HR departments have too much on their plates already to give a search this kind of personal touch, and that can make a big difference, especially for hard-to-fill data analysis jobs.
Along with access to more candidates, recruiters have experience matching job seekers to projects and positions. They know what to look for in a candidate’s resume, skills, and background that indicates they’ll be an ideal fit, and often use advanced research and candidate data analysis methods to gain information and insights in-house hiring teams don’t have.
Faster time to hire.
A recruiting agency doesn’t start from scratch for every role. They’re already in contact with a variety of candidates before you approach them with your hiring needs, and that alone can significantly reduce the length of the recruiting process. Even if they don’t have existing contacts for your job type, they know where to search for them and can focus on that work full-time. Because that’s all they do, these firms also have a more comprehensive process and strategy than hiring teams in businesses, which allows them to find the right people more efficiently and deliver talent in less time.
Reduced overall hiring costs.
On the surface, it might seem like paying someone to recruit is an extra expense that will increase the costs of your business. While it’s true you do need to pay recruiters for their services, you’ll also save in other ways by using one. For one thing, your HR team can focus on their other work instead of searching for applicants and screening resumes.
Employees hired using a recruiter are also more likely to be an ideal long-term fit for the role. It’s incredibly frustrating when you think you’ve completed your search only to have to start it all over when the new hire quits after just a few weeks, or turns out not to have the skills you need for the role. Turnover isn’t just expensive, it can also mean lowered workplace morale, wasted resources, and missed business opportunities. Those are all issues you can avoid by hiring the right person the first time, and working with a recruiter helps you to do that.
Tips for data science recruitment success
How can you make sure you get all those benefits of working with a recruiting agency? First and foremost, it’s crucial to know what you’re looking for from an ideal candidate and fully understand the needs and qualifications of the role. An experienced recruiter can help you refine your search parameters, but they don’t know your business like you do. Before your initial conversation with a recruiter, have a planning meeting with the hiring team and company leaders to clarify what you’re looking for.
Once you’re clear about your needs, the next crucial thing is to share that information with the recruiter. Be as transparent and honest as possible about your company, its culture, and the challenges you’ve encountered with hiring in the past. Even the best recruiter can’t read minds, and they can’t deliver the quality talent you need if they don’t know what you’re looking for.
Finally, be communicative and responsive throughout the process. While you don’t want to micromanage the process, you should stay involved in every stage of the search, from sourcing candidates to selecting and interviewing the top applicants. Ask questions when you have them, and if you think the recruiter is missing the mark, give them feedback that will help them refocus. The more open the communication between your team and theirs, the higher the odds that you’ll find your perfect new hire.
Choosing the right data science recruiter in Chicago
There is no one best recruiter for finding data scientists, and that’s going to be true in any city. It all comes down to what level and type of talent you need, what industry you’re in, and how quickly you need to make hires. The bottom line is, if you’re struggling to find people, tight on time or resources, or have a complex or specialized role you’re not sure how to fill, a recruiter can be an invaluable asset to level-up your hiring.