Hiring data talent: what's your strategy?

A CEO of a mid-sized nonprofit recently shared her frustration: after nearly two years of trying to hire for data roles, her organisation had little to show for it. Candidates were either unaffordable, inexperienced, or simply unavailable. It's an increasingly familiar story. Across the sector, organisations are struggling to attract and retain the talent needed to make better use of their data. At the same time, expectations around data have only grown. Funders want clearer evidence of impact and leadership teams want sharper insights for decision-making. But even as the need for data professionals has increased, the challenge of attracting and retaining this technical talent in the social sector is also now well documented. A 2022 report by data.org and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact, identified several structural barriers: limited philanthropic investment in data infrastructure, an inability to compete with private-sector salaries, weak int