MetLife undergoes cultural shift in bid to attract data scientists and analytical talent

A defined career path, travel, and innovative analytics projects are key things that candidates are looking for, says VP of enterprise analytics Malene Haxholdt

Global insurer MetLife has undergone a cultural shift in a bid to attract data scientists and other analytical talent to the firm, according to the firm's VP of enterprise analytics, Malene Haxholdt.

Haxholdt told Computing at a SAS Global Forum media event in North Carolina earlier this week that the firm's CEO Steven Kandarian wanted to transform the way the company did business, by relying more on data and analytics.

"To do that, you need data scientists. So we're competing to attract talent globally. We want candidates to think of a company that is leading edge, and we want to eventually become an analytical leader, so we had to think about our culture, and what kind of career path we offer, what flexibility there is and what innovative analytics projects we have," Haxholdt said.

She explained that there is a shortage of data and analytical talent in general - not just with the specialist data scientist roles - adding that the ideal candidate is someone who can relate to the business and can translate what the data means for the business, which is different to the core statistician-type skills with which many data analysts are usually well equipped.

However, she emphasised that all the skills required in a data analytics team don't have to come from one individual.

"It's a realisation that all these skills rarely exist in one individual; it's really a team of people," she said.

MetLife cannot bring in talent as fast as it wants, so it is partnering with universities in the US to train its existing full-time employees in data and analytics. Its partnerships with universities also mean that the company can hire new employees a year before they complete their education.

Haxholdt explained that when these new hires start working at MetLife they receive six months of training to get up to speed with what the business does, and thereafter they are placed in different areas depending on their skills and preferences. Some, she said, decide to code apps, some are more analytics-focused and others have more of an interest in the business analyst space.

MetLife is keen to ensure that its new analytical recruits have a defined career path, with the option of working internationally. Haxholdt explained that these were two key points in attracting the right candidates.

"Millennials want exciting challenges, access to an environment where there is a freedom of responsibility, and the option to travel," she said.