The healthcare industry is dealing with a challenge: they've got more data than they know what to do with. Currently, healthcare alone generates about 30% of the world’s total data, and that number is expected to grow by a staggering 36% each year. Providers are eager to use this data to improve patient care, but many don’t have the infrastructure to do it effectively. To overcome this challenge, healthcare organizations are turning to data experts who can design and interpret systems that lead to better outcomes. 

Questions to Ask Candidates

Data science is a booming field, and many candidates are eager to put their skills to work. But having experience with data doesn’t automatically make someone a great fit for a healthcare role. It’s crucial to evaluate whether a candidate has the right knowledge and practical experience with the tools your organization uses.

The best way to do this is through targeted questions during the interview. Here’s a list of questions you can use to assess candidates' experience and gain valuable insights from their answers:

• What experience do you have working with healthcare data, and which types of data have you personally analyzed?
• How do you assess the quality and accuracy of data, and what method do you use to clean raw data?
• What tools and solutions do you have experience working with? Are you open to learning new tools and solutions?
• How do you stay current with healthcare and data privacy regulations that may impact your analyses?
• How do you typically report data to leadership, and what is your preferred method of visualizing data reporting?

These questions help candidates showcase their experience in detail, allowing you to see how their background matches the job requirements. Keep in mind that a candidate’s experience might not align perfectly with every aspect of the job description, but they may have transferable skills that can help them quickly get up to speed.

Evaluating CAndidate Knowledge of healthcare tech

Beyond hands-on experience and familiarity with tools, the most crucial factor for any candidate is their understanding of new healthcare technology. Candidates need to grasp how patients use tech to manage their care, how healthcare professionals use it in their work, and how data can improve patient care. Without this knowledge, a data analyst may struggle to bridge the gap between insights and actionable improvements, limiting their effectiveness.

To assess a candidate’s grasp of healthcare technology, ask them to share specific success stories—while respecting patient confidentiality, of course. You might ask them about a time they provided data that improved medical technology or if they stay updated with medical tech news and their thoughts on recent innovations.

Refining your Hiring Process

Once you’ve figured out what makes your ideal candidate, the next step is to bring them in as quickly and efficiently as possible. Using workforce planning strategies can help with this, as they let you keep a real-time view of the skills your team is missing and fill those gaps more effectively.

A workforce planning model helps you benchmark candidates’ skills against what you need, so you can spend less time guessing and more time focusing on relevant talent. Plus, they help identify growth trajectories, allowing you to plan a new hire’s career path and explore other ways they can contribute to your organization.

Key Takeaways to Hire the Right Experts

In a nutshell, the right data experts can transform your organization’s use of data. Look for candidates who combine strong technical skills with a solid understanding of healthcare operations. Use targeted questions to evaluate their experience and implement a structured interview process for efficient and objective assessments. By doing so, you’ll streamline your hiring and find experts who can turn data into insight, leading to improved patient care.