How to set up your analyst to do their best work

In his second appearance on Datadrivet, Johan Johansson of Carat explains how to give an analyst the conditions to be useful. Hire the right profile, protect their time, and act on what they find.

A senior analyst, in his view, drives change through an organization, and raw analysis is often not their sharpest skill. Junior analysts are the hands-on ones, fluent in SQL and the data tools. Hiring the wrong one for the job is a common mistake.

Johan lays out three conditions an organization needs to meet for analytics to pay off.

First, analysts need protected time to do analysis rather than field ad hoc requests all day. Second, someone has to implement their insights so the work creates measurable value. Third, the organization has to act on what the analysis shows. If it does not, the best analysts leave for a place where their findings change something.

As Johan puts it, an analyst helps you make better decisions based on more information. Your first instinct is rarely the best solution.

Listen to the full episode of Datadrivet for Johan’s breakdown of what analysts need to do their best work.