Women in Analytics: A Level Field of P(l)ay

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Amidst a range of discouraging metrics for women (… another year with no female Nobel Prize winners, widening gender pay gaps, women lagging in STEM fields…), one shining star of opportunity for women is the field of analytics.  Data analytics holds exciting promise for advancing women in a technical field and for facilitating gender pay equity. The new fast growing field of data analytics is hungry for people with a problem solving mindset.  While computer science and code language expertise are paths to entry, these technical backgrounds are far from the only foundations for success in analytics.  Some of the world’s best data analysts have liberal arts backgrounds such as communications, literature and music. The first ever national Technical & Engineering Literacy assessment conducted by the National Assessment Educational Program on school age children found that girls averaged three points higher than boys in the skillset of ‘thinking through problems systematically.’  Girls surely have the ability to learn and to develop logical process based solutions to problems, which are foundations for success in analytics. Analytics is essentially a consultative technical service.  Employers, including consulting firms, agencies, corporations and other organizations can measure success in objective ways, such as by achieving target hours, project goals or marketing metrics.  There are defined core skills in a career development ladder for analytics from entry level through top tier practitioner. These objective measures of success and career advancement enable equity in compensation for women in analytics.  Employers are able to insure equal pay for equal work with attention to these standards.  In turn, women in analytics are able to illustrate their progress and contributions to support their demands for fair and equitable compensation. Google has just launched an exciting new Women in Analytics Initiative, in cooperation with the Digital Analytics Association, Analytics Pros and other firms.  Having been involved from the planning stages, we enthusiastically support this initiative and look forward to continuing to advance women in the field of analytics.   Vicki O’Meara President & CEO Analytics Pros, Inc.