Dear Data Analysts, Let's Talk About Your Backlog
If you’re a data analyst, you’re likely going to leave your job in the next year. You play a mission-critical role in your organization and are a versatile data expert who can analyze, code, and solve business problems. And yet, you and your peers have one of the highest turnover rates, and it’s not surprising.
Analysts confront never-ending backlogs on a daily basis. As an analyst, you’re expected to communicate well with business partners, manage internal processes, and deliver quality products quickly (“we need this ASAP!”), all the while juggling various requests. Moreover, the work is often repetitive and redundant since most of it has been done before by you or your teammates, but not saved in an accessible location. All of this makes the role highly demanding and results in a backlog that weighs heavily on your shoulders and your happiness.