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Welcome back. At this point, you've been introduced to the world of data analytics
and what data analysts do. You've also learned how this course will prepare you for a
successful career as an analyst. Coming up, you'll learn all the ways data can be used,
and you'll discover why data analysts are in such high demand. I'm not exaggerating
when I say every goal and success that my team and I have achieved couldn't have
been done without data. Here at Google, all of our products are built on data and data-
driven decision making. From concept to development to launch, we're using data to
figure out the best way forward. And we're not alone. Countless other organizations
also see the incredible value in data and, of course, the data analysts who help them
make use of it. So we know data opens up a lot of opportunities. But to help you wrap
your head around all the ways you can actually use data, let's go over a few examples
from everyday life. You might not realize it, but people analyze data all the time. For
instance, I'm a morning person. A long time ago, I realized that I'm happier and more
productive if I get to bed early and wake up early. I came to this conclusion after
noticing a pattern in my day-to-day experiences. When I got seven hours of sleep and
woke up at 6:30, I was the most successful. So I thought about the relationship
between this pattern and my daily life, and I predicted that early to bed early to rise
would be the right choice for me. And I'm definitely my best self when I wake up
bright and early. I bet you've identified patterns and relationships in your life, too.
Maybe about your own sleep cycle or how you feel after eating certain foods, or what
time of day you like to workout. All of these are great examples of real life patterns
and relationships that you can use to make predictions about the right actions to take,
and that is a huge part of data analysis right there. Now, let's put this process into a
business setting. You may remember from an earlier video that there's a ton of data
out there. And every minute of every hour of every day, more data is being created.
Businesses need a way to control all that data so they can use it to improve processes,
identify opportunities and trends, launch new products, serve customers, and make
thoughtful decisions. For businesses to be on top of the competition, they need to be
on top of their data. That's why these companies hire data analysts to control the
waves of data they collect every day, makes sense of it, and then draw conclusions or
make predictions. This is the process of turning data into insights, and it's how
analysts help businesses put all their data to good use. This is actually a good way to
think about analysis: turning data into insights. As a reminder, the more detailed
definition you learned earlier is that data analysis is the collection, transformation, and
organization of data in order to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive
informed decision-making. So after analysts have created insights from data, what
happens? Well, a lot. Those insights are shared with others, decisions are made, and
businesses take action. And here's where it can get really exciting. Data analytics can
help organizations completely rethink something they do or point them in a totally
new direction. For example, maybe data leads them to a new product or unique
service, or maybe it helps them find a new way to deliver an incredible customer
experience. It's these kinds of aha moments that can help businesses reach another
level, and that makes data analysts vital to any business. Now that you know more of
the amazing ways data is being used every day, you can see why data analysts are in
such high demand. We'll continue exploring how analysts can transform data into
insights that lead to action. And before you know it, you'll be ready to help any
organization find new and exciting ways to transform their data.
VIDEO # 1
tanto de sus datos. Es por eso que estas empresas contratan analistas de datos para
controlar las oleadas de datos que recopilan todos los días, darles sentido y luego sacar
conclusiones o hacer predicciones. Este es el proceso de convertir los datos en
conocimientos, y es la forma en que los analistas ayudan a las empresas a hacer un
buen uso de todos sus datos. En realidad, esta es una buena manera de pensar en el
análisis: convertir los datos en información. Como recordatorio, la definición más
detallada que aprendió anteriormente es que el análisis de datos es la recopilación,
transformación y organización de datos para sacar conclusiones, hacer predicciones e
impulsar la toma de decisiones informadas. Entonces, después de que los analistas
hayan creado información a partir de los datos, ¿qué sucede? Bueno, mucho. Esos
conocimientos se comparten con otros, se toman decisiones y las empresas toman
medidas. Y aquí es donde puede ponerse realmente emocionante. El análisis de datos
puede ayudar a las organizaciones a repensar por completo algo que hacen o
orientarlas en una dirección totalmente nueva. Por ejemplo, tal vez los datos los lleven
a un nuevo producto o servicio único, o tal vez los ayuden a encontrar una nueva
forma de brindar una experiencia de cliente increíble. Son estos tipos de momentos de
sorpresa los que pueden ayudar a las empresas a alcanzar otro nivel, y eso hace que
los analistas de datos sean vitales para cualquier negocio. Ahora que sabe más sobre
las increíbles formas en que se utilizan los datos todos los días, puede ver por qué los
analistas de datos tienen una demanda tan alta. Continuaremos explorando cómo los
analistas pueden transformar los datos en conocimientos que lleven a la acción. Y
antes de que se dé cuenta, estará listo para ayudar a cualquier organización a encontrar
formas nuevas y emocionantes de transformar sus datos.
LECTURA # 1
As you have been learning, you can find data pretty much everywhere. Any time you
observe and evaluate something in the world, you’re collecting and analyzing data.
Your analysis helps you find easier ways of doing things, identify patterns to save you
time, and discover surprising new perspectives that can completely change the way
you experience things.
Here is a real-life example of how one group of data analysts used the six steps of the
data analysis process to improve their workplace and its business processes. Their
story involves something called people analytics — also known as human resources
analytics or workforce analytics. People analytics is the practice of collecting and
analyzing data on the people who make up a company’s workforce in order to gain
insights to improve how the company operates.
Being a people analyst involves using data analysis to gain insights about employees
and how they experience their work lives. The insights are used to define and create a
more productive and empowering workplace. This can unlock employee potential,
motivate people to perform at their best, and ensure a fair and inclusive company
culture.
The six steps of the data analysis process that you have been learning in this program
are: ask, prepare, process, analyze, share, and act. These six steps apply to any data
analysis. Continue reading to learn how a team of people analysts used these six steps
to answer a business question.
An organization was experiencing a high turnover rate among new hires. Many
employees left the company before the end of their first year on the job. The analysts
used the data analysis process to answer the following question: how can the
organization improve the retention rate for new employees?
First up, the analysts needed to define what the project would look like and what
would qualify as a successful result. So, to determine these things, they asked
effective questions and collaborated with leaders and managers who were interested in
the outcome of their people analysis. These were the kinds of questions they asked:
What do you think new employees need to learn to be successful in their first
year on the job?
Have you gathered data from new employees before? If so, may we have
access to the historical data?
Do you believe managers with higher retention rates offer new employees
something extra or unique?
What do you suspect is a leading cause of dissatisfaction among new
employees?
By what percentage would you like employee retention to increase in the next
fiscal year?
It all started with solid preparation. The group built a timeline of three months and
decided how they wanted to relay their progress to interested parties. Also during this
step, the analysts identified what data they needed to achieve the successful result they
identified in the previous step - in this case, the analysts chose to gather the data from
an online survey of new employees. These were the things they did to prepare:
The group sent the survey out. Great analysts know how to respect both their data and
the people who provide it. Since employees provided the data, it was important to
make sure all employees gave their consent to participate. The data analysts also made
sure employees understood how their data would be collected, stored, managed, and
protected. Collecting and using data ethically is one of the responsibilities of data
analysts. In order to maintain confidentiality and protect and store the data effectively,
these were the steps they took:
Employees who experienced a long and complicated hiring process were most
likely to leave the company.
Employees who experienced an efficient and transparent evaluation and
feedback process were most likely to remain with the company.
The group knew it was important to document exactly what they found in the
analysis, no matter what the results. To do otherwise would diminish trust in the
survey process and reduce their ability to collect truthful data from employees in the
future.
Just as they made sure the data was carefully protected, the analysts were also careful
sharing the report. This is how they shared their findings:
They shared the report with managers who met or exceeded the minimum
number of direct reports with submitted responses to the survey.
They presented the results to the managers to make sure they had the full
picture.
They asked the managers to personally deliver the results to their teams.
This process gave managers an opportunity to communicate the results with the right
context. As a result, they could have productive team conversations about next steps
to improve employee engagement.
The last stage of the process for the team of analysts was to work with leaders within
their company and decide how best to implement changes and take actions based on
the findings. These were their recommendations:
Standardize the hiring and evaluation process for employees based on the most
efficient and transparent practices.
Conduct the same survey annually and compare results with those from the
previous year.
A year later, the same survey was distributed to employees. Analysts anticipated that a
comparison between the two sets of results would indicate that the action plan
worked. Turns out, the changes improved the retention rate for new employees and the
actions taken by leaders were successful!
One of the many things that makes data analytics so exciting is that the problems are
always different, the solutions need creativity, and the impact on others can be great
— even life-changing or life-saving. As a data analyst, you can be part of these
efforts. Maybe you’re even inspired to learn more about the field of people analytics.
If so, consider learning more about this field and adding that research to your data
analytics journal. You never know: One day soon, you could be helping a company
create an amazing work environment for you and your colleagues!
Additional Resource
To learn more about some recent applications of data analytics in the business world,
check out the article “4 Examples of Business Analytics in Action” from Harvard
Business School. The article reveals how corporations use data insights to optimize
their decision-making process. Please note that the first example in the article contains
a minor error in the second paragraph, but the example is still a valid one.
LECTURA # 1
Este es un ejemplo de la vida real de cómo un grupo de analistas de datos utilizó los
seis pasos del proceso de análisis de datos para mejorar su lugar de trabajo y sus
procesos comerciales. Su historia involucra algo llamado análisis de personas,
también conocido como análisis de recursos humanos o análisis de la fuerza laboral.
El análisis de personas es la práctica de recopilar y analizar datos sobre las personas
que componen la fuerza laboral de una empresa con el fin de obtener información para
mejorar la forma en que opera la empresa.
Los seis pasos del proceso de análisis de datos que ha estado aprendiendo en este
programa son: preguntar, preparar, procesar, analizar, compartir y actuar. Estos
seis pasos se aplican a cualquier análisis de datos. Continúe leyendo para saber cómo
un equipo de analistas de personas usó estos seis pasos para responder una pregunta
empresarial.
Una organización estaba experimentando una alta tasa de rotación entre los nuevos
empleados. Muchos empleados abandonaron la empresa antes de finalizar su primer
año de trabajo. Los analistas utilizaron el proceso de análisis de datos para responder a
la siguiente pregunta: ¿cómo puede la organización mejorar la tasa de retención de
nuevos empleados?
Primero, los analistas necesitaban definir cómo sería el proyecto y qué calificaría
como un resultado exitoso. Entonces, para determinar estas cosas, hicieron preguntas
efectivas y colaboraron con líderes y gerentes que estaban interesados en el resultado
de su análisis de personas. Este fue el tipo de preguntas que hicieron:
• ¿Qué cree que los nuevos empleados deben aprender para tener éxito en su primer
año de trabajo?
• ¿Ha recopilado datos de nuevos empleados antes? Si es así, ¿podemos tener acceso a
los datos históricos?
• ¿Cree que los gerentes con tasas de retención más altas ofrecen a los nuevos
empleados algo extra o único?
• ¿Cuál cree que es una de las principales causas de insatisfacción entre los nuevos
empleados?
Todo comenzó con una sólida preparación. El grupo construyó una línea de tiempo
de tres meses y decidió cómo querían transmitir su progreso a las partes interesadas.
También durante este paso, los analistas identificaron qué datos necesitaban para
lograr el resultado exitoso que identificaron en el paso anterior; en este caso, los
analistas optaron por recopilar los datos de una encuesta en línea de nuevos
empleados. Estas fueron las cosas que hicieron para prepararse:
• Establecieron reglas sobre quién tendría acceso a los datos recopilados; en este caso,
cualquier persona ajena al grupo no tendría acceso a los datos sin procesar, pero
podría ver los datos resumidos o agregados. Por ejemplo, la compensación de un
individuo no estaría disponible, pero se podrían ver los rangos de salario para grupos
de individuos.
El grupo envió la encuesta. Los grandes analistas saben respetar tanto sus datos como
a las personas que los proporcionan. Dado que los empleados proporcionaron los
datos, fue importante asegurarse de que todos los empleados dieran su consentimiento
para participar. Los analistas de datos también se aseguraron de que los empleados
comprendieran cómo se recopilarían, almacenarían, administrarían y protegerían
sus datos. Recopilar y utilizar datos de forma ética es una de las responsabilidades de
los analistas de datos. Con el fin de mantener la confidencialidad y proteger y
almacenar los datos de manera efectiva, estos fueron los pasos que siguieron:
• Cargaron datos sin procesar en un almacén de datos interno para una capa adicional
de seguridad.sin revelar las respuestas individuales.
• Cargaron datos sin procesar en un almacén de datos interno para una capa adicional
de seguridad.
Entonces, los analistas hicieron lo que mejor saben hacer: ¡analizar! A partir de las
encuestas completadas, los analistas de datos descubrieron que la experiencia de un
empleado con ciertos procesos era un indicador clave de la satisfacción laboral
general. Estos fueron sus hallazgos:
Así como se aseguraron de que los datos estuvieran cuidadosamente protegidos, los
analistas también fueron cuidadosos al compartir el informe. Así es como
compartieron sus hallazgos:
• Presentaron los resultados a los gerentes para asegurarse de que tuvieran una imagen
completa.
• Pidieron a los directivos que entregaran personalmente los resultados a sus equipos.
• Realizar la misma encuesta anualmente y comparar los resultados con los del año
anterior.
Una de las muchas cosas que hace que el análisis de datos sea tan emocionante es que
los problemas siempre son diferentes, las soluciones necesitan creatividad y el
impacto en los demás puede ser grande, incluso cambiar o salvar vidas. Como analista
de datos, puede ser parte de estos esfuerzos. Tal vez incluso esté inspirado para
aprender más sobre el campo de análisis de personas. Si es así, considere aprender
más sobre este campo y agregar esa investigación a su diario de análisis de datos.
Nunca se sabe: ¡algún día, pronto, podría estar ayudando a una empresa a crear un
entorno de trabajo increíble para usted y sus colegas!
Recurso adicional
LECTURA # 2
Overview
Earlier you learned about how data analysts at one organization used data to improve
employee retention. Now, you’ll complete an entry in your learning log to track your
thinking and reflections about those data analysts' process and how they approached
this problem. By the time you complete this activity, you will have a stronger
understanding of how the six phases of the data analysis process can be used to break
down tasks and tackle big questions. This will help you apply these steps to future
analysis tasks and start tackling big questions yourself.
Before you write your entry in your learning log, reflect on the case study from
earlier. The data analysts wanted to use data to improve employee retention. In order
to do that, they had to break this larger project into manageable tasks. The analysts
organized those tasks and activities around the six phases of the data analysis process:
1. Ask
2. Prepare
3. Process
4. Analyze
5. Share
6. Act
The analysts asked questions to define both the issue to be solved and what would
equal a successful result. Next, they prepared by building a timeline and collecting
data with employee surveys that were designed to be inclusive. They processed the
data by cleaning it to make sure it was complete, correct, relevant, and free of errors
and outliers. They analyzed the clean employee survey data. Then the analysts
shared their findings and recommendations with team leaders. Afterward, leadership
acted on the results and focused on improving key areas.
To use the template for this course item, click the link below and select “Use
Template.”
Link to learning log template: Consider how data analysts approach tasks
OR
If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the
attachment below.
Descargar archivo
Reflection
In your learning log template, write 2-3 sentences (40-60 words) reflecting on what
you’ve learned from the case study by answering each of the questions below:
Did the details of the case study help to change the way you think about data
analysis? Why or why not?
Did you find anything surprising about the way the data analysts approached
their task?
What else would you like to learn about data analysis?
When you’ve finished your entry in the learning log template, make sure to save the
document so your response is somewhere accessible. This will help you continue
applying data analysis to your everyday life. You will also be able to track your
progress and growth as a data analyst.
LECTURA # 2
Visión de conjunto
Anteriormente, aprendió cómo los analistas de datos de una organización utilizan los
datos para mejorar la retención de empleados. Ahora, completará una entrada en su
registro de aprendizaje para realizar un seguimiento de sus pensamientos y reflexiones
sobre el proceso de esos analistas de datos y cómo abordaron este problema. Cuando
complete esta actividad, comprenderá mejor cómo se pueden usar las seis fases del
proceso de análisis de datos para desglosar tareas y abordar preguntas importantes.
Esto lo ayudará a aplicar estos pasos a futuras tareas de análisis y comenzar a abordar
grandes preguntas usted mismo.
1. Pregunta
2. Prepárate
3. Proceso
4. Analizar
5. Comparte
6. Actuar
Los analistas hicieron preguntas para definir tanto el problema a resolver como lo que
equivaldría a un resultado exitoso. Luego, se prepararon creando una línea de tiempo
y recopilando datos con encuestas de empleados que fueron diseñadas para ser
inclusivas. Procesaron los datos limpiándolos para asegurarse de que estuvieran
completos, correctos, relevantes y libres de errores y valores atípicos. Analizaron los
datos de la encuesta de empleados limpios. Luego, los analistas compartieron sus
hallazgos y recomendaciones con los líderes de equipo. Posteriormente, el liderazgo
actuó sobre los resultados y se centró en mejorar las áreas clave.
Para usar la plantilla para este elemento del curso, haga clic en el enlace a
continuación y seleccione "Usar plantilla".
Plantilla de registro de aprendizaje_ Considere cómo los analistas de datos abordan las
tareasArchivo DOCK
Reflexión
• ¿Los detalles del estudio de caso ayudaron a cambiar su forma de pensar sobre el
análisis de datos? ¿Por qué o por qué no?
VIDEO # 3
Hi. I'm Cassie, and I lead Decision Intelligence for Google Cloud. Decision
Intelligence is a combination of applied data science and the social and managerial
sciences. It is all about harnessing the power and beauty of data. I help Google Cloud
and its customers turn their data into impact and make their businesses and the world
better. A data analyst is an explorer, a detective, and an artist all rolled into one.
Analytics is the quest for inspiration. You don't know what's going to inspire you
before you explore, before you take a look around. When you begin, you have no idea
what you're going to find and whether you're even going to find anything. You have to
bravely dive into the unknown and discover what lies in your data. There is a
pervasive myth that someone who works in data should know the everything of data. I
think that that's unhelpful because the universe of data has expanded. It's expanded so
much that specialization becomes important. It's very, very difficult for one person to
know and be the everything of data. That's why we need these different roles. The
advice that I give folks who are entering the space is to pick their specialization based
on which flavor, which type of impact best suits their personality. Now, data science,
the discipline of making data useful, is an umbrella term that encompasses three
disciplines: machine learning, statistics, and analytics. These are separated by how
many decisions you know you want to make before you begin with them. If you want
to make a few important decisions under uncertainty, that is statistics. If you want to
automate, in other words, make many, many, many decisions under uncertainty, that is
machine learning and AI. But what if you don't know how many decisions you want
to make before you begin? What if what you're looking for is inspiration? You want to
encounter your unknown unknowns. You want to understand your world. That is
analytics. When you're considering data science and you're choosing which area to
specialize in, I recommend going with your personality. Which of the three
excellences in data science feels like a better fit for you? The excellence of statistics is
rigor. Statisticians are essentially philosophers, epistemologists. They are very, very
careful about protecting decision-makers from coming to the wrong conclusion. If that
care and rigor is what you are passionate about, I would recommend statistics.
Performance is the excellence of the machine learning and AI engineer. You know
that's the one for you if someone says to you, "I bet that you couldn't build an
automation system that performs this task with 99.99999 percent accuracy," and your
response to that is, "Watch me." How about analytics? The excellence of an analyst is
speed. How quickly can you surf through vast amounts of data to explore it and
discover the gems, the beautiful potential insights that are worth knowing about and
bringing to your decision-makers? Are you excited by the ambiguity of exploration?
Are you excited by the idea of working on a lot of different things, looking at a lot of
different data sources, and thinking through vast amounts of information, while
promising not to snooze past the important potential insights? Are you okay being
told, "Here is a whole lot of data. No one has looked at it before. Go find something
interesting"? Do you thrive on creative, open-ended projects? If that's you, then
analytics is probably the best fit for you. A piece of advice that I have for analysts
getting started on this journey is it can be pretty scary to explore the unknown. But I
suggest letting go a little bit of any temptations towards perfectionism and instead,
enjoying the fun, the thrill of exploration. Don't worry about right answers. See how
quickly you can unwrap this gift and find out if there is anything fun in there. It's like
your birthday, unwrapping a bunch of things. Some of them you like. Some of them
you won't. But isn't it fun to know what's actually in there?
VIDEO # 3