How to Hire a Business Analyst: Job Description & Salary
As I’m sure you’re well aware, the Tech industry is continuously evolving thanks to the non-stop stream of emerging technologies disrupting the way we live our lives.
Much like the ever-changing Tech sector, the Business Analyst (BA) role is being modified to reflect our reliance on data for various business needs.
In today’s data-driven world, hiring for this role is crucial, and enterprise-level organizations often utilize a team of these experts — meaning hiring competition is fierce.
We get that businesses like yours are seeking creative and effective ways to hire for this essential position.
Discover why demand is rising for BAs and a few tips on how to hire Business Analysts for your organization’s needs.
What is a business analyst?
When learning how to hire a Business Analyst you must know that a successful BA is someone who engages with both business leaders and consumers to better understand how data-driven changes can add value and efficiency to a company’s processes, products, services, and solutions.
Communicating and translating data between executives and a business’s IT department is the most important responsibility of a BA.
As the volume of data your business collects continues to grow, hiring a dedicated team of Business Analysts will be key in identifying and driving insights to improve enterprise efficiency.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 14% increase in demand for Business Analysts.
With the demand for talent increasing throughout the Tech sector, now is the time to secure the professionals who can help improve your company’s overall efficiency so you can focus on what matters: driving profits.
How to hire business analysts
There are a few simple yet effective ways your business can attract business analyst professionals for this crucial role which include prioritizing soft skills, asking about specific scenarios, avoiding tech bias, and working with a staffing agency.
Prioritize business analyst soft skills
Don’t worry — we’re not telling you to throw away your traditional interview process completely.
However, a recent LinkedIn study on hiring trends found that 63% of conventional interviews fail at assessing an interviewee’s soft skills.
As the middleman between businesses and their data, any good Business Analyst needs to possess critical soft skills to communicate their findings.
Start by integrating tests that can assess their soft skills and emotional intelligence.
Keep the first interview as informal as possible to allow them to be comfortable and show how personable they can be.
Remember the interview tactics used for highly specialized Tech candidates won’t provide you with an accurate view of a BA candidate’s potential.
Interview business analysts about specific scenarios
You don’t have to know how to hire Business Analysts fluent in more than three languages.
Though, you do need to find someone who is articulate and can take complex processes and easily translate to the ordinary user.
One useful insight from our SDLC Squad Hiring Guide, is to test candidates during the interview.
Give them a scenario involving articulating essential data, and you’ll be able to evaluate their ability to produce and decipher crucial data to determine the direction of your business and its products.
Avoid tech bias
It’s vital that your hiring team resist their Tech bias because, unlike many other positions, you may be seeking to fill, candidates for your company’s Business Analyst role may not have an extensive background working in the Tech industry.
Resisting your bias means remembering not everyone will fit your idea of what a Tech professional looks like and not discrediting their ability to excel in the position.
Learning how to hire Business Analysts means creating ways to allow candidates’ experience and expertise to prove they have the tools necessary to drive insights and enhance your company’s efficiency, regardless of their industry background.
Partner with a staffing agency to hire a business analyst
Partnering with a staffing agency like Mondo can be the most effective and efficient hiring strategy when your Tech company needs to hire a team of BAs, but doesn’t have the time or resources required to so.
With an average placement rate of 3 to 5 days for contract roles and 8 to 10 days for full-time positions, Mondo provides a fast turnaround for your high-end, niche talent needs, so that your company can focus on bettering your products and services.
Sample business analyst job description and salary
The average salary for a business analyst is $79,000-$166,000.
We are looking for an experienced and motivated Business Analyst to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a proven background in the analysis, design, and implementation of business processes, systems, and solutions. The Business Analyst should have excellent communication skills, be able to explain complex technical topics to non-technical stakeholders, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
Soft Skills:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with team members
- Articulate decision-making and problem-solving abilities
- Self-motivated with strong organizational skills
- Ability to interpret customer needs into actionable solutions
Technical Skills:
- Proficiency in database querying (SQL) and data analysis tools (e.g., Power BI/Tableau)
- Experience with Business Intelligence (BI) tools such as Microsoft Power BI or Tableau
- Knowledge of programming languages such as Java or Python
- In-depth knowledge of system development life cycle principles
- Hands-on experience with requirements gathering and system analysis techniques
Hiring a business analyst for your business
With many industry experts expecting the amount of data collected and demand for Business Analysts to continue to increase, now is the best time to ensure you’re able to hire the professionals you need.
If your business is looking to hire a highly qualified BA or team of Business Analysts, contact Mondo today.
Our exclusive network is filled with both passive and active BAs who can help improve your company’s processes and help drive enhanced productivity.
Looking to hire top-tier Tech, Digital Marketing, or Creative Talent? We can help.
Every year, Mondo helps to fill over 2,000 open positions nationwide.
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