We are often asked by managers if we have a list of suggested interview questions for BA candidates. We do have a few and are happy to share them. As I was thinking about effective ways of evaluating BA candidates I was reminded of an interview that I had many years ago. After the traditional "talk" with the manager and HR, they gave me a written test. One of the questions presented a diagram of a system (a combination of an ANSI flowchart and a system architecture diagram) and asked me to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the system design. This was an essay question and I had one page for an answer. I really enjoyed this question because I immediately saw lots of flaws in the design presented (redundant data stores, overly complex interfaces, etc.). I actually filled up the page and continued on the back of the sheet. This was an excellent way for the hiring manager to evaluate my analysis skills along with my writing skills. Was my essay coherent? Did I find the same flaws that they expected me to find? Did I uncover anything that they hadn't thought of? How did my analysis compare to the other candidates?
I recommend that you ask analysis tests/questions like this when you are interviewing BAs. It can really give you a different assessment of their capabilities than the conversational part of the interview.
Oh, did I get the job? Yes I did, and on my first day I was told that the system I had evaluated during my interview was an old system that my team would be responsible for maintaining!! I should have known what I was getting myself into.
**Our Assessment for Business Analyst Candidates provides the suggested interview questions referenced above.**
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:54 am
In “How to Interview a BA?” dated May 21, 2007, it says that you do have a few suggested interview questions are are happy to share them.
Not long ago my supervisor asked me to prepare something for her for future interviews. Could you please provide me with your list to supplement what I have provided her?
Thank you.
May 27th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Yes, Barbara I agree with you. I have also gone through such interviews and found them very succesful. Rather than asking just previous project experiences, you can right away test whether a candidate is capable of doing things that he/she is claiming that he/she capable of! Apart from this, it's very important to test attitude aspects for BAa. A BA needs to initiate things, dicuss things with many parties, be positive and optimistic, and be able to give solutions to difficult and unclear situations. So, for all these, a very important aspect is attitude and not just knowldge.
May 30th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Thank you for posting the link to your suggested interview questions!
June 5th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
So what are the answers to the Assessment for Business Analyst Candidates questionaire (inparticular the last 3 questions based on the diagram)
June 19th, 2007 at 9:46 am
I also find these suggestions value adding, not only to the organisation in question but also to the candidate as they provide a view of what would be expected of an individual. Irrespective of previous experience (or claimed experiences) candidates are given a chance to prove that they have what it takes. This is a real valuable model! Thanks to that.
June 24th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
I think the questions are a great tool for assessing a potential employee. In the past I have used a case study where we presented the candidate with a current state of a process in need of help. The candidate was given 45 minutes to review the case study and document the as-is state, potential solutions, assumptions, risks, and a high-level project plan. After the 45 minutes the candidate had to present their case to the interviewers. We were able to assess many things including the candidates ability to present, time management skills (we never expect a candidate to get through everything required, but it was good to see what they focused on), understanding of the project lifecycle, problem solving skills, and ability to handle questions from the interviewers.
April 4th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hi,
Can you please tell us what type of design diagram was that so that others can have an overall idea.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Iia - the answers are in the document in hidden text. In MS Word within the print dialogue (Options) you can choose to print the hidden text.
Saroj - The design diagram was a data flow diagram used extensively with structured analysis and design. This diagram shows processes in the cirlces (bubbles) and the arrows represent data flowing between system components. The rectangles are data stores which represent “data at rest” i.e. database.