20 business system analyst interview questions to ask experts

Business system analysts are responsible for reviewing and improving an organization’s overall IT infrastructure. They do this by researching and analyzing the company’s processes, developing reports for senior management, and overseeing the implementation of projects.

They typically have a background in both business and IT, and work to identify areas where the company’s IT infrastructure can be improved.

It’s safe to say that this is a role with a lot of responsibility, so finding the right person is imperative to ensuring the job is done right. 

TestGorilla has many relevant tests in our library, such as the IT business analyst test, that can help you narrow down potential candidates.

Once at the interview stage, these 20 questions and answers can support you in getting all the information you need from every candidate.

20 business system analyst interview questions with a career focus

Once your interviewee is comfortable, you should tackle some career-focused topics. Ask candidates these questions to get the information you want.

1. What inspired you to become a business system analyst?

What inspired someone to go into their chosen area of work can tell you a lot about them, and no two candidates will give you the same answer.

One interviewee may say that they enjoy the business world and the high-pressure situations that those in this role can face. Others could talk about their love for technology and how they enjoy keeping up to date on the changing industry. 

The main thing to look for when asking this question is a passion for the role and an interest in doing it well.

2. Can you discuss your most notable accomplishment as a business system analyst?

Business system analysts come across challenges all the time in their roles. They may describe a complex issue that they resolved or how they helped turn a failing business around.

If your company has specific needs and is looking for a business system analyst to hit the ground running, asking this question could be more important than you think. 

Ask follow-up questions to learn how their skills helped them achieve their accomplishment to determine if they are the right person for you. 

3. What interests you in working with this company?

Many people are motivated by financial incentives when applying for a job. However, other factors can attract people to a particular company, such as the potential for career progression or the company’s culture. 

By understanding what attracted the candidate to your job, you can better assess whether they are a good fit for the company and the role. This information can help you tailor your interview questions and create a more compelling offer.

4. What organizational tools do you use to stay efficient as a business system analyst?

Staying organized in any role can be a struggle, especially when there is a lot of work to manage. Thankfully, there are many tools that can help business system analysts stay organized.

They may say they don’t require these tools to stay organized, or they might go into detail about their overall organization process. 

However, if the role they are applying for requires the successful candidate to be organized, consider the outcomes that the candidate describes after using those tools.

5. Have you ever led a team of business system analysts?

Leading a team of people in your profession requires a different skillset to self-management.

If they have leadership experience, candidates may mention a few examples of abilities that helped them with this. These could include great communication skills and the ability to delegate well within a smaller or larger group.

If the role you want to fill requires leading others, consider having the candidate complete a Leadership and People Management test.

6. Do you have experience working with legacy systems?

A legacy system is an old computer system that is still in use. It may have been designed to meet the needs of a company at one time, but it can no longer keep up with the company’s growth. Legacy systems are often difficult to maintain and upgrade and can be a security risk.

Knowledge of how to handle them is crucial, as many businesses still need someone to have experience in how to use and manage them.

If this is relevant to your company, you should certainly find out which legacy systems each interviewee is used to dealing with and how that might help you.

7. How good is your verbal and written communication?

A business system analyst will have a deep understanding of the IT and business world, and the industry jargon that goes with it. This can make it difficult to simplify messaging so that everyone in the company can understand the problem and solution, no matter what role they are in.

Being a good business system analyst involves communicating well in verbal and written forms. The role you’re looking to fill could require them to present complex topics to a room full of people or write lengthy emails about the business.

Therefore, assessing candidates’ communication skills is important.

8. Can you give an example of a large-scale business improvement you implemented?

This role requires problem-solving on a small and large scale. Mostly, a business system analyst will only have to deal with smaller problems, but eventually, there may be large-scale business issues for them to handle.

Your company may have experienced or been experiencing these issues, which might be why you’re hiring for this role. Finding out if and how a candidate implemented a significant improvement can show you their potential and how they can do the same for you.

9. When testing new systems, how do you determine whether they’re ready for implementation?

New systems are put in place and used by businesses all the time. These system changes can be small or large; the business system analyst usually handles this.

When implementing a new system, systems analysts should ensure everything works well. If something goes wrong, this could cause major business issues, especially if it halts operations.

This question allows you to make sure that the candidate knows what they are doing when it comes to implementing these systems.

10. From your experience, what’s an essential aspect of system analytical reporting?

An analytical report is an important document that uses data to analyze and evaluate a business strategy or process. This includes how the business is performing and how it’s planning to continue. It provides the information needed to make data-driven decisions based on evidence and analytics.

These reports can be a valuable tool for businesses of any size. By using data to analyze and evaluate business strategies and processes, businesses can make better decisions that lead to improved results.

It’s up to the business system analyst to put these together, especially when making the case for specific changes. The candidate should know what’s essential in analytical reporting and how to do it well.

11. What tools are essential for business system analysts?

The answer to this question can vary greatly. From tools and systems specific to the role and any general tools they find helpful, each answer can bring something new.

The tools they use now may be the same as the ones they will use if they are hired, so it’s good to know what they prefer.

12. Can you explain software requirements specifications (SRS) and its main elements?

A software requirements specification (or SRS) is a document that describes the purpose and function of a software system. A good SRS should be written in a way that is understandable to both technical and non-technical audiences.

A good SRS can save a business time and money in the long run by preventing costly mistakes and rework. Business system analysts should therefore understand SRS well to reap these benefits.

13. What’s a business requirement document (BRD)?

A business requirements document (or BRD) is a written description of the business needs that a project is intended to address. 

In addition, it includes the project’s objectives and requirements. The BRD is used to communicate the project’s goals to all stakeholders and ensure everyone is on the same page.

A business system analyst should be familiar with a BRD and have experience putting it together. They will need to use it to explain to those at the head of the business why certain changes need to be made.

14. How can you manage a project’s pre-implementation and post-implementation problems?

Implementing a project before and after involves different processes. Pre-implementation requires predicting issues that might occur, while post-implementation means dealing with any problem that has developed.

Any candidate for a business system analyst role should be able to explain how they manage both sides of implementation. 

15. How do you distinguish yourself from other business system analysts in the competitive industry?

In such a competitive industry, interviewees should be able to tell you why they are different from others you may be interviewing.

Qualifications and even work experience can overlap between different candidates, so giving them a chance to go into detail about how they differ from the rest is a good idea.

It allows them to speak more about their skills and personality while giving you the necessary information.

16. How do you improve your technical skills and remain updated on the latest industry trends?

The IT industry and landscape are constantly changing. These changes require business system analysts to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends.

Finding out how a candidate keeps their skills and knowledge up-to-date gives you a good sense of their proactiveness and willingness to learn. In this role, you want someone who can adapt to changing technology and business changes.

Answers on how they keep up to date can include updating their training in the field, aligning with IT changes, and regularly reading industry news.

17. What are the different stages of a business project?

There are many stages to a business project, including identifying a problem and creating a strategy to handle the issue.

The person filling this role may lead many business projects and will need to understand the different stages and be able to go through them in detail.

As the hiring manager, you may ask them to give examples of a successful business plan they recently implemented.

18. What is a use case, and which strategies do you follow to design one?

A use case is a way of describing how users interact with a system to achieve specific goals. They are used in software development, product design, and other fields to help developers understand what users need and how the system can be designed to meet those needs.

There are a number of strategies used when putting together a use case, and they can be very effective in solving system issues or improving how a system runs. Answers can vary with this question, but it’s important that they mention the three elements every use case should include:

• The actor: the user of the system – this can be an individual or group

• The goal: the successful outcome they wish to achieve

• The system: the necessary steps taken to reach the goal; this includes functional requirements and actor behavior

If a candidate mentions this, it’s a good sign that they are familiar with use cases.

19. What certifications have you earned?

There are many business-related certifications that business system analysts can earn. Though most are not technically necessary, they can enhance their experience and expertise.

As the hiring manager, you may have a list of certifications and qualifications you’re looking for. If the candidate has any of these, this may show they have the knowledge to join your team.

20. Can you explain your typical work strategy for a project?

Business system analysts must complete plenty of challenging projects, no matter the seniority of the role. 

They need to have a successful and proven work strategy to handle both small projects that must be completed by the end of the week, to bigger ones that last months.

Having them walk you through their tactics and process for managing a project is an essential exercise for getting a feel for the candidate and seeing if they are a good fit. 

Their answer may include how they would create a structured plan and incorporate regular team meetings throughout the process to make sure things were running smoothly.

When to use business system analyst questions

The above questions can help you get an in-depth understanding of every candidate in front of you. They successfully delve into their background, qualifications, experience, and much more.

These questions should be limited to the interview stage after you have narrowed down all applicants to a handful of potential hires. One of the best ways to assess a larger group of applicants’ skills is through a relevant test or assessment using our test library.

Hire the top business system analyst for your company with TestGorilla

There’s a lot to consider when you’re trying to find the best system analyst, but with the right interview questions, you can transform your recruitment process. 

Using our list of interview questions and our assessments allows you to gather as much data as possible about your candidate, so you can make a confident decision on your final selection. For more information on what we offer, try a  30-minute live demo with a member of the team today. If you’re looking to streamline, save time and find the best candidate, then our recruitment assessments are for you.