Business Analyst

As a Business Analyst at Baird & Warner, you'll be responsible for analyzing business processes, gathering requirements from stakeholders, and translating these into user stories for the technical team. You'll also work on developing product backlogs, conducting business process analysis, and facilitating end-user trainings, among various tasks that enhance our operational efficiency.

To become a Business Analyst at Baird & Warner, you’ll need a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field. Additionally, at least 2 years of experience in business analysis or a similar role is required, along with familiarity with Agile methodologies and business process modeling tools.

Communication is crucial for a Business Analyst at Baird & Warner. You’ll need strong verbal and written skills to effectively convey complex ideas to various stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned on project goals and deliverables and fostering clear collaboration between business units and technology teams.

Business Analysts at Baird & Warner commonly utilize tools such as Jira for project management, MS Visio for process mapping, and Excel for data analysis. Familiarity with business analysis tools like Appian BPM or RPA can also be a plus, as they enhance the efficiency of our workflows.

The work environment for a Business Analyst at Baird & Warner is collaborative and supportive. Expect a mix of in-office days in either our Chicago or Schaumburg locations and a strong emphasis on work/life balance, making it an ideal setting for professionals looking to grow while contributing to meaningful projects.

When answering this question, highlight your hands-on experience in Agile environments. Discuss your participation in sprint meetings, backlog grooming, and your familiarity with Agile tools like Jira or Trello. Share specific examples of how you’ve contributed to Agile projects and adjusted requirements based on stakeholder feedback.

To effectively gather requirements, start by explaining your techniques for engaging with stakeholders, such as conducting interviews, surveys, or workshops. Mention your strategies for ensuring you dig deep to uncover their true needs and how you document these insights clearly for the technical team’s reference.

Discuss various analysis techniques you employ, such as SWOT analysis or process mapping. Explain how you identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in current processes, and provide examples of successful implementations of improvements you've driven in previous roles.

Describe your approach to acting as a liaison between business and technology teams. Emphasize effective communication strategies, the importance of continuous feedback loops, and how you incorporate user feedback into the development process to ensure the final product aligns with business objectives.

Provide a specific example of a challenging project where you encountered obstacles in requirement gathering or stakeholder alignment. Detail how you navigated the challenges, the approaches you took to resolve them, and how the project's outcome positively impacted the business.

Discuss your favorite tools and your rationale behind choosing them. For instance, you might prefer Jira for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive project tracking capabilities or MS Visio for its robust process mapping features. Explain how these tools facilitate your workflow and support collaboration with stakeholders.

Explain your conflict resolution skills by discussing your approach to understanding the differing viewpoints of stakeholders, how you facilitate discussions to bring about common ground, and the strategies you use to ensure collaboration is maintained throughout the project.

Talk about your specific experience in creating user stories and how you ensure they are clear, concise, and valuable to the technical team. Provide an example of a time when your user stories contributed to successful project outcomes.

Highlight your methods for prioritizing requirements based on business value, stakeholder input, and project impact. Discuss the tools or frameworks you use to ensure that you’re evaluating requirements fairly and transparently.

Emphasize the importance of strong communication skills, as they enable a Business Analyst to effectively bridge the gap between business needs and technical solutions. You might also mention adaptability and analytical thinking as key qualities that allow a Business Analyst to thrive in dynamic work environments.