n today’s hybrid, fast-paced working environments, the role of the Business Analyst (BA) has become more essential and more misunderstood than ever.
Whether you're scaling a product team or running a system upgrade, hiring the wrong BA can stall progress. But hiring the right one? It can unlock efficiency, collaboration, and real transformation.
So what should hiring managers actually look for in a great Business Analyst candidate? Here’s a guide based on what we see working across the Sydney market, and what our clients often overlook.
1. Technical Skills Are Important, But Context Is Crucial.
You might need a BA with knowledge of Jira, Confluence, SQL, Salesforce, or API integrations, but don’t stop at a tool checklist.
Ask yourself: what systems will they be working with? What’s your delivery environment? Who will they partner with?
A technically capable BA who’s never worked in an agile environment or hasn’t faced changing stakeholder priorities may not be the right fit, even if their resume looks perfect.
2. Soft Skills Matter. A Lot.
The most overlooked aspect of hiring BAs? Stakeholder engagement.
Strong Business Analysts don’t just gather requirements. They ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and build bridges between teams that don’t naturally align.
Key traits to assess:
- Active listening
- Clarity of communication
- Confidence to push back when needed
- Comfort working in ambiguity
In interviews, give real-world scenarios and watch how candidates approach them. You’ll learn far more than from textbook answers.
3. Domain Experience Can Make a Difference.
While some BA skills are transferable, certain industries demand domain-specific knowledge, like compliance in banking, agile delivery in digital product teams, or systems logic in healthcare.
If you're hiring for a short-term or high-pressure project, don’t underestimate the value of domain familiarity. It can mean a smoother onboarding, faster contributions, and fewer blockers.
4. Role Clarity Is Key — Especially for Hybrid Roles.
One common challenge we see? Job descriptions that blend 3 roles into 1 — BA, PM, QA, sometimes even Scrum Master.
While versatility can be a strength, it often leads to:
- Confused expectations
- Burnout
- Unclear success metrics
Make sure you know exactly what kind of BA you’re hiring — and what their core focus should be.
5. Partner with a Specialist Recruiter.
If BA hiring is on your radar, consider working with someone who knows the space — not just from a recruitment perspective, but from an industry lens.
At SustainRecruit, our Principal Consultant, Ella Morgan, specialises in BA and QA recruitment. She understands the technical, soft skill, and domain-specific needs that define successful hires — and has access to pre-vetted BA talent across Sydney.
Whether you’re hiring permanent staff or short-term contractors, partnering with a specialist can save time, improve quality, and reduce the risk of costly mis-hires.
Let’s Help You Hire Better
If you're planning to hire a Business Analyst or reviewing your current team structure, we’re here to help.
📩 Contact Ella at: ella@sustainrecruit.com
