written by
5000fish Team

Top 9 Interview Questions for a BI Report Writer

BI Problems and Solutions 5 min read
DashboardFox - Self-Service BI

Are you getting ready to hire a business intelligence report writer for your team? Do you need a qualified, experienced candidate who can handle the demands of the job with ease?

To find the best person for the job, you need to make sure you’re asking the right questions during the interview process. Not sure what to ask or how to narrow down your search? Start with the nine crucial interview questions detailed down below.

Key Characteristics of a BI Report Writer

When looking to hire a business intelligence report writer for your business, you’re going to come across all kinds of people.

As any hiring manager will tell you, certain people tend to fit into the role better than others. The following are some key characteristics and personality traits you ought to consider when talking to different candidates:

  • Well-organized and detail-oriented
  • Great at communicating (both written and oral communication)
  • Able to manage multiple projects at once

The right BI report writer for your team will also have the experience and education necessary to carry out the job. In many cases, this means a bachelor’s degree in a field like finance, accounting, or information systems, as well as experience using BI software.

What to Ask Your Potential BI Report Writer

By asking the right questions during the interview, you can ascertain whether or not each candidate you meet meets the qualifications listed above. The following nine questions are all great ones to ask to narrow down your options and ensure you’re hiring the best BI report writer for your business:

1. What Interests You About BI Report Writing?

The answer to this question can tell you a lot about a candidate’s motivations for pursuing a job as a BI report writer. It helps you learn more about their interests, how long they’ve been interested in business intelligence, and what kinds of experiences they’ve had that may make them a valuable asset to your company.

2. Why Do You Want to Work for Us as a BI Report Writer?

This question helps you get more specific and find out not just why they want to work as a business intelligence report writer but why they want to work for you as a business intelligence report writer. It gives you a chance to find out what they know about your business and how they think they can help it long-term.

3. What Kind of BI Tools Do You Have Experience Using?

You need to make sure that whoever you bring on as part of your team has experience using the types of BI tools that your other staff members use (unless you want to dedicate valuable time to train them).

Asking this question also helps you gauge how long it’ll take for them to get up to speed with the rest of your staff and determine whether they have certain skills that your other team members are lacking.

4. What are Your Long-Term BI Report Writing Goals?

The answer to this question can tell you a lot about the candidate’s dedication to your company. How long do they intend to work as a BI report writer? What do they hope to gain from their position? Do they have lofty, long-term goals, or do they seem content to stay comfortable in their current position?

5. What Aspects of Your Report Writing Do You Want to Improve?

A good BI report writer will be able to acknowledge that they do not do everything perfectly.

This is a bit of a trick question, as some report writers may claim that there’s nothing they want to change. Their answer helps you to learn about their potential weaknesses, though, as well as their humility and ability to admit that they have areas in which they want to improve.

6. How Would You Describe Your Communication Abilities?

Good oral and written communication are both essential for BI report writers. They need to be able to get their points across clearly and concisely so that everybody understands how the company is doing, what has happened, and what the future is likely to hold as a result.

7. Can You Tell Us About a Time When You Had to Work with a Team to Accomplish a Reporting-Related Task?

Business intelligence report writers must be able to work well alone and as part of a group. Learning how they’ve handled group tasks in the past can tell you how well they’ll do being part of your team in the future. If you run a very collaborative work environment, this question is especially important.

8. Can You Tell Us About a Time When You Had to Handle a Stressful Reporting-Related Situation?

As a BI report writer, there will be times when the candidate is faced with stressful situations. It could a looming deadline, inaccurate information that needs to be corrected, or any other number of potential issues. Finding out how the candidate has handled situations similar to these can tell you a lot about what they’ll do when they’re presented with them again.

9. What Questions Do You Have for Us?

Finally, don’t forget to ask them if they have any questions for you. Asking the candidate whether or not they have questions is a great way to gauge their interest in the position and delve deeper into their motivations. It also provides you with one last chance to learn a little more about them.

Hire the Best BI Report Writer Today

The process of hiring a great business intelligence report writer for your company might seem daunting at first. If you ask the right interview questions and know what to look for, though, it’ll be much easier for you to find someone who’s qualified and will make a great addition to your team.

Don’t forget, the right BI software can also make a big difference in how well your BI report writer can do their job. Check out DashboardFox, our self-serve business intelligence tool, today to learn more about how it can help with your business and make life easier for you and your new report writer.

Interview Questions Ad-hoc Reporting