Hosted by Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper

Hey JDE Connection listeners — it’s Chandra and Paul, and in this episode, we tackle a question that came up (a while ago… okay, maybe a year ago) at BLUEPRINT 4D: How do you interview for a Business Analyst (BA) role effectively?

We finally got around to it — and we’re glad we did. We pulled together a panel of thoughtful, hilarious, and wildly experienced JD Edwards leaders to talk about their hiring strategies and the kinds of questions they ask when interviewing BAs. Shoutout to Peggy Christensen (Hamilton Telecommunications), Darren Young (Paul Mueller Company), and Rachelle Fettig (Cardinal Glass) for joining us and sharing their wisdom.

Why Interviewing BAs Is Different

Hiring a BA isn’t just about technical knowledge. It’s about curiosity, resourcefulness, communication, and cultural fit — all wrapped into one. You need someone who can:

• Troubleshoot problems without much to go on
• Communicate with users under pressure
• Ask the right questions (even when they don’t know the answer)
• Navigate complex systems with confidence and humility

That’s a tall order. But our panel had some sharp strategies for figuring out who’s a fit — and who’s faking it.

What Do You Ask in a BA Interview?

Here are some of the standout approaches we discussed:

One of Darren’s Go-To Question:
“Tell me about a time you were given a problem with minimal context. How did you approach solving it?”
He looks for candidates who show structured thinking, resourcefulness, and a willingness to dig in. Someone who immediately asks clarifying questions stands out — especially if they know how to verify whether there’s actually a problem before jumping into a fix.

Peggy’s Curveball:
“Tell me about a time you were asked to do something you didn’t know how to do.”
She uses this to see how someone handles uncertainty. Do they panic, or do they research, learn, and solve it? If you can’t talk through how you figured something out — whether it was software-related or fixing your bathroom tile — that’s a red flag.

Rachelle’s Approach:
Her team uses a panel-style conversation based on the candidate’s resume. They focus on how well a person can explain their past work — and look for a mix of process clarity, self-awareness, and personality. What technologies did they use? What teams did they work with? What lit them up? (Or didn’t.)

Themes That Came Up Again and Again

• Comfort with ambiguity. BAs are often handed half-baked problems. Can they pause, assess, and ask the right questions?
• The ability to say “I don’t know.” Everyone agreed — if you act like you have all the answers, that’s a red flag. BAs need to admit when they’re unsure and be confident they’ll find the answer.
• Curiosity and resourcefulness. Whether it’s documentation, SIGs, Slack channels, or ChatGPT — great BAs know how to hunt down solutions.
• Empathy and communication. You’re often talking to users who are frustrated, confused, or blocked. How you show up in those moments matters.

Bonus Topic: AI Readiness

We couldn’t resist asking: are teams looking for AI-savvy BAs yet?

Not quite — at least not formally. But several panelists noted that they’re using AI tools like ChatGPT to research JDE questions, troubleshoot, or brainstorm solutions. Paul made the point: AI might not replace you, but someone who knows how to use it efficiently might. Bottom line: dabbling in AI is a good signal of curiosity, and curiosity is core to the BA role.

Midwesternism of the Day

This week’s colloquialism describes how Paul feels when he starts his runs in the morning or how Chandra feels when she has to start her day without her go-go java juice.

Whether you’re a hiring manager, an aspiring BA, or just someone who appreciates a good interview strategy, we hope this episode gave you something to think about.

Got a favorite question you use when interviewing? Or a Midwesternism we haven’t heard yet? Let us know at [email protected].

Until next time, let’s keep learning, sharing, and laughing together.

Toodles!

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