Harte Hanks Business Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

It was four rounds with an Excel test. The first was with the recruiter, the second with the hiring manager. The third round was a panel with 2-3 peers, and they reviewed the assessment I did. The final round was with the VP of Sales.

It was a series of 3 interview rounds all in one day. Each round was about 30-40 mins, and I spoke with 2 staff members each time. They seemed unsure if they were looking for a Business Analyst or a Programmer. Maybe they want one person for both!

The interview process started with a phone call from a recruiter based in the Philippines, whose accent made communication challenging. When I inquired about the salary, I was informed that such details are not shared until later stages. This was followed by a phone interview with the hiring manager, who also had a noticeable accent, but the conversation was clearer. I felt the role was a good match for my over 3 years of analysis experience. The third stage was an on-site interview in Austin, requiring a drive from Houston. Upon arrival, the office environment was concerning, with many individuals dressed casually for what seemed to be CSR interviews and a general lack of organization and poor lighting upstairs. My interview included a brief 15-minute verbal chat, followed by an hour to work on a case study and present my analysis, and then a 20-30 minute review of my findings. I encountered technical difficulties with Excel, which was not set up correctly, and this issue persisted for 30 minutes of my allocated time. Despite these setbacks, I proceeded with manual analysis. The presentation of my analysis to the senior business analyst, hiring manager, and his manager was not ideal. They seemed to expect a simple chart-based analysis and were critical of my approach, which I found condescending, especially given my past experiences with difficult managers. This interaction confirmed my feeling that the company was not a good fit for me. I never received a follow-up response or any acknowledgment of my travel and time invested. A subsequent check on Glassdoor revealed the salary was not competitive.