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The demand for skilled Business Analysts in Ireland continues to rise as businesses prioritize process improvement, efficiency, and strategic initiatives. Business Analysts play a crucial role in bridging the gap between technical solutions and business objectives, enabling organisations to navigate an evolving landscape and leverage emerging technologies for competitive advantage.
#1 Business Analysts – Defining Your Vertical
For Business Analyst professionals, verticals can be defined based on specialisation, industry focus, and the types of projects they work on. Defining these verticals allows Business Analysts to align their job search with roles that match their expertise and career aspirations. It also provides a clear framework for career development, particularly for those interested in diversifying across verticals. At Barden, we define the following key verticals:
#2 Key Responsibilities & Tools
Business Analysts handle a broad range of activities across various stages. Below is an overview of their key responsibilities and the common tools used at each stage:
#3 Base Salary Expectations
For transparency, below is a broad guideline of salaries based on recent engagements with our clients across various verticals and industries:
Salaries outside Dublin are generally 10–15% lower, reflecting regional cost-of-living differences. Despite rising compensation expectations, regional variance persists. For personalised insights, feel free to contact jane.olden@barden.ie
#4 Key Considerations Impacting the Business Analyst Role
Several factors are shaping the evolving landscape for Business Analysts, which will affect the attraction and retention of talent including:
- Rising Compensation Expectations: To attract top talent, businesses must offer competitive salaries, clear progression paths, and strong benefits.
- Skills Gaps: Many newer professionals may lack certain skills, such as process modelling or system integration. Employers should focus on transferable skills and offer training to bridge these gaps.
- High Demand and Supply Constraints: Demand for skilled Business Analysts, especially in digital transformation and process optimisation, is outpacing supply. Analysts with 3-5 years of experience are exploring international opportunities, while in Ireland, the limited talent pool is driving competition, longer recruitment timelines, and salary inflation, particularly outside Dublin.
#5 Current Snapshot of the Business Analyst Talent Pool
Here are some data points about the Business Analyst talent pool in Ireland this quarter:
While turnover is not exceptionally high, the active interest in new opportunities demonstrates the importance of career progression, competitive compensation, and flexibility to attract and retain talent.
#6 Key considerations for the next 12 months
- Certification Opportunities: Encourage certifications such as CBAP, CSM/PSM, PRINCE2, or Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt).
- Skill Development: Provide opportunities to learn new tech stacks or specialise in areas like ERP systems, finance, or AI projects.
- Clear Progression Plans: Outline long-term career growth opportunities to retain top performers.
- Hybrid Work Models: Offer flexible arrangements where feasible to appeal to a wider pool of candidates.
In Barden, we understand that each team, role, and requirement is unique. If you would like to discuss what tactics and approaches that would suit you, please feel free to contact Jane Olden our Business Analyst Talent Advisory & Recruitment expert here in Barden (jane.olden@barden.ie); we’re where leaders go before they start looking for Business Analyst talent.
This information is accurate as per January 2025 and will be updated periodically. Data sources include Barden Proprietary Data, LinkedIn Analytics and other 3rd party data sources. If you have a request and would like real-time information to inform your hiring decisions contact Jane Olden at jane.olden@barden.ie or Catherine Drysdale at catherine.drysdale@barden.ie