Good questions for a data analyst interview?

[Wickerman]

The group I work for is going to hire a data analyst. I won't be working with this person, but I suspect that if the person were to fail I would get to go in and clean up after them. I don't want to see them fail. So, this section needs to hire someone who can hit the ground running, contribute on the first day, and generally be every cliche imaginable. I've been asked to contribute a few questions (probably won't be in the interviews) and want to give them some good stuff to work with.

So far I am coming up with basic stuff: Detail your experience with Excel, Access, Crystal Reports, SPSS or SAS, writing JCL, working with AS400 queries or the like. What I'd like are some good questions that will tell me if this person knows their stuff. For various reasons we can't do a performance test.

Any thoughts on good questions?

Any good analysts want to live in Minnesota? PM me off list.

[Gore1FL]

1. Instead of detail your experience with...

Use give an example of problem you had with __________ and how you overcame it.

No one in the IT field with any experience hasn't had a problem and had to deal with it if they have any experience at all.

I quiver when I read "AS400" and "JCL," myself!

Another (or additional) approach is to present them with a problem, and ask how they'd go about dealing with it. That will let you see their thought process.

[Gore1FL]

2. Just to clarify...

What is the job description? I could probably provide something better that the above based on that.