How to classify your BO/BI Admin do-it-all resource for HR?

general discussion
1

First, I’ll just start with this… :nopity: I know it’s tough out there, and regardless of what some of us are getting paid, this is a topic that seems to be an issue wherever I go.

Issue: As a BI admin, we are between worlds. At least in respect to how HR places us in the “job buckets” that are used to pigeon hole us in base salaries, etc.

I’ve been called a system administrator, a software engineer, a BI analyst, a data warehouse analyst, … the list goes on and on, but my job has always been the same. I handle everything from setting up the servers, installs, universe design, report design, BI tech lead, BI architect, etc. The problem with most of my previous titles, is that they don’t typically come close to what we actually do, and in some cases are far beneath what some of us think we should be making. (yes I fall into that category).

My first question is what types or roles are companies using for us out there, and has anyone run across an accurate “bucket” for comparing us to?

Also, I do understand that we make more money as consultants out there on the road (understandably), but how much les should we be making at a permanent job as someone that would be a principal consultant out there on the road? 1/2? 1/3?

This is a fairly standard topic that repeats itself off and on throughout our careers, and I’m just tired of not really knowing what I should be classified as (generically) when working for a company in a permanent position.

Maybe I just need to switch over to management before having a title and salary that HR understands?

/end rant

Any input or ideas on this topic are welcome.

Thanks,
Jesse

Jesse Mauser :us: (BOB member since 2003-04-03)

2

LOL…I know exactly what you mean. HR folk are basically clueless.

I’ve been a “Systems Analyst” and a “DBA” (although what I do isn’t anywhere near what the other DBA’s around here do) and late last year the company went through and “standardized” the job categories, so now we’re “Technical Consultants”. I don’t get it either…

If you’re picking your own title, how about “Business Intellegience Specialist”, or “King of the Wild Frontier”? :slight_smile:

nitrobrother :us: (BOB member since 2004-09-08)

3

I was always kind of partial to ‘Master of the Universe’

Jesse Mauser :us: (BOB member since 2003-04-03)

4

Jesse,

I don’t know if you’re a TDWI member, but they produce an annual salary review with very thorough job descriptions for BI professionals. “BI Architect” comes the closest to what you (and I) do, and while the salaries in the report seem inflated (at least based on what I’ve seen), it’s at least a start.

jcaparula (BOB member since 2002-08-15)

5

Thanks for the tip, I’m not a current member, but I’ll see if I can check that out. I’ve been thinking that BI architect is becoming a more and more accurate representation for the work I’m finding myself doing these last few years…

appreciate it.

Jesse Mauser :us: (BOB member since 2003-04-03)

6

In my experience, it would be BI Analyst or BI Architect, depending upon the complexity and scope of what you’re doing.

It sounds like you own the end-to-end BI environment (sys admin, universe design, some reporting), but not the underlying data design. If you were desgining star schemas/cubes that were getting populated and presented to the universes, then that’s closer IMO to an Architect role. If you’re not doing data modeling and ETL coding, then I don’t think a Data Warehouse title is a good fit.

Salary questions are too hard to answer because they vary so much by geography. And by years of experience both in IT overall as well as with DW/BI.

It’s generally not valid, though, to make a comparison between consulting and salaried wages… especially not between consulting billing rates and your salary. (Someone getting billed out at $150/hr is definitely not bringing that amount home in their paycheck.)

dnewton :us: (BOB member since 2004-01-30)

7

BI discipline is really a crossover between IT and the business side which makes it difficult for HR to define. And the role of an “architect” varies from company to company, and it means different thing to different people. There is no universally accepted definition. And very often, title can be very misleading. having an “architect” title does not necessarily mean you know your stuffs.

It is really the job of your boss to define your title, your role, your scope of responsibility, and to “educate” HR on that.

With that being said, the world of BusinessObjects is small enough that everybody knows everybody. Most of the time, people know what you do without looking at your title.

Just my $0.02.

substring :us: (BOB member since 2004-01-16)

8

Here’s a link to the TDWI web site, but you’ll need to be a member to download the salary report.

http://www.tdwi.org/Research/SalarySurvey/index.aspx

This would be really useful for you and your manager to sit down with HR and review.

The other thing is: HR typically uses “comps” (comparables), from salary surveys that are somewhat generic. Companies sign up to receive salary info by role/grade (and pay for them), in return for sharing their own information. There is too much variation from job description to job description, across companies, so jobs are boiled down into generic buckets. It makes the salary comps an art, not just a science.

dnewton :us: (BOB member since 2004-01-30)

9

I agree. All good tips, Thanks guys. I’m just trying to both get all of this straightened out both for myself, as well as my team. It has more to do with making sure that we’re all compensated closer to market standards, than really coming up with a title that makes sense… priorities.

Thanks again.

Jesse

Jesse Mauser :us: (BOB member since 2003-04-03)

10

Jesse, another thing to factor into your equation…

The overall economy is still very weak and many IT folks with years of experience are still looking for jobs. If your boss lay you off today (hope it will never happen), there are dozens of people with the same or more experience lined up tomorrow fighting for your job.

Like many of my friends and colleagues have been telling me… it is good to be busy at work and it is thankful to have a job nowaday.

By the way, I generally do not trust those survey. People tend to lie or exaggerate on survey about what they “actually” do and how much they get paid… unless they provide an HR letter and the 1040 form to the people who conduct the survey. :smiley:

substring :us: (BOB member since 2004-01-16)

11

Hi

You may call yourself as BI Architect, BO Consultant, BO Developer, Datawarehousing Consultant etc…etc …until you get bored with the title…:slight_smile:

Available for work in UK

looksmee :uk: (BOB member since 2006-02-08)