Analytical positions are growing in number as our economy expands, and businesses become increasingly large and varied in their function. A management analyst is a specialist position involving the gathering of business intelligence related to applicable management strategies. This management professional then takes that information, processes it into usable information related to a company’s managerial policies, and submits recommendations to the company based upon their results, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Their recommendations may involve suggestions for overall management style, the implementation of new employee wellness programs, or to the application of management practices in broadly-defined situations. They may also be concerned with specific events, which have had (or may have) a profound effect on the organization as a whole.
In addition to gathering and analyzing actionable intelligence, the management analyst will typically be in charge of designing and implementing any measures by which said information is gathered. An employee survey regarding job satisfaction, for example, is usually the work of a management analyst.
Loose Oversight and General Guidance
As with those individuals who hold many highly trained and specialized positions within a company, this management professional operates under the general guidance of their company’s executive management. A given analyst will usually be asked to gather information relating to a specific application of their company’s management strategy, with only highly qualified and experienced individuals being asked to take a more broadly defined approach. Once the management analyst has gathered the information they need to reach a conclusion about how best to handle their assigned area of the company’s functionality, they must reduce their information to that which is directly pertinent and causal, and write up a report which is readily comprehensible to their employers.
Educational Qualifications
To operate as an independent professional, whether working directly for a company or as an independent consultant, a management analyst will typically require a master’s degree in a related field. Management analysis is the ideal degree program, but other qualifying programs may include statistical analysis, advanced statistics, communications or business management. A less optimal program, or a bachelor’s degree, is enough to secure employment in the field with more initial oversight — possibly working in a support capacity. Three to four years’ worth of experience in this capacity is usually a viable replacement qualification for a graduate program in a directly related field.
Employee Wellness and Similar Employee Programs
The management analyst does not design employee wellness programs or other happiness initiatives themselves, at least not directly. However, such programs are hugely influential in how employees see their company’s management, and one of their primary benefits is an increase in overall productivity. The analyst might examine how such programs have worked within their company’s industry in the past, or they might closely examine their company’s history with employee wellness programs. They would then submit recommendations to their company as to what programs to implement, how to roll them out, and how to present them to their employees.
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An management analyst may be salaried, or earn an hourly rate; on average, this expert professional can expect more than $80,000 per year in compensation for their services, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Management analysts who work for consultant firms, or as private consultants, frequently earn into the six figure range; in such instances, they may find themselves taking on the responsibilities of an entire department.
