I've had to conduct a crap ton of interviews for IT personnel during my tenure at NIH. Typically, these can last for an hour, so if we're in a hiring phase, that's a lot of man-hours taken away from daily operations. In an effort to streamline the process, I developed a list of 20 questions of which I'd pick 10 to quiz prospective candidates.
These questions were my litmus test to gauge the core competency of interviewees. If they knew their stuff, they'd be able to clear my technical inquisition in 10 minutes or less. For a season this was not the case as candidate after candidate failed to meet this standard. As a reality check, I gathered some of our field engineers around and went through the list. My apprehension drained away as our crew confidently and with well-seasoned ease, tossed the correct responses back. OK. My line of questioning was legit, we just had to wait on the proper applicants to walk through the door.
And they eventually did. Those same 20 questions I developed were circulated to others involved in technical interview panels. As of now, everyone on staff has had to face some subset of them to join the team.
If a candidate makes it through the technical barrage, the rest of the interview is us sussing out whether they have the temperament for what can be a high-stress environment. "How would you handle a problem you've never encountered before?" The most memorable response was, "I'd Google it. Ain't no excuse for being dumb when you're walking around with a smartphone." They made the cut.
At the end of each session, we give the interviewee an opportunity to question us. I was once asked, "How long have you been at NIH?"
"Ten years this time around. Previously, I was here for five years."
"Wow. Why are you still here?"
I had to ponder that. It comes down to the mission statement. Years ago, an old boss of mine was recounting an interview he'd read on a former CEO of Coca-Cola. The Atlanta-based firm is a hallmark brand that's been woven into the fabric of American life. Yet, after years in the grind, this CEO came to a self-actualized epiphany that at its core his mission statement was, "We make carbonated sugar water."
To be clear, I am not a spokesperson for NIH. But, if I were to formulate its mission statement, it would be "Safeguard and assure the health and well-being of the citizens of the United States." Upon hearing where I worked, I actually had one individual shake my hand. Apparently, they needed a critical life-changing treatment, but their insurance company denied the claim, citing it was not considered a properly vetted, standard procedure. The individual refiled the claim and backed it up with documented NIH research studies and clinical trials showing it was, in fact, medically vetted. The insurance company relented and the treatment was approved.
I'm now one of the old-timers on this project. Periodically, new staff asks my reasons for staying, particularly when they find out my last post required a top-secret clearance. While being privy to the secrets of a nation was a privilege and honor, I missed offices with windows. And I really like the mission statement.
And I'm still waiting for someone to respond to the "How would you handle this problem?" with "Check out the hook and let my DJ revolve it."
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