The interview process began with a recruiter submitting my resume to the hiring manager. The position was a 3-6 month contract position. Having worked at another BD location, I was granted a phone interview which occurred two days later. The phone interview was not memorable. I was then granted an in-person interview which occurred the following week. When I arrived, there was no one there to greet me or to provide instructions. The main entrance was open and there was a phone and sign-in sheet for employees and contractors. I figured out how to call the first contact on the interview schedule and was joined shortly afterward. The office and lab space was small.
The room scheduled for the interview was occupied as well as some of the interviewers so we made small talk to pass the time. I was told that I was fortunate because BD interviews typically involve problem solving and can last all day. The interview lasted two hours followed by a tour of the lab. There were two interrogation sessions which focused on technical skills and the typical 'are you a psycho' questions. The first session was attended by four interviewers and the second session by three. I had done some research on the position ahead of time and printed out some information and schematics of a similar equipment platform they were trying to develop. Try as I might, it was difficult to get a clear understanding of their needs as it pertained to the position, their process and their time-frame for getting it done.
The second group asked almost identical questions as the first. I was a bit dumfounded when I was asked four different times and in four different ways "if I saw the job as a stepping stone to something else" since the position was temporary 3-6 months and for any career minded individual, all jobs are stepping stones to something else. I was also asked several times and in several different ways what I wanted to do professionally. I answered with the utmost sincerity and was greeted with incredulous looks and smiles on the verge of laughter. It was difficult to read the individuals with whom I interviewed, but I got the impression that they were a fairly tight and exclusive group. I also got the impression that they were somewhat lacking in soft skills and cultural competency.
Having worked at BD before, I understand that they have a policy where any new job must be posted for external applicants to apply even if their is an internally preferred candidate. Ultimately they hired an internal candidate. The whole processes seemed a bit daunting for a 3-6 month contract position. I suspect they had an internal candidate already picked out for the position and were satisfying an HR policy. Overall the process was a great learning experience.