IHS Interview Questions & Reviews in Denver, CO Area

Interviewed Aug 2010 in Englewood, CO (took 2 days)

Applied online for a senior project manager position. HR called me months (like over 6 months) later for an interview.

Initial phone screen: Totally just an HR person checking experience against the job description provided her. I had EVERY SINGLE requirement on the list, which amazed her so she got me in for a set of 3 interviews the next day.

Face to Face interviews: I interviewed with the manager I would report to, his boss and the boss's boss. Started at the highest level and went down. 3 Hour block. Here is the problem. The high up guy was charismatic and nice, but knew little about the day to day job (plus he was new to his own position). The boss's boss was in a hurry to go somewhere else, totally unprepared and asked long questions even he didn't understand (seriously if you asked what he meant, he said oh I don't know I am not prepared). OK?!

The last interview should have been the first, it was with the hiring manager. He did just as the HR person did and went line by line through the job description. He actually crossed off 15 of the 30 bullets of "requirements" and said he didn't "give a crap" about them. He had no idea what a PMP was (seriously, I had to explain it). Zippo about six sigma (mind you this was a huge part of the job description I was given) and wanted all kinds of experience with SAP which was no where on the requirements. I asked him about how they usually manage a project and what software they use and he had no idea. He stated he wasn't a project manager so he didn't really know.

Bottom line: It was a total waste of time. They had no idea what they wanted or needed and wasted an afternoon of my life. While they all seemed nice enough, it seems like a pretty basic thing to have interview questions ready and actually know what requirements you need for the project you are staffing. Made me wonder what working there would be like. Plus there were A LOT of questions about how I could get people to work if they didn't want to and how I dealt with hostility - yikes!

I gave HR feedback that their req for the job was completely off and they might want to get with the hiring manager to get his needs so they get the right person. They got REALLY snippy with me that I didn't know what I was talking about. They are officially off my list.

P.S. I interviewed at a building next to their main office. It was really dingy and old, but they have a huge office next door that might be nicer. This one was gray, dark and dirty.