Benaroya Research Institute At Virginia Mason Interview Questions
& Process

After submitting my application, I got an email from the PI a couple of weeks later to set up a phone interview. It was pretty short, about 15-20 minutes, and the questions weren't too difficult. We mainly talked about my resume, the job, and what the department does. I also got to ask some questions. Then, about a week later, I interviewed with the group. They asked a bit more challenging questions, like asking for concrete examples of my attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and teamwork. That second interview lasted about 30 minutes.

This whole thing took about 6 weeks, maybe 7 if you count that Thanksgiving week break in there. There were 4 interview sessions in total, adding up to 5 hours. Each session was about 30 minutes long, with either one or two people from the team. Most of the interviews were pretty much the same: I'd talk about myself, why I wanted the job, they'd ask maybe 2 or 3 specific technical questions, and then I'd ask them what I wanted to know. It felt like a really long and inefficient process, with repeated interview formats, scheduling delays, and even asking for references midway through scheduling more interviews, which seemed like a waste of time for everyone involved.

The interview process was very disappointing. It started with a basic initial phone screen with someone in the department who emphasized how open the work environment was and how great communication is. After weeks of no follow-up, I reached out about next steps and was immediately sent background check forms by HR. I completed the extensive paperwork, which included 7 years of employment and residency history. Then, the background check company (Sterling) repeatedly contacted me for more information, including tax documentation and proof of self-employment, because they couldn't reach previous employers. I promptly provided all requested documentation in the specified formats. A few days later, I received the findings, which had several errors. They incorrectly matched my SSN to my nickname instead of my full legal name, even though I provided both. They also rejected a tax document that was explicitly listed as acceptable. Sterling claimed they had to check my SSN against what BRI submitted, meaning if BRI only provided my nickname, they would use that for the SSN check, despite me giving my full legal name. I forwarded these issues to HR, and the next day they apologized for the errors and stated I was being kept in their talent pool. When I asked for clarification regarding the errors and my application, they revealed I was never supposed to be background checked, as I had a similar name to another candidate and was not being considered for the position. I spent a lot of time on job hunting tasks for a role I was never going to be offered, which felt disrespectful and dehumanizing.

The initial phone screen was pretty standard. I went to one in-person interview and met the department manager and some future colleagues in two group sessions. The whole thing felt well-organized and flowed nicely, though the first group meeting with a lot of people felt a bit intense and put me on the spot. The next group meeting was with 3 really nice people. Some questions were tough, but I figure that's a good sign. I think they got to know me and they shared useful info about their department and the research program.