Sacramento Municipal Utility District Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process consisted of two rounds conducted via Zoom. Initially, I spoke with the hiring manager, followed by a discussion with the team I am interested in joining. The entire process was straightforward and concluded within these two rounds before a decision was reached.

The interview process mainly consists of behavioral questions. You can make up answers as long as they're convincing to the interview panel. They don't check if the situation you describe actually happened. In my experience, the interview process had little to do with verifiable experience, past performance, or even education. This position, and others at SMUD, are often given to people without higher education. I later learned that SMUD gives easily obtainable credentials the same weight as a bachelor's degree. This is one of many examples of how internal managers can give jobs to their friends or family, which would be almost impossible in most modern companies. The main point is that SMUD is currently seeking managers who will unquestioningly follow all directives from senior management. They aren't interested in alternative ideas or processes unless they can claim credit for them. They are currently hiring basic managers, not leaders.

I was first contacted via email by HR for some extra questions that were due in a week. I sent back detailed answers and work samples showing strategic and tactical planning documentation, going into detail about my approach. After a month, an HR rep called and said I was selected for a qualifications interview. When I arrived early, the security guard was on a personal call and didn't help me for about 5 minutes. By the time he called the interviewers, it was past my interview time. The interview was a panel with the hiring director and two managers. We were crammed into the director's office around a small table, which made me feel like they were just going through the motions. I suspected an internal candidate. The interview was supposed to be about qualifications, but they only asked behavioral questions about handling poor performers, which felt like about 10% of the job. The supplemental questions I previously answered were job-related, but these interview questions felt like they wanted to stump me. Every question was a "explain a time when..." about a specific situation with subordinates. This made me realize they were only looking for a "manager" focused on handling poor performance, not a leader. The interview lasted about an hour, and then I was escorted out. It was a terrible experience, and I almost withdrew. I'm now employed in a great position and was just exploring options because my current employer might be downsizing.

The hiring process was quite involved, and your application stays on file for two years. After waiting more than a year, I was chosen for a multiple-choice test that involved filling in bubbles on an answer sheet, with a strong focus on math problems. Make sure to bring a calculator and don't leave any answers blank. If you pass this test, you'll get an email for another examination. This next part involves reading information from a document while on a live customer call. The final stage is a behavioral interview where they ask for examples of how you handled working with a difficult person.