George Napoles, CIO at Jackson National Life Insurance Company, sets high standards for those who work in his department. All potential IT employees first must take a programmer's aptitude test that evaluates their ability to apply logic and reasoning to solve problems. Those who pass the test–and only about 20 percent of applicants do, according to Napoles–then go through an intensive interview process that includes both team and one-on-one meetings.
"We're really looking for people who do well on our test and have a history of accomplishment, whether that be in school or a previous job," Napoles says. "Very few people make it through our recruiting process. But those who do appreciate the rigorous process and have confidence knowing their peers went through the same thing. Good people like to work with good people."
Approximately 40 percent of Jackson's development staff started in an entry-level position with no previous technology experience. These new hires attend a six-month training program to learn about technology, the insurance business, and Jackson's products. For this program, Napoles prefers to hire people with strong business, rather than IT, backgrounds. Napoles himself entered the industry after earning a bachelor's degree in actuarial science from Georgia State University.
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