During the last few new employee orientation sessions at Hogan, I have been asked “what is the most exciting project you have ever worked on in 23 years at Hogan?” Given today’s date, I thought I would share my response.
The most rewarding project I have been a part of was helping America recover from the attacks occurring on 9/11/01. This project was bittersweet, on one hand we were reminded every day about how a group of cowards shattered lives, drove fear into our country, and changed the face of travel forever. On the other hand, the challenge we faced brought out the best in people, it changed perspectives, started conversations, and led individuals to set aside their personal aspirations to help society as a whole.
We rarely talk publicly about Hogan’s involvement post 9/11, primarily because we did it to serve, not to brag. That said, here is a little Hogan history that I hope never gets lost.
Once the shock of the attack had settled, Congress quickly passed the Aviation Transportation Security Act (ATSA), creating DHS and the TSA. Based on Hogan’s reputation, we were quickly asked to help select a workforce of over 100,000 people. Our challenge was to provide a valid, predictive assessment program.
For over three years, members of the Hogan team worked day and night in DC, airports, and conference rooms around the country. We created the Aviation Security Screener Employment Test (ASSET). We validated the ASSET, deployed it on a third-party system, and then trained others in the use of the data. In the end, we screened several million applicants. TSA agents became the public face of safety and security. Countless studies were carried out and we proved we could predict key criteria.
One year into the project we were challenged to work on another start-up, the FFDO program. This program is the only one in the world that screens, selects, and trains commercial pilots to carry a weapon in the cockpit — as the last line of defense. Once again, our reputation for assessment excellence and experience in military and law enforcement put us front and center. I will never forget being onsite for the first training program and watching pilots cross the stage as deputized federal agents.
The rest is history and like any government project, eventually our involvement came to an end.
At Hogan, we make it a priority to remind our employees that what they do every day, regardless of their role, makes a difference. It makes a difference not only to the client organizations, but also to their employees, customers, and communities.
Hogan has a strong tradition that all of our employees continue to support – and for that dedication I say thank you to them. They should be proud of who we are and what we do. I know I am.
