Data Availability

• There is sufficient availability of data on the interview process in management consulting companies and the resultant hires.

The Recruitment Process for Management Consulting Companies (The Interview Stage)

• The second stage in the application process for McKinsey, Bain, and BCG is the interviews which are usually divided into the first and final rounds.
• Each round includes 2-3 one-on-one interviews.
• The first round typically involves interviews with the current consultants and in the final round, the interviews are with the partners. Each interview is split into the fit (personal experience) and case interview.

The Case Interview

• The case interview tests whether the candidate has the intellectual power to solve the client problems that will be faced on the job. To receive an offer, the candidate has to solve any case question.

The Fit Interview

• The fit interview varies depending on the interviewer and firm. However, it assesses the motivation that the candidate has to work in the firm and their achievements. Only about 10% of candidates that are interviewed are given job offers at the end of the process.

Summary of Initial Research

• Compiling information on the average number of interviews that are conducted per hired candidate in management consulting companies is possible due to the availability of information. The same applies to comparing different regions/countries. The information is available for several companies that have been identified as major management consulting companies. These are McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Bain & Company, L.E.K. Consulting, and Roland Berger.
• In the early findings, we have provided a general overview of the interview stage in management consulting companies with no focus on a specific firm. Since there are variations between the various companies, further research needs to be conducted to compare their interview practices in depth and identify the differences between regions/countries.
• Please select one or more of the proposed options in the scoping section below.