Consulting Interview feedback - FIT

Question

I recently got a call back from the HR saying that they are not going to extend me an offer after my final round for a number of reasons:

1) case itself. Due to poor internet connection, the entire case was rushed by the interviewer and I didn't have time to even structure my thoughts. The end result is of course not expected. I accepted as it is and it was just day with bad luck to begin with.

2) FIT interview: overall it went well but then the interviewer said that I talked a lot about my successes but they can't see weaknesses in me and so I came across as arrogant and not as humble. Also they mentioned that I talked a lot about my capability and what I have done in a situation without too much mentioning of the team work and so it made them think I may not be a good team player.

My questions are:

1) Many say that you need to put emphasis on you and what you have done in the Fit interview story, which is exactly what I did because this is about me being an interviewee and there's no point in talking about the team and what they have done. What did I do wrong here and why they would think I am not a team player just because I talked about my action points in a story? I am very confused and do not understand.

2) Re. the arrogant point and not being as humble, I again don't understand and don't agree with their rationale. I am presenting my best self and of course am going to talk about my strengths and achievements. To what point do they think I didn't come across as being a humble person? I have always been a humble person and has never received this comment in my life.

Let me know your thought!

Answer 1

Hi there,

A few questions/points:

1 - Internet. Was the internet your fault or theirs? If it was on your end, that's not acceptable (sorry). Always prepare adequatelyand have a backup plan (personally, I test the internet connection beforehand and have a strong, reliable hotspot in case anything happens)

2 - Arrogance. It's truly hard to say what happened here, but if they're saying this is the case, then that's the case! I catch a *slight* whif of arrogance in your above response ("I've always been humble, how could they say such a thing").

Take some time to truly reflect on what they've said. The best course of action would honestly be to hire a coach and run through a mock. They'll be able to tell you where you are coming off in a way you personally don't think you do.

Here's some additional Fit/Behavioral content: https://www.preplounge.com/en/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Answer 2

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. To answer your specific questions:

1. Teamwork is a core characteristic that interviewers will be assessing in the interview. While your actions and leadership are important component of that, they will also be assessing how you interact with other people, how you respond to conflict situations within the team, how you take and react to feedback, and so on. A lot of the times the interviewer will ask for context about some situation in the team that wasn't your direct action point (e.g. “How did your colleagues react when you did that?”) to get a better picture of how you handle yourself in team environments. So while you are right that the interviewer is assessing you and not your teammates, the overall environment and nature of the team can be a core part of that picture. I would encourage you to look into the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework for fit interviews - by using it you give a more comprehensive picture in the “situation” part but still focus on your own actions in the “action” part.

2. My guess is that this would be a framing issue (or a cultural difference). You are right in that you should present your best self and talk about your strengths and achievements - but there are better and worse ways of doing this. An fit interview should provide a comprehensive picture of your personality, which can't just be strength-based - learning moments, an explanation of the odds you overcame that render the achievement particularly meaningful to you, and humility are just as important. There are certainly ways of talking about your achievements that can seem arrogant and self-aggrandizing, and I would steer clear of those.

This is some general advice, but your situation will be specific and personal. My suggestion would be to reach out to a coach (or an interview partner) and run through some behavioral interview questions to understand how this applies to you.

Answer 3

Hey there,

First about the internet connection. I would tell HR. This is unprofessional and I had a candidate experience a similar thing (case interviewer was in a taxi and sound / connection was all over the place). My coachee ended up getting another interview and interviewer once he mentioned it to HR.

Regarding the fit:

1. Depends on the company. There are some differences here in MBB so it's hard to say exactly without knowing where you interviewed. Usually, McKinsey puts the focus on you and your own actions in the PEI (https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-pei), still, you should introduce and discuss the team a bit, showing that you understand the people on the team and can manage them effectively

2. This sounds a bit like you interviewed with BCG? A classic in their interviews is that they want to hear also stories of how you failed and show some humility around that experience?

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 4

Hey,

Sorry to hear this. But its very good you got specific feedback.

Tough luck about the bad internet connection. I hope you raised it with the interviewer if the connection was bad at their end?! Hope there isn't a next time, but best is to address it then & there and politely ask to reschedule if the experience isn't great.
In FIT interview questions, yes the focus is on you, but you must show how your work/efforts impacted others around you or how are you using the lessons learnt to impact people around you (friends, colleagues, peers etc). Consulting is such a people business and hence this aspect is very important. Very likely in your answers there was over emphasis on the “I” and not a balance with “we”, “us”, “them”. This could have created an individualistic or riding solo perception. So, all you have to do is polish your story/examples a little to bring out this element
Regarding the comment on “not being humble”, there could be a perception you created during the interview. This happens am afraid & I have personally come across many candidates who came across as arrogant in the way they spoke. All part of the game and learning experience. So don't let it bog you down, soften your tone next time and come across as self aware, humble but confident.

All the best!