McKinsey DACH Interview only in German?

Question

I am currently planning to apply to McKinsey in Vienna, Austria.

On their homepage for the DACH-Region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), they explicitly claim that interviews are held in German.

Is it correct, that none of the interviews are held in English, only German?

For reference: https://karriere.mckinsey.de/karriere/einstieg/dein-interview-und-auswahlprozess

Relevant text part: "In den Interviews kannst du herausfinden, ob McKinsey die richtige Wahl für dich ist, und wir, ob du zu uns passt. Die Einzelgespräche, die auf Deutsch stattfinden, helfen uns dabei, dich besser kennenzulernen"

Thank you for your help,
Vito

Answer 1

Hi Vito,

If this is what they write, then I would assume this is what they're planning on doing.

In previous cases, my candidates in the DACH region have either had both case and fit in German OR the case was in English and the fit in German.

This tends to differ between roles, offices and cycles.

So follow whatever is the most recent official communication.

If you have any questions or need any help, don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 2

Hey Vito!

Yes, DACH interviews are in German. Sometimes we swith to English to test your skills, but this also feels unnnatural to us interviewers, therefore, German is the main language!

Alessa

Answer 3

The website says German, and for Vienna that is almost certainly the default. Client work in the region is in German, so it is a real requirement, not just a formality.

Ask the recruiter directly to confirm. Some offices have flexibility depending on the candidate.

But if your German is not strong enough for a case interview, Vienna is probably not the right office to target. The bar does not lower for non-native speakers.