McKinsey PEI Questions

Question

Question on PEI question phrasing.

When interviewers test attributes like Leadership or Connection, do they typically stick to the exact wording on the website, or do they / can they layer on additional requirements?

For example:
– “Tell me about a time you worked effectively with people from different backgrounds”
vs
– “Tell me about a time you worked effectively with people from different backgrounds despite having limited authority.” or "with strong disagreements"

Asking as if so, how do we prepare for additional requirements that might discount our prepared stories?

Answer 1

Speaking from the interviewer side: we do not stick to the website wording. The website describes attributes, not scripts.

In real interviews, PEI questions are often layered or tightened to introduce complexity. This is intentional.

Examples like:

limited authority
strong disagreement
senior or difficult stakeholders
time pressure or ambiguity

are very common follow-ups, even if not stated upfront.

Why we do this:

Many candidates prepare clean, polished stories that work only in ideal conditions
Layering helps distinguish real leadership and influence from title-based or low-friction situations
It also tests adaptability, judgment, and honesty under pressure

How strong candidates prepare:

Do not prepare one story per attribute
Prepare a small set of genuinely complex stories that can be flexed
Each story should work even when:
- you had little or no formal authority
- there was disagreement or resistance
- the outcome was uncertain

If a constraint is added and your story is not a perfect match:

Do not panic or try to switch stories mid-answer
Acknowledge the constraint and frame how you influenced despite it
Interviewers care more about the quality of your actions and reasoning than perfect semantic alignment

PEI really is about showing that you have repeatedly demonstrated leadership and influence when it was hard, messy, and uncomfortable.