Hello!
In many case-interview resources authors highlight the importance of opening the case: recap, questions, asking for time and etc. Some authors even write that this is 50-70% of success. Is it really important as indicated or it just came from Victor Cheng and many other authors copy his recommendations?
Thanks for answers!
Hey there,
Yes, it is important to play back the case prompt and ask questions to understand the situation better/ clarify the goal, however, this is far from 50-70% of the case.
It's a hygiene factor you need to do without thinking too much about it.
The hard part and the one that will actually be evaluated comes afterwards as you move through the case and the typical question types
Don't rely too much on Victor Cheng. He worked at McKinsey more than 20 years ago and a few things have changed since then…
Cheers,
Florian
Hi Shakhzoda,
I'm a bit confused by your question, but I think that it's because I do indeed disagree with the premise!
Recaping and asking questions is like 5% of the case. No 1 thing is 50-70% of your success!
Rather, you need to be objective-driven, structured, communicate clearly, have good math skills, be able to solve problems, be able to interpret charts/graphs, have business/industry knowledge, answer the case correctly, etc. etc.
Please don't oversimplify what is an extremely complex interview process! That said, if I had to “simplify” it, success truly does depend on being objective-driven and having a strong structure to solve the problem.
My sentence for an “ideal candidate” is as follows:
"Someone who can approach a complicated problem and think + communicate in a structured way in the right context+objective of the case, while being personable, adaptable, and coachable, so that, ultimately, the interviewer can see themselves working with this individual and putting them in front of a client."
In a subjective process like case interviews - putting a numerical weight on importance of something is not the right way to look at things.
The items you mention are more of courtesy elements rather than something that will help in solving the case interview properly.
If you can structure the case properly, communicate your thoughts clearly, drive the analysis to provide meaningful & valuable insights, and arrive at sound business recommendations to address the client's objective - thats what you are being tested for.
I've never heard of this before. I would see it as purely for the benefit of the candidate to understand and address the case well as opposed to any specific aspect that the interviewer would explicitly assess.
For McKinsey, it is specifically the three sections of the case: structuring, conceptual thinking and quantitative thinking.
Hello,
I wouldn't say that it determines 50-70% of your success in the case (you can't show much of the skills interviewers look for, like synthesis, creativity, or quantitative aptitude, just in the opening after all), it's just something that you need to do cleanly and well to start the interview off on a good note. There are definitely steps you can take to do a good job of it - summarizing the key points of the case (but not repeating it word-for-word), asking clarifying questions only if you need, and then asking for time to set up the framework. Once you practice enough cases, it should feel like second nature to you. Feel free to message me if you would like to practice some case openings specifically.
