Roland Berger Germany Final Round but not with partner

Question

Hi,

I am recruiting for senior consultant position (about to graduate from MBA) and we were told by RB on-campus that there will be 2 rounds. I have been fortunate to proceed to Round 2 but my interview has been scheduled with a senior manager instead of a partner while everyone else who proceeded to Round 2 has their interviews with partners. I am confused as to what this might mean and I am still waiting for RB HR to respond to my query.

Is it always mandatory for partners to interview a candidate before he/she is made an offer ? From what I gathered about RB, partners who interview you for final round then become your mentors and is one of the reasons that final round is with partners.

Happy to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi there,

Congrats on progressing to the final round!

First of all, don't read too much into it. It literally means that there were no other Partners available for the interview and as a consequence they assigned a senior manager. It will not reflect in any way on your performance or your assessment in the interview process.

Secondly, while the interview is an opportunity to meet some Partners, that doesn't mean they will become your mentors later on. You will have daily opportunities to meet Partners so don't be concerned that you won't get to do it during the interview.

Hope the interview goes well for you!

Best of luck!
Cristian

Answer 2

Hi there,

Do not worry at all. They would not invite you for a second round if they did not want to hire you (adopt that mindset).

It is likely related to scheduling conflicts.

All the best!

Florian

Answer 3

It often has to do with availability really. Who is at which office when etc. The final round could consist of anywhere between 1-3 interviews and sometimes that changes on short notice. Based on the fact that you are scheduled for the final round, your chances are equal to everyone else’s - nobody is there to waste time.

Regarding mentorship, it is generally true that RB tries to already match you up with a competence center / cluster so that your final round is likely to be with people from that space. However, it is not set in stone when you get the offer and there is flexibility for you to choose. The person interviewing you would not automatically become your mentor. That also depends on mentorship capacity of the individual management team member.

Best of luck

Answer 4

Hi there,

Don't worry, this doesn't mean anything! It's just who they had available at the time. This senior manager interviewing you is not going to negatively affect your outcome.

Here's some reading to get you prepped: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Answer 5

It means nothing regarding your likelihood of getting the offer. If they did not believe in your capabilities, they would have just rejected you after round 1
This is generally not true at RB. You can choose your mentor during the first 6 months. If you do not have a preference, RB will allocate one to you.

Best regards,
Jorn

Answer 6

Hi there,

Q: My interview has been scheduled with a senior manager instead of a partner while everyone else who proceeded to Round 2 has their interviews with partners. I am confused as to what this might mean and I am still waiting for RB HR to respond to my query.

I would not read into this. I would expect the senior manager to be close to principal level and principals often also do final-round interviews. Most likely the allocation is just due to recruiting needs.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 7

It may happen because of people's availability or because the SM you are going to enter has just been promoted and you don't know yet.

It may also be that you will have another “informal” round with a partner after this interview.

Answer 8

Hi there,

I wouldn't worry at all as it's probably a logistical matter rather than a lack of performance!

Mario