Strategy& Middle East Fit Interview

Hi there, 

The fit process at Strategy& is a bit less structured than with McKinsey because there are bigger differences across regions and roles. 

I would recommend you reach out to the recruiter to ask for more details and example questions. You'd want to know, for instance, whether they ask motivational questions or situational ones or story-based ones. 

Nevertheless, all fit interviews have 80% of the content in common - you have a clear idea of who you are and what you're bringing to the table, with stories to substantiate these claims. 

I've actually put together a fit guide that you might find helpful here:

• Video Course: Master the McKinsey PEI

Best,
Cristian

hi! 

Strategy& Middle East doesn’t have a strict metric like McKinsey’s PEI, but they still care a lot about structured, impact-driven stories. focus on leadership, teamwork, and personal drive, and clearly show your role, actions, and results. they like confident but humble communication and alignment with regional culture and client-facing polish. happy to help you shape your stories if you'd like!

best, Alessa 

Hi there,

Strategy& Fit Interviews are way more free-flowing than McKinsey’s PEI — but don’t be fooled, they’re just as important. Here’s how to prep smart:

• Career summary: Have a crisp 1–2 minute overview of your path so far
• Motivations: Nail your why consulting, why Strategy&, and why this office/team
• Stories: Prepare examples around leadership, entrepreneurship, grit, and impact
• Tough questions: Expect sharp follow-ups on your weaknesses and readiness for the job

Get these four blocks right and you’ll be solid.

Happy to help you sharpen this — just drop me a note!

Best,

Alberto

Basically, all consulting firms are looking for similar things in their fit interviews.

Strategy&'s interviews are not as structured as McKinsey's.

That being said, they will still expect you to tell great stories about leadership, conflict resolution, overcoming obstacles, adapting to changes, etc.

Happy to help you practice if needed.

Hi,

I interviewed for Strategy& in London and I found the questions to be quite structured to be honest. 

Preparing for The Usuals and the Typical questions on : 1. Leadership 2. Entrepreneurial Drive 3. Personal Impact - you'll be prepared

The Usuals:

• Tell me about yourself
• Walk me through your CV
• What makes you interested in this role/this organisation?
• What would you say are your 3 standout strengths?
• What do you think is your biggest weakness?...any others?  
• What would be the biggest challenge of this role for you (and how would you tackle it)?

1. Leadership: Appropriate methods to inspire and guide individuals, teams or groups towards a specified goal (I put down all the variations of the questions):

• Describe a time when circumstances were difficult, and you had to motivate your team to achieve specific objectives
• How would you deal with a team member who was underperforming? How do you make your team members feel valued?  Can you give an example of when you have done this?
• Tell me about a time when you demonstrated exceptional leadership
• Was there any situation in which you had to lead and navigate a team through a difficult situation?
• Tell me about a time you dealt with a crisis on a team
• Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult person on a team

2. Entrepreneurial: Bring out the initiative you took, you drove something, you saw an opportunity and you turned it into something

• Tell me about a time when you achieved a difficult goal that was of high importance to you.
• Tell me about a time when you failed to achieve something and turned it around
• Tell me about a time where you achieve something outside of your remit or responsibility 
• What’s your most significant achievement to date?

3. Personal 

• Tell me about your biggest career achievement to date
• Tell me about a time you overcame a significant challenge at work
• Tell me about when you convinced a colleague to adopt a different viewpoint from one they initially held

Can you see that these types of questions cover the qualities of a person that any organization would want to have?

1. Leadership/Influencing: The apve and includes the ability to gain agreement or acceptance of plans, ideas or activities from others e.g. team, leadership, individuals, employees etc. .
2. Adaptability: Adjusting effectively to new environments, responsibilities, or people while maintaining performance; overcoming roadblocks by developing alternative plans.
3. Goal Orientation: Setting high personal and professional goals, demonstrating a drive for excellence.
4. Decision-Making: Willingness to make decisions or recommendations, and to show commitment, even when information is incomplete or of uncertain validity. Believing in and backing your own vision.
5. Information Gathering and Analysis: Taking stock of facts, gathering relevant information from various sources, and understanding the relationships and dynamics among different pieces of information.
6. Initiative/Entrepreneurial Mindset: Making active attempts to influence events to achieve goals. Being self-starting and proactive rather than passively accepting circumstances. Taking action before it is absolutely necessary.
7. Negotiation: Closely linked with leadership - effectively exploring alternatives to achieve outcomes that gain the support and acceptance of all parties involved. Ability to clearly communicate your vision in a convincing way.
8. Problem-Solving: Demonstrating readiness to make decisions after analyzing a situation, and applying sound judgment to identify the best solution to a problem.

Source: Experience mixed with working with the careers team at Oxford