Example of an excellent answer (score: 2)
The candidate should:
- Recap the objective
- Provide an answer-first approach to the question asked
- Mention risks and the next steps to take
RECAP OF THE OBJECTIVE
“Our client asked us to identify the price that would maximize profits for their new product, a corn crop fertilizer.”
ANSWER-FIRST APPROACH TO THE QUESTION
“Based on our analyses, we recommend selling the fertilizer at a price of $150/acre, a choice which would:
- Yield $180m in yearly profits
- Capture a large portion of the market, estimated at 60% of it in terms of acres"
RISKS AND NEXT STEPS
“The identified risks behind this analysis include the overestimation of the reachable customer base, not all farmers may be aware of the top qualities of our product. Also, if the fertilizer is not approved, its characteristics may change, hence our results.
As for the next steps, we would like to analyze additional elements to ensure higher profits, such as:
- Setup a marketing campaign to raise awareness of farmers on our product’s qualities
- Evaluate the possibilities of expanding beyond the Illinois market
- Evaluate further profits opportunities for this product with other types of crops”
This case is a variation of a real Kearney interview in the US.
The case aims to test the ability of the candidate to:
This case better fits an interviewee-led approach. As the interviewer, if the candidate wants to explore areas different from the one presented, simply answer that there is no information available and leave to the candidate to proceed with the case. If needed, an interviewer-led approach can also be used.
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To keep a structured approach in assessing the performance of the candidate, it is recommended that the interviewer uses a scoring system to evaluate the 6 parts of the case presented below. This will help the interviewee to understand his/her level of readiness for the actual interview.
A possible grading system for each part is the following:
A possible evaluation grid is the following:
You can adapt the grading system and the evaluation grid according to your needs.
The text presents the questions to ask, the proposed optimal answer and the suggestions to score a candidate performance in each area.