Feedback on speed/time

Question

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all doing well.

So, I am currently in the process of interviewing at McKinsey, presumably in the final round of interviews (as I am alittle bit confused about my standing on that one, but I have already went through 3 Case + PEI interviews). I feel like I did great in the PEI part, I asked for and received a feedback on the case that they think I need more practice, as I have everything in mind, but just take time to get it out, and they mentioned that in regards of my quantitative approach.

More context would be that we took 10 extra minutes than the 1 hour allocated for the interview, and that the recruitment mentioned that if I was successful in that one, I will be invited to the final interview in the process.

My question would be how negative is a feedback on the time taken? And how to further develop this area? And what are the implications of taking 10 extra minutes? What to expect? Is it possible to recover from that?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with McKinsey thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

First of all, feedback in between interview rounds is never negative, yet you should take it seriously. Your future interviewers will be informed about this (current) weak spot and will look out for it specifically.
Moreover, I would advise you to practice more with time constraints. Set a strict time limit for solving cases, especially quantitative questions, during your preparation. This will help you get accustomed to thinking and articulating your solutions quickly and efficiently.

You can find more on this topic here: Speed reading techniques.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi there,

A lot to unpack.

Let's answer the questions 1 by 1:

My question would be how negative is a feedback on the time taken?

Since they have told you that the next interview is the gatekeeper for moving to the next round, this is where your focus should be, not on past performance.

And how to further develop this area? And what are the implications of taking 10 extra minutes?

It seems that your case performance (insight generation, problem-solving, analytics, etc.) seem to be very good, yet it takes you too long to get through the different elements in terms of thinking and potentially also communicating.

The implication in this context might be that unless you do not speed up, you won't be moving to the next round. See why next.

What to expect? Is it possible to recover from that?

The next interviewer is likely informed about the speed issue and will pay special attention to it. You need to demonstrate a visible improvement in terms of speed - while keeping the quality of your problem-solving, analysis etc the same.

It definitely is possible to recover from that and they believe in your potential - otherwise they would have already ended the process.

I would focus on learning a structured approach to problem-solving, analysis, math etc, then work on many drills to internalize it and become faster. Happy to help! Please reach out.

All the best,

Florian

Answer 3

Hi,

It sounds like you’re on the right track, and receiving feedback is actually a positive sign, especially since they gave you specifics on what to improve. Here are some exercises that can help you speed up your quantitative approach and overall case performance:

1. Mental Math Drills
Practice mental math regularly to get faster with calculations like percentages, multiplication, and division. This will help reduce reliance on calculators or written work during the interview. Check out Victor Cheng math drills.

2. Timed Case Practice. Simulate case interviews with a timer. Try completing cases in slightly less time than is typically allocated - e.g. 35 minutes. This will train you to get faster while still delivering quality responses.

3. Structured Framework Practice
Work on building frameworks quickly for different types of business problems. Take a case (e.g. Market sizing) and put your framework on paper in 30sec. The more comfortable you are with these structures, the faster you’ll be able to apply them in the interview.

4. Brainstorming Under Time Pressure
Take common case problems and challenge yourself to brainstorm solutions quickly. Set a timer and aim to generate multiple ideas within a minute to avoid overthinking.

5. Speed Reading Data and Charts
Practice reading and interpreting data tables and charts quickly. Set time limits to get used to extracting key insights without spending too much time on irrelevant details.

Remember, taking 10 extra minutes in your previous interview isn’t a huge red flag. The fact that you’ve advanced to the next stage means they see potential in you. Focus on the next interview and apply the feedback you’ve received, rather than worrying about the last one.

If you want to train specifically your speed, let me know, we could work on some drills together.

Good luck!

Answer 4

McKinsey does not assess speed / time in the interview scorecards.

This is a myth. What it is true is that the whole interview (PEI + case) must last 60 minutes sharp.

Few tips to accelerate the pace of your McKinsey interview:

1) Work with a McKinsey coach on your PEI stories. They will help to craft stories with everything interviewers are looking for. That minimizes questions (or even remove them at all). Less questions, more time for the case.

2) Analytical thinking (aka framework): practice, practice and practice. Take time only to craft level 1 and 2 of your framework. You can work on level 3 as you communicate your structure (yes, McKinsey is expecting a 3-level framework).

3) Qualitative thinking (aka charts or brainstorming): improve your communication. It must be top down. Candidates I worked with reduce communication time to half and double communication clarity. McKinsey consultants are heavily trained on this. You will impress your interviewer with a McKinsey-style top-down communication.

4) Quantitative thinking (aka math): work on simple approaches. Learn math shortcuts. Use rounding. Communicate your final conclusions top-down, same as qualitative thinking.

Answer 5

Don't focus on time. Focus on the things that are making you less efficient.

In other words, can you communicate things better ("get to the point" vs. "beat around the bush" or repeat yourself endlessly, or provide excessive details)? Can you provide more streamlined structured? Can you become more experienced and that in turn help you get faster to the key insights?