Open ended cases with "no objectives" or "multiple objectives"?

Question

Hi all, I heard that in partner rounds, cases are more “open”, and very often there will be no specific metrics for success (for instance, not even saying client focus on “profitability”). This sounds more like practical business problems as case books are a bit “theoretical”.

How would you deal with a case, if there are no specific objectives and metrics of success (especially if it's a very “free flow” case)? Does it make sense to discuss the KPI and reach a consensus on one or multiple objectives with the interviewer?

Answer 1

You've raised a great point about the nature of partner rounds in consulting interviews. These cases can indeed be more open-ended and reflective of real-world business projects where clear metrics for success are not always provided upfront (typical case in the consulting business). Here's how you can navigate such cases effectively:

1. Clarify the Objective: Even if the case is open-ended, it's crucial to ensure you understand the primary goal. You can ask clarifying questions to get a sense of the objective.

2. Define Success Criteria: If the interviewer still does not provide specific metrics, take the initiative to suggest possible success criteria based on the context of the case. ALWAYS THINK OUT LOUD AND VALIDATE YOUR APPROACH, KEEP THE INTERVIEWER ENGAGED.

3. Structure Your Approach: Diagnose the problem, you can use frameworks (Porter's Forces, SWOT, etc) or build an issue tree (remember to be MECE). Later, generate your hypotheses and how would you go analyzing those.

For example, in my final round interview, the partner didn't ask me any number, but it was more along the lines: “Which factors would you consider in analyzing this business venture”. And always consider that in the end, cash in king, so everyone has the end goal of making money, so any related metrics (NPV, DCF, PBP, profits, margins, revenues, etc) should have a sort of relevance.

Hope it's useful, best of luck with your case preparation!

Answer 2

Hi,

Thanks for your question.

You are right, in partner cases it can be open ended. However, a lot of times, one of the partners gives a proper case that you need to solve through charts etc. The second case interview may be open ended.

In such situations, having a good knowledge of the industry is often very beneficial since in few instances, they may be referring to an issue specific to the industry. For example, patent cliffs in Pharma, customer footprints in retail/digital channels etc.

My advice would be to have some fundamental understanding of the trends and challenges in the key industries - pharma, automotive, banking, retail etc. As always, the focus should be on understanding the key objectives of the client, key success metrics and sometimes key pain points (depending on the type of case) to move forward. Also, especially in partner interviews, speak confidently, like you would speak to your client - that is very important.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,

Sohini

Answer 3

Hi there,

This is a great question. I'd like to add 2 quick points to what's already been discussed:

1. A case is nothing but a problem that a candidate needs to solve on behalf of the client, whether it involves profitability, cost analysis, pricing, market entry, market sizing, M&A, etc. This reflects what happens in real life as clients approach us with a problem that requires a solution. Hence there is no such thing as a case with “no objective” or with “too many". If there is no clear objective, your first task is to identify one. If you feel there are too many objectives, prioritize them and choose one. Always remember the 80/20 rule: focus on solving 80% of the problem in 20% of the time rather than trying to tackle all problems at once - hence the importance of prioritization. One final point to mention, always seek validation from the interviewer as this will boost your confidence and ensure you're going in the right direction.

2. Prepare for fit interviews. This is not case-related but, in my experience, as you progress in the interview process, fit questions become increasingly important. By the time you reach the final round with a partner, they already know that your “casing” skills have been tested, so they are tasked to evaluate if you'll be a good team member, pleasant to work with, and matching/aligning with the firm values. To excel in fit interviews, (1) provide tailored answers to company-specific questions (2) answer in an organized way (3) be prompt and concise in your communication.

I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you need any further help. Also, for anyone reading this, I am offering free sessions for my first 10 coachees!

Answer 4

Hi there,

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

While it might happen that there are multiple objectives (which is not exclusive to partner interviews), without any objective, even if only qualitative, there is no case study.
Therefore, it is your responsibility to clarify on the objective(s) (which is again not exclusive to partner interviews).

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

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

Best,

Hagen