What if interviewers don't give you time enough time to structure/brainstorm?

Hi there,

The short answer is practice, practice, practice.

At this stage, I can framework most things in 30 seconds. However, years ago I simply could not. The more I've done it, the better I've gotten!

Additionally, here's some reading to help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Now, what are some techniques for you?

1. Ask clarifying questions. Not only does the buy you time, but it also actually helps you frame the question/context
2. Do 1 bucket/theme at a time - you don't need to know your whole structure immediately!
3. Leverage buckets you already know exist (and modify)
4. Grab ideas that pop into your head and figure out what larger theme they fit into

I also think that you *might* be thinking about cases/problem-solving wrong.

It is not about coming up with a bunch of questions/ideas, but rather using a logical breakdown/approach (almost a pathway) for solving the problem.

EXAMPLE: how to increase the number of recruited foster families?

HERE ARE 6 FRAMEWORK OPTIONS

Option 1

1. Reach out to more families/make more aware
2. Increase conversion of families who are aware

Option 2

1. Improve outreach - going to families
2. Improve “in”reach - families coming to us
3. Improve inherent offering/pitch

Option 3

1. Reach out to more families
2. Reach out to “better” families (higher inherent likelihood of saying yes)
3. Increase conversion of families

Option 4

1. People - improve sales/recruitment team
2. Processes - improve recruitment processes
3. Tools/Tech - bring in better recruiting tools, data analytics, etc.

Option 5

1. Ethos - persuade on character/legitimacy
2. Pathos - persuade on emotion
3. Logos - persuade on logic

Option 6

The 4 Ps

1. Product - “bundle” fostering in a better way (make it seem better, improve the experience, etc)
2. Price - compensation
3. Place - where it occurs, where the outreach is (online, in person, etc.)
4. Promotion - how we market/advertise

Hi there,

(1) Should I have asked for more time to structure the case?

If interviewers stop you because they believe you took enough time to think about the structure then you should follow their lead. In general, in order to build a connection with people you are talking to, it is a good idea to match their communication style. This means that if they tend to move fast and expect fast answer you should try to do your best to keep up with them. What you can do in terms of structure is:

- Come up in the first 30-60 second wih a high-level structure that you can use in case they stop you

- Deep dive into the structure and add more details in the last 60 seconds in case they leave you more time to think

 (2) For the questions asked, how do I make a judgment on whether I need to take time to come up with a more comprehensive structure, or just provide my thoughts instantly?

Here again, you should try to understand what is the communication style of your interviewers and try to match it. In case you are unsure about their preference and you would want more time to think, you could kindly ask if you could take 30 sec. to brainstorm and adapt according to their answer. 

Another trick could be to ask deep dive questions which help you to collect more data and  will give you a little bit more time to think
Note: these questions need to be relevant!

Hope this helps,
Best of luck with your interviews,
Francesca

Hi,

Unfortunately, this happens pretty often during the management consulting or any similar type of interviews.

Some interviewers will expect you to structure everything thoroughly, others will encourage a more conversation-based approach with minimum structuring required, as is in your case.

Regarding your questions:
1. You could have asked more time to structure the case, though this rarely works as the interviewers usually have certain expectations as to how quickly the candidate should go through the case and benchmark you against other candidates;

2. There are a few ways you can clarify what is expected of you:

- Ask the interviewer directly if you should take time to structure or brainstorm on the fly; if the interviewer wants you to do it in real time, they usually tell you to not bother with taking the time;

- Ask the HR before the interview about how the interview process will look like and what is expected of you;

- Ask other candidates who interviewed for the same position about their interview experience with that person; you will be surprised at how often this approach is used by other candidates.

Hope this helps in the future,
Nick

Hi there!

That's a great question. 

Basically, you need to have your technique, your default way of doing things. 

The technique should require you to take time to provide deep, insightful and structured answers. 

When the technique gets interrupted, e.g., you're not allowed to take time, you should just do the best that you can under those circumstances, KNOWING that all other candidates will be subjected to the same criteria AND that the expectations of the interviewer have also been lowered in line with their request. 

Sharing with you a guide on brainstorming that you might find useful:

• Expert Guide: Mastering Structuring & Brainstorming

Best,
Cristian

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Practicing for interviews? Check out my latest case based on a first-round MBB interview >>> SoyTechnologies  

Hi there,

1) Should I have asked for more time to structure the case?

Possibly. It depends on how the interviewer interrupts you. There are polite ways to get more time if needed which might have worked, but it is difficult to answer without knowing the full context.

2) For the questions asked, how do I make a judgment on whether I need to take time to come up with a more comprehensive structure, or just provide my thoughts instantly? 

If the question is comparable to the ones in case interviews, I don’t see any disadvantage in asking for time or clarification questions – this is not something that is specific to consulting but a general process to answer questions better. Therefore as a general rule, I would always ask for time; I would instead present something right away only if explicitly asked by the interviewer.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi,

Others have mentioned the importance of practice and technique. I've gone through several industry strat role interviews as well (when I was still in consulting), and also faced a similar situation to you.

Here are a couple of my thoughts:

• It's always better to take abit more time and give a structured and robust answer, than to rush to give a crappy answer
• Read the dynamics of the interviewer and gauge his expectations, sometimes people don't want you to treat the interview robotically like a case interview. In such instances, I would mention less ‘case related’ phrases and terms, and try to be more natural in the responses
  • e.g. if the conversation had hinted that the interviewer just wanted a quick answer, I would give one key answer, and then after that pause and follow up with a more structured follow-up answer

All the best!