Bain & Company - Behavioral Interview

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• In the behavioral interview, the focus will be on how you have handled specific situations in the past to predict how you will handle similar situations in the future when with the firm.
• To prepare for a behavioral interview at Bain, you should consider the following tips:
  • Review your past experiences: Think about specific situations where you have demonstrated the skills and behaviors that are relevant to the consulting industry, such as leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and communication.
  • Practice answering behavioral questions: Common behavioral questions include "Can you give an example of a time when you had to solve a difficult problem?" or "Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult team member." It's a good idea to practice answering these types of questions beforehand.
  • Properly structure the answer: Using methods such as STAR or PARADE (even if I would slightly adjust them) can help you to answer in a structured manner and ensure that you are covering all relevant aspects of the given situation.
  • Be specific and give concrete examples: Behavioral questions are designed to assess how you have handled specific situations, so it's important to provide specific and concrete examples.
  • Be honest and authentic: Remember that the interviewer is trying to get to know you and your thought process. Don't try to present yourself as someone you're not, as it will be easy to spot.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

This is like a case where you replace hard skills with soft skills, simple as that. Instead of crunching numbers and analyzing graphs, you need to prepare for a touchy-feely session.

In any given situation that they will provide you with, they will want to know about your thoughts and feelings and what you think other people will think and feel. And based on that, what calculated action would you take to achieve a specific individual or team goal? And what values do you demonstrate along the way?

It's a pretty cool format and I encourage you to open up here and not shy back from sharing your soft side. Candidates typically focus too much on hard skills, which is missing the point.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi there,

Bain is now working on a new interview format with a different fit interview. The stories you need to prepare are like the ones you would develop for the McKinsey PEI.

It makes sense to learn how to develop stories that are deep and insightful using a proper framework. While the article discusses the McKinsey-specific dimensions, the way content should be created, structured, and delivered would also be the same for the new Bain format: https://www.preplounge.com/mckinsey-pei

All the best,

Florian

Hi there,

I love this. They're actually testing your ability to listen and communicate rather than pitch a memorized story.

To practice this you need to find a peer (or coach) that can ask you these questions!

You can't prepare x, y, z exact answer to exact question. Rather, just like in a case interview, you have to train yourself in the skills required to be a good consultant.

So, learn how to truly listen to the question. Learn how to think on your feet. Learn how to have a structured answer. Learn how to be logical in responses.