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Anonymous A
on Oct 15, 2020
Global
I want to receive updates regarding this question via email.

Confusion about interviewee-led/interviewer-led cases

I am little bit confused about interviewer/interviewee-led cases right now. I've just finished 4 cases with two tier-2 consulting firms in different countires. It seems that interviewers "direct" the cases and asks different questions in the middle of the cases. Isn't Mck the only one who use interviewer-led method? Or this is still interviewee-led and I am just confused? Neither of interviewer send an exhibit or want a recommendation at the end (probably due to time limit)

(Note: I passed the round for one of the firm and not sure if I pass another one yet)

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Francesco
Coach
on Oct 15, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

McKinsey is not the only company using interviewer-led interviews, they are used in other firms as well. I agree with Adi that this may also be due to the fact interviews are conducted online these days.

If you are good with interviewee-led cases, there should not be issues with interviewer-led ones. Just be aware the interviewer may cut your line of thought and ask to move to a new topic. On the other hand, people familiar with interviewer-led cases usually find interviewee-led ones more challenging, as they are not used to drive the case.

Best,

Francesco

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Robert
Coach
on Oct 15, 2020
McKinsey offers w/o final round interviews - 100% risk-free - 10+ years MBB coaching experience - Multiple book author

Hi Anonymous,

The differentiation between interviewer-led and candidate-led (or interviewee-led) is way to overestimated by many candidates - but yes, McKinsey uses rather interviewer-led cases whereas other firms rather use candidate-led cases.

Definitely there is a different principle approach behind those two concepts, but for preparing for either of them there are no major differences (minor tweaks though). The truth is exactly your case, that it's a grey zone between those two concepts and it depends on the specific interviewer and the specific case how exactly the interview is running.

Additional note (not in your case, since you passed your interviews): if candidates have poor performance, as an interviewer I oftenly need to support them as well by directing them through a principally candidate-led case.

Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind to give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

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Deleted user
on Oct 15, 2020

From my personal experience, interviewers are leaning a bit more on "interviewer led" style these days given the remote interviews. This just makes the admin and logistics a bit easier. Broadly and generally, MBB/Strat firms are more inclined towards interviewer led.

But the best way is to politely clarify with the interviewer if he/she doesnt explictly state that they will prompt you throughout the case or they expect you to take a lead and start solving case. Prep work is exactly the same; only delivery style differs. My biggest tip will be to think of the case as a role play between you and your manager (interviewer)- so dont be afraid to challenge them, provide out of the box ideas etc. Then again, clarify if unsure and dont assume anything before you start the case.

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Ian
Coach
on Oct 15, 2020
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Honestly, I really wouldn't stress about the two types!

Both case types stress all the same skills/abilities i.e. ability to think logically, structure thoughts, communicate clearly, take guidance, find relevant insights, etc etc.

Learn interviewee-led, and then you won't have a problem with interviewer-led (versus the other way around).

Fundamentally, you just need to be flexible/adaptable. There are pretty much no set rules in case interviews so you really fundamentally just need to learn to adapt and adjust based on the interviewers style/preferences!

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Gaurav
Coach
on Oct 19, 2020
#1 MBB Coach(Placed 750+ in MBBs & 1250+ in Tier2)| The Only 360° coach(Ex-McKinsey+Certified Coach+Active recruiter)

Hi Anonymous,

McK interviews are well known for being of an “interviewer-led” style. Nevertheless, they are not the only ones who use this approach.

As for your second question, due to the pandemic times and online interviewing, there can be more initiative from the interviewer’s side. The interviewer can direct you in the right way and that makes the process easier.

What you can do is develop flexibility so you don’t have any difficulties with both approaches.

If you are well familiar with the “interviewee-led” version it should not be an issue for you when the interviewer leads. Besides, you can also clarify the approach at the start.

Does it make sense to you?

GB

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Every case interview has a certain structure. An important factor on how your case interview is going to proceed is if the interview is interviewer-led or candidate-led.We’d like to explain the two interview formats – candidate-led cases and interviewer-led cases – highlight their differences, and provide you with tips on how to excel in each of them.Interviewer-Led CasesInterviewer-led cases are most frequently used at McKinsey. As the title suggests, the interviewer guides you through the interview and leads the general process. This gives him or her a more direct opportunity to test specific skills that are expected and assess areas of weakness.The following are a few indicators that hint towards interviewer-led cases:A very specific case question is posed.Either a lot of data will be given to you along with an initial breakdown of sub-problems or a broad problem may be given to you, and you would need to structure the problem by being as specific as possible.After structuring, the interviewer will ask you a set of pre-determined questions irrespective of what your structure is (this could be an abrupt move, so do not get nervous when this happens!)The interviewer might induce sudden interruptions and turnarounds that do nit result from your analysis.You will be asked "What else" and “Please explain more in detail” types of questions.What's Important in Interviewer-Led Cases?Despite the name of this case class, you need to remain in the driver's seat and be the active leader of the overall case interview. Especially in interviewer-led cases, the largest fallacy is to become passive, unstructured, and driven by the interviewer. To lead the case, you need to be particularly structured. Be prepared for interruptions, and anticipate that they might disprove hypotheses or force you to develop a completely new framework.The following tips might be helpful:Keep the big picture in mind: Consider other problems or solutions if the interviewer suggests a hypothesis. These might be important later.Apply the MECE Principle: Structure your answers to be Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive. This approach helps you be thorough and organized, avoiding random or unstructured ideas.Watch for curveball questions and stress tests: Be prepared for unexpected changes or time constraints. Stay calm and adapt as needed.👉 Would you like to try one of our interviewer-led cases right away? Here are two examples.
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