How are phone screenings with recruiters different from FIT interview with consultants?

Question

Hi all,

I have phone screens coming up with Deloitte and Strategy&, and I am hoping for a bit of information.

1. What types of questions do recruiters ask?

2. How should my answers to the phone screening be different from those to actual FIT interviews with consultants?

3. I'm an experienced hire (Financial Services) applying for the specific industry consultant role. Will I be tested in my FS industry knowledge either during the phone screen or case interviews?

This is my first interview with consulting firms, so any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi there,

1. What types of questions do recruiters ask?

Typical ones are the following:

Tell me about yourself
Why consulting
Why us
Give me an example of when you led a team
Tell me about a time when you had to convince someone not agreeing with you
What has been your major achievement so far when you started something
Why should we hire you

Questions about experiences (similar to 4, 5 and 6) are standard at McKinsey, but other companies may ask them as well. To prepare those questions, I would recommend the following checklist:

Understand the difference between, leadership, impact and drive areas. You can find a link with their differences here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/mckinsey-pei-difference-drive-and-personal-impact-918#a1780
Identify good stories for each area. Ideally you want to have at least two stories for each area.
Use a structure for your story. I would suggest to use the STARR model (Situation, Task, Action, Rational for Action, Results)
Identify for each story one sentence clarifying what the story is about and start with it. Think of it as the title of a journal article.
Practice live, collect feedback from people listening to you, reiterate until when you get fluent and persuasive

2. How should my answers to the phone screening be different from those to actual FIT interviews with consultants?

You can answer in the same way

3. I'm an experienced hire (Financial Services) applying for the specific industry consultant role. Will I be tested in my FS industry knowledge either during the phone screen or case interviews?

You may be tested on that. You will very likely have FS cases during interviews, but not necessarily only them.

Best,
Francesco

Answer 2

Hello!

Answering your 3 points:

Screening phone interviews emcompass part of the scope of the FIT interview (i.e., Intro and CV questions and motivational questions).

If you want to deep dive on the topic, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Furthermore, you can find 3 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200
Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201
Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 3

Hi there,

First, good luck!

You need to be really clear on "Why consulting" as well as "why the company". You should also be ready with a resume walkthrough. More than that, you should be ready with questions of your own and be ready to talk through really any experience on your resume. Finally, be ready to play "tag"! I.e. try and get the recruiter to put you in touch with someone else at the company (reach out for more information on this
Generally FIT answers are longer and more in depth. "Why consulting" would be 1 min in an interview and 20 seconds on a screening call. Additionally, you need to have personal stories prepared for the FIT interview but not for screening
You should be prepared to 100%. Will it happen for sure? Can't say. Should you be prepared? Absolutely.

Answer 4

Hi,

1) Tell me about yourself, Why Consulting, Why Company, Stories on Leadership, Persuasion, Using data, Problem Solving, Achievement, Your questions to them

2) Should be the same

3) Recruiters would expect you to provide examples related to FS if you are applying to these groups. Obviously, you'll have FS cases during the case interviews.

Best

Answer 5

Hi,
1. cv related questions (present yourself in 1' or what did you do in your years at __) + motivational questions (why you, why consulting, why monitor)
2. usually, it does not include personal experience interview questions, which are going to be deeply assessed in the fit part of the interview
3. I would say no

I have dedicated session-packages for experienced hires, feel free to text me for further info

Hope it helps,
Antonello