How different is the interview process at the Manager / Principal level vs Consultant/ Associate Consultant level?

Hi there,

This depends on the specific region and consulting company you interview with as the difference between lateral and regular hire interviews as well as the difference between the interviews for various levels within lateral hire interviewing differs.

Some points on that might help you:

• #1 Expect more of a talk through case character
  Expect to discuss/talk through a case on a more hypothetical basis (how would you approach a project where you…). Here you should show high-level workstream planning and you should talk about relevant client contacts and stakeholders. Also, you can bring in your previous experiences. You should show solid judgment here (which would not be expected from a regular hire to that extent).
• #2 Also expect a normal case
  However, also expect regular cases, especially for lower ‘senior’ roles like project leader. You could find yourself in the regular lateral hire process where a discussion for the role you are offered will happen after the interview, based on your performance and experiences.
• #3 Principles remain the same
  The fundamental principles (structured thinking, clear concise articulation etc.) are the same. So prep-wise, I would lay a solid basis from regular case interview preparation. Incorporating workstream-planning elements and drawing from your experiences should come naturally since they are rooted in your expertise; otherwise, you would not be interviewing at that level.
• #4 Make sure you tackle it like a proper case
  Many senior interviewees do not clearly give logical reasons for their suggestions and steps since they are either not used to it (from making decisions autonomously on a daily basis) or since they belief it is not required. The latter belief can be provoked by the more friendly chit-chat nature of how the case is delivered. But make no mistake: As a candidate you optimize your chances by taking it very seriously and bringing your best structuring and analysis skills to the game. Even if you interview on a very high level, talk your interviewer through the case well enough to make sure your logical, structured reasoning is evident throughout the case. 

I hope these points help you prepare. Fingers crossed!

Best, 
Gero

Hi there,

This depends on the firm. 

What is important is to showcase how you can bring value to the role due to a combination of your experience AND your network. If you are joining at a higher level of your career, it will be carefully evaluated whether you can strengthen the partnership or dilute it.

That being said, many things are the same. Recently I was working with a Partner-level entry in McKinsey and large parts of the interview process are very similar (Case and PEI) in addition to more focus on the fit and experiences outside of the PEI. 

For EMs it is usually fully the same as for consultant level in terms of the steps. 

The main difference is that the more senior you get, expectations rise in the following:

1. Case: Need to demonstrate more experience and business judgment

2. Fit/PEI: The stories you tell need to be in an environment where you had more responsibility and impact (the evaluation criteria what makes a good PEI story do not change).

All the best,

Florian

Hi there!

Needless to say, it depends on the firm, role and the practice the role is for. 

I've coached several candidates for Principal/Associate Partner and Manager/Senior Manager/Engagement Manager roles. With all of them, the process was a bit different, but I noticed a few things that they had in common:

• Process consisted of multiple rounds (no longer only two)
• There was a much stronger emphasis on personal fit, cultural fit, value proposition, leadership experience and knowledge than on case (e.g., analytics, chart interpretation)
• The process resembled a personal vetting by senior leaders in the firm rather than an assessment of raw skills 
• The process was much longer 3-9 months
• The format of the personal fit / PEI varied from the regular, with a stronger emphasis on assessing values and value proposition

Hope this helps give you an insight into the topic!
Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Hmmm I've got to disagree with Gero here. 

As you go up the ranks it's less likely you'll get a classic case….or even a case at all.

It is more likely the interview will turn more “conversational” with a series of brainstorming questions (along a case topic/theme) and/or deeper conversations are your knowledge base/expertise.

I'm not saying you won't get a case, but it is more likely than in lower level interviews that you will get a “unstructured” interview.

Hi there,

in my experience the evaluation of candidates with higher seniority has a larger emphasis on personal fit and actual practical matters rather than hypotheticals. 

Experienced hires are expected to have a functional or industry expertise so they will likely be tested on that (by other experts in those respective fields). It is pretty common to also dig through their experiences around managing teams, clients and overall engagements as well as assessing their ability to sell projects (especially for roles with sales targets such as principals).

The process will also consist of multiple rounds. The interviewers will at least be the same level of seniority as the role the candidate is applying for. So in these cases, the “partner round” is not necessarily the “final round”. More partners will be involved in the hiring decision compared to candidates at the consultant level.

Best

Hi there,

This depends on the firm and office. I have done interviews for all roles you mentioned at McKinsey and the interview format is exactly the same. 

I have done the same at Accenture and PwC and higher roles tended to be more focused on the fit part and industry experience.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Hi there,

Q: How different is the interview process at the Manager / Principal level vs Consultant/ Associate Consultant level?

I helped a few candidates for Manager/Principal positions. In their case, compared to a standard case interview, they got:

• Questions about their specific industry.
• Questions about managing a project (eg how to organize team/proposals/first meetings).
• Not necessarily a case in every interview.

For other questions please feel free to reach out, happy to help.

Best, 

Francesco 

Here's my experience on being interviewed to manager / principal roles.

1. More depth in the experience interview part
2. Cases are similar. But more maturity is expected
3. Some questions may be more practical and “real job scenario” related (e.g. “how would you organize a workshop for this situation?” “how would do organize this project”, “how would you assign roles to the team members”)

Workstream planning probably not as, to be honest, that is part of the standard case interview (that is what the initial structuring is about)