Partner rounds

Hi,

This is a great and interesting question. This very much depends on the firm/geography/system/office dynamics. Some firms/systems or offices are stricter on this than others. 

But Partners not listening to HR and using their own cases still happens / exists, and to understand why you need to understand the dynamics of the firm → Equity partners each ‘own’ a small sliver of the firm, and while of course there are processes and guidelines in place, they ultimately call the shots, not HR :)

So what does it mean for you/other candidates?

• Whether the Partner gives a ‘standard’ case or a ‘personal’ case should not matter to you
• They are looking out for specific capabilities / traits and these capabilities / traits which should and can always be demonstrated regardless of the question or format

For my final round interview at BCG, the Partner drew a graph on the whiteboard and said “Discuss”. So really, anything can happen and the more you try and pre-empt the less you are able to think on the spot. 

All the best!

Hi there,

This is in limited cases - depends on the firm, office, etc. Partners also literally can do what they want (they own the firm), so just remember they're often going to go to the beat opf their own drum, no matter what HR says!

(One of my favorite texts below)

Hi there,

I can echo that it largely varies depending on company, region, office and the individual partner. However, it is not uncommon that partners won't go through a case exercise with the candidate again but rather test their suitability in terms of team fit and presentability to clients. 

At the partner stage, candidates will have gone through a series of successful case interviews already. Partners still need to “validate” this pre-selection. They tend to favor talking about the industry/functional area they are active in, try to see how the candidate is able to engage with those topics and often even try to sell the candidate on the firm during the final round.

Hope that provides additional perspective

There's no one single answer to this question. Based on my experience for McKinsey, Partners have a lot of leeway in the final round to ask questions that they think are required to test your abilities. In earlier rounds it tends to be more standardized.

Best,

Udayan

Hi there,

not sure which firm you are referring to, but as other coaches mentioned, Partner interviews are usually very undstandardized and anything can come. This has been and still is true for the majority of firms in my experience.

Regards, Andi

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, whether or not standardized case studies are used is highly dependent of the firm, region, and country.
• Moreover, while there has been a push for standardization, partners may still have some discretion in tailoring cases to reflect their own experience or the specific needs of the interview. It does not necessarily mean they have personally created the entire case, but they may have influenced aspects of it.
• Lastly, this standardization is generally aimed at ensuring a consistent and fair assessment process. I would advise you to focus on your performance during the interview, rather than worrying too much about who created the case.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Q: I've heard that Partners no longer create their own cases. However, during my final round cases, the partners always discuss the cases as if they worked on them in the past. Which one is it?

It depends on the company and country. In my finals I got non-standard cases at BCG and OW, while I got standard ones at McKinsey and Bain. In any case, if you have a solid preparation this should not matter much.

Good luck!

Francesco       

Hi there, 

It's both. 

In the sense that there is an HR push for standardisation in order to eliminate bias. 

At the same time, there are still lots of consultants (especially more senior ones) who just do the cases they always did or try to come up with cases on the spot. 

So in the end, you need to be prepared regardless of the situation. 

If your skills are in the right place, it won't make a big difference for you anyway.

Best,

Cristian