Roleplay interview (client and consultant)

Client Discussion motivation Personalfit roles
Recent activity on Jul 10, 2018
2 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on Jul 09, 2018

Hello everyone,

I've recently passed to the final round interview of a second tier consulting firm. The final round would consist of reading a short role play and discussing the dynamics with the interviewer.

I was wondering if someone could enlighten me on: what are they looking for, what kind of roleplay will it be, what are the main challenges in facing a client and how to address them?

Thank you!

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Dorothea
Expert
replied on Jul 09, 2018
Ex-Oliver Wyman with 100% interview success rate - specialized in female career coaching

Hi,

this is very likely to be a roleplay where you encounter a "typical" client situation, I can think of the following:

  1. Your partner surprisingly cannot make it to the meeting and you have to step in and lead the meeting - here, the interviewer wants to see that you are able to take on a more senior role than what is normally expected from a new hire (pretend that you already did this 100 times)
  2. The client is unhappy with the project and wants to discuss the progress - the interviewer wants to see how you deal with a stressful situation and a difficult client (stay calm, listen, but be realistic about what can be achieved on the project)
  3. You need to tell the client that you cannot hold the deadline - the interviewer wants to see how you communicate bad news while still remaining trustworthy and being perceived as a reliable partner (stay calm, be honest about reasons for failure, present a plan what to do now in order not to jeopardise the entire project)
  4. You need to sell something - the interviewer wants to test your "sales mode" (be friendly, be convincing, advertise your project but don't force yourself onto the client)

In general, each of these situations will involve a challenge you have to solve - always reflect on the situation: What is important now, what should be avoided, what would I like to see if I was the interviewer.

Hope this helps!

Dorothea

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Vlad
Expert
updated an answer on Jul 10, 2018
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Agree with Dorothea,

It also may be a situation within the team. E.g.

  • You are overloaded with the tasks / have conflicting tasks from the partners
  • You've noticed that the member of the team is doing something against the corporate values
  • You have to deliver the feedback / ask for the feedback
  • You have to define the scope of the tasks with the manager

Best

(edited)

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Dorothea gave the best answer

Dorothea

Ex-Oliver Wyman with 100% interview success rate - specialized in female career coaching
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