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The Utility of the Consulting Case Interview

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New answer on Jul 31, 2023
5 Answers
396 Views
Anonymous A asked on Mar 21, 2023

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Best answer
Paul
Expert
replied on Mar 21, 2023
PL-level BCG experience (6 years)|Interviewer at BCG| 6/6 personal + 95%+ candidates offer success rate

Hi there,

1) Cannot comment on doc on method - since we need permission to assess

2) Regarding whether using case interviews is a good way to test applicants - you have good quality answers - just adding some perspective 

- I think it tests a broad spectrum of hard/soft skills you need to have the potential to be successful on the job in a very short timeframe (< 1 hour) e.g. structure thinking, verbal communication skills, problem solving, “grace under fire”, …

- It is not perfect as an absolute measure and lacks strong insight on e.g. teamwork dimensions and overall resilience but FIT interview part can give some hints there

Overall, in my experience (e.g. performance of people in job vs. cases) the overall format (FIT + cases) gives 60-70+% accurate assessment of a candidate 

Hope this helps

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Hagen
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 21, 2023
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

  • First of all, unfortunately, I am not able to see the content you have included in the link. As such, I would advise you to either make the link public or include the content in your question.
  • In case your question is whether case studies are a meaningful way to assess a candidate's future performance as a consultant, I would say it is not in absolute terms, yet it is in relative terms. While there are a lot of aspects about a case study that have very little to do with a real project, and other aspects are not being tested at all (e.g., teamwork), it is still the best possible alternative to assess it. Even more so, I would consider it to be far more meaningful than having a bunch of regular interviews as with most industries where you simply need to answer general personal fit questions.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

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Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 21, 2023
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

Some more context would be great here. Additionally, you might want to open the document up so that people do not need to request access.

If the question is “is the case interview an effective way to test candidate abilities”, I genuinely think it is the best way to test a candidate's likelihood of being a good consultant (best compared to all the alternatives)

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Cristian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jul 31, 2023
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Would be great to see the results of the study? 

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Pedro
Expert
replied on Mar 21, 2023
Bain | Roland Berger | EY-Parthenon | Mentoring Approach | 30% off first 10 sessions in May| Market Sizing | DARDEN MBA

I have no access to the survey.

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Paul gave the best answer

Paul

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PL-level BCG experience (6 years)|Interviewer at BCG| 6/6 personal + 95%+ candidates offer success rate
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