Virtual Interviews

Coronavirus interviews
New answer on Oct 29, 2020
7 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on Oct 28, 2020

How are recruitment interviews being done remotely at the moment? Is it true that cases given right now will tend to have no exhibits? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me as I'm sure that all companies have sufficient tech capabilities to share exhibits but I did read that in one of the questions on the forum. Thanks for the help

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Adi
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replied on Oct 28, 2020
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience

Zoom/MS teams are being used to conduct case interviews without much problem to be honest. I also used the office Telepresence recently which worked like a charm. Based on what am hearing broadly, the style tends be more on interviewer led i.e the interviewer is guiding the candidates to make the logistics and process a tad bit easier.

I am doing it as follows:

1. Open the interview session, make the candidate comfortable, break the ice

2. Explain the case interview process, set expectations, clarify timings. Warn the candidate not to record/screen grab/use calculator and keep their video on at all times. They can go on mute if they prefer

3. Screen share, show the case and let them read the case. I typically keep my screen share on throughout. I scroll up and down as required on their prompt

4. Show exhibits via screen share

5. When the candidate is ready with all their analysis and calculation, I stop the screen share and then guide them through solving it

6. Close the interview in the last 5-7 mins

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Robert
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replied on Oct 29, 2020
McKinsey offers w/o final round interviews - 100% risk-free - 10+ years MBB coaching experience - Multiple book author

Hi Anonymous,

Recruitment remotely is done mostly via video call (like MS Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.), sometimes even still by phone interview only.

If it's video, definitely there are cases with exhibits. I don't have any numbers on that - possible the number of cases with exhibits decreased slightly, but I did not yet see a consistent pattern here. Also in previous times with on-site interviews, cases without exhibits existed as well.

And don't worry about the technical infrastructure of the top consulting firms - it's top-notch as well and even free apps like Google Meet offer the opportunity to share your screen and thus also exhibits, so that's for sure not a technical limitation for global consulting firms!

Hope this helps - if so, please give it a thumbs-up with the upvote button below!

Robert

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Ian
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replied on Oct 29, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

So, you should still expect to have cases with exhibits. In general, the interviewer will share their screen in order to show you the exhibit (one at a time).

As a general guide, pretty much all of the rules you can think of that apply to in-person interviews are the same for virtual interviews!

Some key things to remember for video interviews:

  • Make sure you have a strong internet connection
  • Make sure your sound+video work
  • Have a good desk space and keep using paper for solving the case,
  • Make sure you'll be in a quiet space with no distractions
  • Still dress for the occasion
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Gaurav
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replied on Oct 29, 2020
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Don't worry about technical part of the case interview. They will take care about it. As other coaches already mentioned, screen sharing will be used.

As for the cases themself - nothing are changed.

GB

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Clara
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replied on Oct 28, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Regarding the cases, nothing changes vs. what it used to be in the past -many consultants never even changed the case they use for interviewing-.

What changes is the context, intead of in person in the office, via Zoom.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Ken
Expert
replied on Oct 28, 2020
Ex-McKinsey final round interviewer | Executive Coach

I have heard of both where some are not using exhibits (as there's always risk of a screenshot being shared around) but also some who are sharing exhibits over screen share. If you have a specific firm and office in mind then I'm sure someone in this forum will have some insight!

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Henning
Expert
replied on Oct 28, 2020
Bain | passed >15 MBB interviews as a candidate

Case interviews these days are typically done though Zoom/Teams/whatever and do invovle exhibits. At least all I am giving and have heard of. Note though that there were also cases before COVID (especially with more senior interviewers) that did not come with any exhibits.

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Adi gave the best answer

Adi

Content Creator
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience
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