This article is a part of a series of articles on Interview Experiences. Check out our blog for more such pieces.
Industry: Management Consulting
Company: Oliver Wyman
Position: Consultant
Result: Selected
Setting: Off-campus recruitment
Management Consultants enhance the operations of organizations and assist them in solving complex problems that they face. Their services are utilized for external advice and to attain access to consultants’ specialized expertise. Oliver Wyman is one of the leading management consulting firms worldwide.
This article is about the interview experience of an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus who was selected for the position of Consultant at Oliver Wyman. Reflecting on his work experience, he says that it has been very good as one gets to work with an amazing bunch of people in a firm that cares about you and the work you do. He also adds that his work-life balance has been great.
The article covers various topics related to the recruitment process adopted by the organization, details of the interview process, and expert tips on how to prepare for the interview.
All information and insights have been shared by the above-mentioned candidate.
Brief Profile of the Candidate
The candidate joined a boutique management consulting firm after graduating from IIM Ahmedabad. After working with the firm for about 1.5 years, he pursued an opportunity with Oliver Wyman.
Recruitment process
The recruitment process is simpler and more relaxed compared to the on-campus process. The process starts with CV submission and shortlisting of candidates, followed by interviews and release of final offers. There is no buddy program, no dinner, and no write-ups in the off-campus process. The entire process took around 1 month.
Interviews
Out of the 4 rounds of interviews, 3 were case-solving rounds and 1 was an HR round. None of the rounds were individually eliminative.
Case interviews
The case rounds lasted for about 20-30 minutes each and the interviewers were Partners / Managers.
Round 1 and 2 had unconventional cases where one cannot fit any conventional framework. Thus, the interviewer spent quite some time explaining the context of the cases.
Round 3 was a conventional case interview where one can rely on the framework and sail seamlessly through the case.
These rounds were not individually eliminative in nature ensuring that the judgment of the candidate's capabilities is not limited to their ability to solve the case in just that particular round.
HR round
The objective of this round was to get to know the candidate and find out whether he was a right fit for the role. At the same time, the interviewer wanted to understand the candidate’s expectations from the role and clarify what the role entailed and what it did not.
This round was more like a conversation than an interview.
What was the recruiter looking for?
The recruiters were looking for someone who:
Can think based on first principles rather than always being dependent on a framework.
Can ask the right set of questions - As the cases were unconventional in nature, it was important to ask the right set of questions to understand the context and tailor the approach. This is a skill set that is important in day-to-day consulting work as well.
Can think in a structured and logical way - One needs to bring structure to tackle the problem at hand. For instance, if you're generating five points by which you'll analyze the case, you should be able to give a rationale as to why you selected each of them.
Can think on their feet (using first principles) - As the problem statements were unconventional in nature, the interviewers were interested to understand if the candidate can think on their feet and outside the box.
Has good communication skills as after you're done structuring the answer, it is also important to be able to communicate it well to the recruiter.
Note: It'll be good to remember that the candidates are mostly tested on their approach to the solution rather than the solution itself.
Candidate's Preparation Journey
The candidate's preparation began while he was in college where he had extensively practiced case-solving with his friends.
To brush up on his skills for the interview, he did a few mock cases by himself and with his friends. He remarks that working on cases by yourself would require more experience and honesty as you're playing the role of both the interviewee and the interviewer.
He used the IIM-A consulting case book which is given by IIM Ahmedabad and has a good compilation of case preparation material for reference.
There's no fixed number of cases or people you should solve cases with to be able to ace the selection process. The target should be on developing competence and not reaching a certain number.
Expert Tips
Be honest. If there are curveballs being thrown at you, be diplomatic but never lie.
Don’t get bogged down / jittery if faced with unconventional cases. Keep the approach simple- understand the problem statement/context for the client, clarify any doubts if you have (before jumping on to solve the case), use first principles, and don’t force-fit a framework.
What is more important than the reference material is practicing and getting comfortable with creating your own framework for solving cases. There can be questions that seem to be out of the blue but in such situations, your ability to create and use the framework/structure is going to be of great aid.
Practice cases until you get a sense that you'll be comfortable with solving them during interviews.
Brush up on common HR questions.
Be clear about everything mentioned in your CV as there can be cases/questions around it. In this case, as the candidate had previously interned in a private executive firm, some of the cases that he received during interviews were oriented towards it.
Navigating the journey of switching companies
The candidate decided to switch companies as he felt that the culture of the organization that he is currently working in suited him better. He has always paid importance to work culture over compensation or brand image.
Note from the candidate
The types of cases you'll get in an interview are a result of many factors including the kind of partner/interviewer you are assigned to, your profile, and to a certain extent, the mindset of the interviewer at that point in time. Remember not to generalize one person's experience as the standard approach of the firm.
We thank the candidate for sharing these insights with us that have given us a detailed perspective on both the overall recruitment process and how to crack it.
Stay tuned for more such interview experiences.
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