Associate
Status
Associate Consultant at
Group/Division/Type
Strategy
City
London
Interviewed
November 2017
Overall experience
Difficulty
General Interview Information
Outcome
Declined Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Interview Details
What did the interview consist of?
1 on 1 Interview
Presentation
Skills Test
IQ / Intelligence Test
Please describe the interview / hiring process.
The interview process seems quite intense on paper although it was pretty straightforward (4 weeks) once you pass the online tests (not comparable with McKinsey for instance).
For the **first stage** at the London office, in a large meeting room with all the other candidates, you first complete individually:
1. Two **paper-based psychometric ability tests** (SHL) - numerical and diagrammatical - both lasting 20 minutes each. Then you have to design (still individually):
2. A **hand written report** in 30 minutes, in which you’ll be expected to manage your own time. You will be presented with a pack of information and asked to write a professional report, the focus of which will be provided in the instructions on the day.
Back to your designated meeting room, you meet individually two S& consultants one by one for:
3. A **structured case study** during which you will be given a pack of information and you’ll have 10 minutes to review this before meeting with an assessor for an interview-style discussion for up to 45 minutes, and...
4. An **unstructured case study**. In this exercise, you will meet with the interviewer assessor at the start of the time allocated for the exercise. Initially the interviewer will explore your understanding of our business and how carefully you’ve thought about your career choice, as well as learn about how you have worked and communicated with others in the past. You will then be presented with a case study verbally and you will be expected to explore this with the interviewer as well as answering some key questions posed by the interviewer to help us gauge your knowledge and understanding of the case being presented.
One week later, the HR will come back to you by email to invite you for the **final stage** (hopefully). Back to the London office, you will meet more senior consultants (senior managers/principals) to repeat the above steps 3. and 4. each once.
The HR and/or a senior manager will finally come back to you within 1 to 2 weeks post-final stage by phone and/or email to let you know of their decision and hopefully make you an offer.
For the **first stage** at the London office, in a large meeting room with all the other candidates, you first complete individually:
1. Two **paper-based psychometric ability tests** (SHL) - numerical and diagrammatical - both lasting 20 minutes each. Then you have to design (still individually):
2. A **hand written report** in 30 minutes, in which you’ll be expected to manage your own time. You will be presented with a pack of information and asked to write a professional report, the focus of which will be provided in the instructions on the day.
Back to your designated meeting room, you meet individually two S& consultants one by one for:
3. A **structured case study** during which you will be given a pack of information and you’ll have 10 minutes to review this before meeting with an assessor for an interview-style discussion for up to 45 minutes, and...
4. An **unstructured case study**. In this exercise, you will meet with the interviewer assessor at the start of the time allocated for the exercise. Initially the interviewer will explore your understanding of our business and how carefully you’ve thought about your career choice, as well as learn about how you have worked and communicated with others in the past. You will then be presented with a case study verbally and you will be expected to explore this with the interviewer as well as answering some key questions posed by the interviewer to help us gauge your knowledge and understanding of the case being presented.
One week later, the HR will come back to you by email to invite you for the **final stage** (hopefully). Back to the London office, you will meet more senior consultants (senior managers/principals) to repeat the above steps 3. and 4. each once.
The HR and/or a senior manager will finally come back to you within 1 to 2 weeks post-final stage by phone and/or email to let you know of their decision and hopefully make you an offer.
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