I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2+ months. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Johannesburg) in Nov 2013
Interview
The contact I have had with the McKinsey recruitment team has been very pleasant. Unlike other management consulting firms, McKinsey flew me up to Johannesburg (from Cape Town) starting with my first in-person interview. They have also provided an interview coach who has been incredibly helpful in the preparation process. Communication is easy, admin for the trips is planned well in advance and accommodation in Johannesburg has been fantastic.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Our client is an airline and is thinking about which airports to use as hubs - how do you think about this question.
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (‘Ushayrah, Riyadh Province)
Interview
Rigorous but fair questions - mostly case based. Two sets of interviews x 2 rounds. You only get invited back for the afternoon if you pass the morning round. They expect a high degree of mental math and creativity. Worth prepping for standard case interview style questions, using frameworks but able to adapt them.
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Washington, DC)
Interview
Long process with little to no communication, good folks though. Not too difficult just time consuming. Pulled out after the first round as I lost interest, but appreciated the opportunity to interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Prior experience and what I wanted out of the role
The interview process is structured and demanding. It includes a resume screen, problem solving tests, and multiple case interviews with personal experience questions. It’s objectively hard, testing structured thinking, communication, and calm under pressure. Not impossible but you must prepare seriously.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked me to walk through a case and clearly structure the problem first. How I broke it down mattered more than getting the final answer right.