Application Process & Interviews at Kearney

Applicant applies and their cv and cover letter is screened according to kearney's internal criteria, which rewards points for academics, work experience and extra curricular. Then, shortlisted applicants are welcomed to an assessment centre day, where they partake in a group case study and individual case study and behavioral interview. Applicants are shortlisted again, and those successful enter into a second round interview - usually about a week later. If the applicant is successful, they will be offered a position with the firm. Overall, it is an extremely competitive process and the opinions of multiple people are provided, giving maximum opportunity for alignment and reducing potential bias.

Recruitment is run by a small team meaning lead time can be long with large applicant pools. Once you are in the recruitment process, it moves quickly and you are provided adequate information.

Interview process is comprehensive from a grad and intern hiring perspective. Lateral hiring can take some time given the greater complexity in interviews and decision making processes.

I was a winter intern before I became a graduate. I had a group assessment centre and 2 individual interviews before I received my offer.

We spend a lot of time on our interview process, with maximum face-to-face time throughout. Screening is done by consultants to make sure we pick the best profiles. Our assessment center focuses on teamwork, using real client cases (gently adapted to make them accessible for candidates).

2 interviews with a manager (behavioral and case question). 1X interview with partner (behavioral and case)

Aptitude tests prior to first round of 2 interviews, followed by another round of 2 interviews.

Interviews consist of a series of case interviews, usually all individual from managers to partners.

4 case interviews starting with managers and ending with partners.

I won't get into the detail about the case study, but some questions I was asked in the behavioral interview included: 1. Tell me about an achievement you are proud of; 2. Why kearney; 3. Tell me about a time when you've had to go against the status quo.

Interview process is a combination of case interviews and behavioural questions.

Case based interviews and behavioural questions

I was given a case study which I had to answer questions about. I was also asked about my interest in kearney and some behavioural examples.

Our interviews are much more interested in case performance and teamwork. Personal questions are asked during the application stage. In an interview, you might be asked about why you want to join consulting / kearney or about a time where you worked in a team to deliver an outstanding result.

Who is my role model and why

How to solve a case; why I wanted to join consulting? Why I wanted to join kearney?

Why do you want to work in consulting? Why do you want to work at kearney?

What is an example of where you were recently frustrated?

The firm looks very favorably on extra curricular - but start sooner rather than later. The firm rewards longstanding commitment to extra curricular, it doesn't have to be with something finance/ consulting related (though that would be the cherry on-top!), But demonstrating commitment and success beyond your university studies is highly regarded. Candidates really need to prepare for the case study - competing in case competitions helps with structuring your thinking, but get used to do doing it alone too

Practice case interviews

Case interview preparation, working with a buddy and getting to know the company outside of a google search

Prepare stories and examples of how you've displayed your best self at work, in group projects or generally in life - e.G., Leadership, teamwork, entrepreneurship. Also practice with some cases to familiarise yourself with the case structure but also keep in mind your teamwork also matters!

Cases! Practice them with others and get a good sense of what works best for you. I would also advise people to reach out to kearney members and grab a coffee if they have extra questions.

Practice case interviews

Practice case preparation, focusing on building structure and good habits.

I would recommend talking to people at the firm since they can give you the most authentic and useful advice. People are very willing to talk to you!

Case interview preparation, bring real world examples into your responses