Mediocre? feedback after McKinsey Interview (2nd round)

Question

Hello everyone!

So yesterday I received my post interview feedback for my 2nd interview. The PEI was really good, however, the interviewer said my answers were not very structured when it came to the case study even though they were correct (also my math were really fast, my background is in eng).

I don't understand what they could mean by structure, mind me I have covid so everything is a lil bit blurry, but I did follow MECE in the beginning and then drilled down on it.

I think maybe I struggled to give a more connected approach with the findings? Tbh when I saw the problem the first thing that came to my mind was how to solve it algorithmically (you needed to say the factors that affect where to place x items in a wide geographical area) and maybe my mind got lost on how I would approach this mathematically.

Anyway would this interview affect my overall chances? And what should I study more to improve my structure for the case study? Thank you very much!

Answer 1

Hey Mary,

First of all - well done on getting to first round interviews! This in and of itself is an achievement.

There are a few reasons you may have received that feedback:

Your answers were not “top-down” (i.e., starting with the headline, then explaining the key points, and finally reiterating the headline)
You followed a MECE approach for your highest level framework, but as you continued through the interview your more detailed answers may not have been MECE
You could have been more concise in your delivery

I would recommend you do a couple of practice cases with someone who has experience with McKinsey interviews so that they can diagnose exactly where your communication can go from good to great.

Feel free to DM me if helpful!

Answer 2

Hi there,

This feedback focuses on the right case communication.

Everything you say during a case needs to be:

Top-down
Numbered and signposted
Qualified
Engaged

You likely used long sentences and connected ideas, insights, etc. with “and” instead of properly separating and structuring them.

You could either work with a coach to check and adjust your communication or send me a DM and I'll share some materials on case communication.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 3

Structuring goes beyond the initial approach… so it is possible that it's not about the approach, but everything else.