What are the key points to note before taking the HR screening interview?

This interview is for HR team to scan for any obvious red flags and avoid further investing resources if there are eligibility issues. Often the questions will be verifying their understanding of your candidacy based on your written application, CV and cover letter. 

For you, this is an opportunity to make a pleasant first impression on the recruiter. Each intake pipeline (e.g. graduate, MBA, industry / experienced hire) there is usually one dedicated recruiter, meaning the same interviewer will follow you through your recruiting journey. Building a good rapport with them will make your process a smoother experience.

What you can do to stand out: be very clear about your fit and motivation. They will not be assessing your problem solving skills, but they have seen enough candidates to start recognising patterns. Put forward a confident (but not arrogant) position with crisp answer on why you / why McKinsey / why now. 

What you can do to get this wrong: Underpreparing for the conversation. The questions you bring to the chat will reflect the level of upfront research you have done. Recruiters talk with interviewers, and they at this stage still have the ability to pull an application off the pipeline. Treat this interaction as you would with any other representatives from the firm. 

Hi Ekow

This stage of the process is not directly evaluative, it is rather about eligibility.

They want to get a sense of your experience, what role would be relevant and the timeline of when you want / can apply. They also want to inform you about the role and the recruitment process.

That's about it - you won't be receiving any cases, trick questions or market sizing exercises. 

Focus on building a good relationship with HR during the call. 

Best,
Cristian

1. Make sure you know your (own) story, have your pitch prepared, be ready to walk through your CV (and being able to relate that to consulting).
2. Know why you want to get into consulting, and be ready to explain your motivation. If you prefer a specific team, please be ready to articulate which team and why

They basically want to validate your profile, make sure you want to work in consulting and understand what that means, and that you know the recruiting process and prepare accordingly. Better for HR to spend 15 mins now than wasting 2 hours of consultant's time in a round of interviews that shouldn't happen if someone is not an adequate candidate.

Hi Ekow,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

• First of all, the HR screening interview is not actually evaluative, but rather serves the purpose of getting an even better understanding of you as a candidate. The recruiter will be looking for clarity in your communication, your motivation for joining McKinsey, and how well your values align with the company's culture. I would advise you to prepare concise and compelling stories that highlight your achievements, your problem-solving skills, and how you've worked effectively in teams.
• Moreover, this interview will also serve the recruiter for inquiring about your preferred application timeline and for informing you about the general application process (i.e. how many interviews with which general contents).

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

You can find the consulting salaries report 2024 here!

Hi Ekow,

The screening interview is basically about  verifying the information on your resume to check if they final invite you to the process. You don't need to prepare for something specific. 

You can check how the whole recruiting process works from an internal McKinsey perspective here:

MBB Hiring Hacks - Behind the Curtain Secrets

Best,

Alberto

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Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Hi Ekow, 

This is basically behavioral/fit light.

They're making sure you're a reasonable candidate/person that cna communicate and hold their own. They're making sure you know what the role/firm is, that you know why you're there, and they're checking that you can do the job.

Make sure you have your story straight and can follow a normal conversation about the role/firm.

Tell Me About Yourself – Interview Questions

Hi there,

This is usually down to match your profile and interest with their demand.

The questions revolve around:

• Your background and skills
• Your motivation for consulting and McK
• Your value-add once you join

The second part of the call is about your own questions and the application process.

No need to worry about it if you have your story right.

All the best,

Florian