Kearney blends behavioral and case interviews. The behavioral interview is, in its words, a classic get-to-know-you conversation about your past experiences, and Kearney says it gauges your curiosity, generosity, boldness, solidarity and passions against its core values. Consulting candidates also get cases. General consulting typically has four to five interviews. To rehearse both out loud, Soreno, an AI voice interview practice app for consulting, investment banking and other finance candidates, runs Kearney-style cases and behavioral questions with follow-ups and scored feedback.
Updated
Kearney's recruiting process page sets out two kinds of interview and how many to expect by role. It says the process may vary slightly by role.
A classic get-to-know-you conversation about your past experiences, in Kearney's words.
For consulting candidates, and some specialist roles: a solution to a new challenge in real-world, less-than-perfect circumstances.
Kearney's typical counts, by kind of role.
Kearney consultants share their own tips on its careers site. Three that bear on the questions:
Behavioral
One says not to just list off résumé points, but to talk about what drives you, what makes you happy and how you have grown.
Kearney: ace the interviewCase
Another says it's okay to ask your interviewer questions in a case and to seek clarification on assumptions.
Kearney: ace the interviewCase math
A third says the interviewer is more interested in how you approach a problem, and how you act under pressure, than in perfect calculations.
Kearney: ace the interviewFrom Kearney: recruiting process, Kearney: ace the interview and Kearney: crack the case.
No scoring rubric is public. Kearney says it gauges these to see how you align with its core values, listed on its culture page:
Curiosity and drive to explore new ground.
Generosity of spirit to care deeply about the well-being of others.
Boldness to be distinctive and break from the status quo.
Solidarity to be a winning team that supports each other and their well-being.
Passion and presence to be your best self.
From Kearney's Ace the interview page and its culture and values page.
Kearney publishes one case question, the last one here, word for word. The rest are our wording, built on its five values and its interview tips. Each note says what a strong answer does.
Our wording. Answer each in STAR, as Kearney suggests, with one real example.
Tell me about something you dug into because you wanted to know why.
Curiosity. Kearney's value is the drive to explore new ground. Show what you found that others had missed. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you helped someone succeed when there was nothing in it for you.
Generosity. Who they were, what they needed and what it cost you in time or credit. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you challenged the way something had always been done.
Boldness, breaking from the status quo. Say why it was risky, how you made the case and what happened. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time a teammate was struggling. What did you do?
Solidarity, a team that supports each other. Show what you noticed, what you did and how the team did after. Practice it, see a model answer
What are you passionate about?
Passion and presence. Pick one thing and tell it with detail. A Kearney Original's tip is to talk about what drives you, not résumé points.
Our wording, built on Kearney's own interview tips.
Tell me about yourself.
Your path in two minutes, with what drives you and how you have grown, not a list of résumé points. Practice it, see a model answer
Why Kearney?
Kearney says to understand why you want to join and be ready to discuss its values, culture and recent initiatives. Name one and tie it to you. Practice it, see a model answer
What trend in this industry is on your mind right now?
Kearney says to be ready to discuss the latest trends and developments. One trend, why it matters and what a company should do about it.
What would you like to know about us?
Kearney's tip is to ask what you really want to know about the people, culture, work and opportunities. Practice it, see a model answer
Two in our wording, built on Kearney's Crack the case tips, then Kearney's own sample question. For the case itself, see our Kearney case interview guide.
The interviewer pushes back on your recommendation. Do you change it?
Kearney asks you to be coachable and also firm about the things you believe in. Take the point seriously, then keep or change your answer and say why.
You are stuck halfway through the case. What do you do?
Kearney's tip: don't tough it out. Say you are stuck, ask for more information or try a different logical path.
What would be your approach to increase sales lift when an item is promoted?
Kearney's promotional planning sample case
A grocery chain's promotions lift sales less than rivals'. Kearney's case rules out a switch to everyday low pricing, so look at how stores plan and order promoted items.
Kearney says it isn't looking for the loudest candidate or the most buzzwords. Talk to the interviewer as a future colleague.
A Kearney Original's tip is to talk about what drives you instead. Every story needs a reason it mattered to you.
Kearney's case tips say to avoid fitting the problem to a standard framework. Build one for this client.
In the case Kearney wants the solution you truly believe is best.
Kearney's own advice first. The last two steps are our suggestions.
Its advice
Situation, task, action, result. Kearney also asks for concise, clear and confident answers.
Its advice
Its values, culture and recent initiatives, and the latest trends in the industry you want to work in.
Its advice
For consultant roles, practice case studies, business problems and calculations under pressure, starting with its own sample.
Our suggestion
A STAR story for each of curiosity, generosity, boldness, solidarity and passion covers the five values Kearney says it gauges.
Our suggestion
With a partner or an AI interviewer that follows up, so each story holds up under a second question.
Soreno's AI interviewer asks behavioral questions and runs Kearney-style cases, follows up like a real interviewer and scores every answer.
Behavioral questions about your past experiences and who you are, and a case for consulting candidates and some specialist roles. Kearney says it gauges curiosity, generosity, boldness, solidarity and passion.
Typically four to five behavioral and case interviews for general consulting, three to five for specialists and two to three behavioral interviews for internal roles, Kearney says.
Yes. Kearney's own tip is to use STAR for behavioral questions and to be concise, clear and confident.
Curiosity, generosity, boldness, solidarity and passion. Kearney says it gauges these in interviews.
Yes, a promotional planning case for a grocery and drug store chain on its Crack the case pages.
