Specialists
Industry expertise first.
- Its words
- You don't have time for a learning curve
- Teams
- Industry experts with new consultants
Why Oliver Wyman? how to answer it
Oliver Wyman says its conversational interviews aim to understand your interest in business, your goals and your experiences. In our experience, that is where why Oliver Wyman comes up. A strong answer starts with what you want to do, ties it to one thing Oliver Wyman says about itself, such as industry specialization or one of its five values, and proves it with a real conversation. To practice saying it, Soreno, an AI voice interview practice app for consulting and finance candidates, has a free why this firm question page with the points a strong answer hits, no sign-up needed.
Updated
- Its five values
- Be Brave, Lead With Heart, Strive For Breakthroughs, Work As One, Own Our Impact
- After a values refresh, per its careers site
- What it values in hires
- Initiative, intuition, creativity
- Plus a strong problem‑solving mindset
- Where the question lands
- The conversational interview
- Our reading of its interview page
- Where it works
- 50+ cities
- From its expertise page
- Length
- About a minute
- Our advice
How does Oliver Wyman describe itself?
The top guides we read give four different lists of Oliver Wyman values. The five below are the ones on Oliver Wyman's own values page today. Use one of them, or one line about how it works, as the anchor for your answer.
The culture
No corporate mold to fit.
- Its words
- Serious work, not too serious
- Growth
- No artificial barriers to advancement
Oliver Wyman's five values, as its values page states themFrom Our values
Be Brave
Stand behind your beliefs
Standing behind beliefs while exploring what drives them, standing up for what is right and persevering through difficulty.
Lead With Heart
Relationships that last
Relationships with clients and colleagues grounded in transparency, authenticity and trust, with passion combined with rigor and skill.
Strive For Breakthroughs
Bigger questions
Deep expertise and profound curiosity, asking bigger questions and seeking diverse perspectives.
Work As One
One team with clients
A unified team of colleagues and clients, achieving together what separately would be beyond reach.
Own Our Impact
Entrepreneurs and stewards
Acting as entrepreneurs and stewards of the firm, with integrity at every step and high standards for results.
How Oliver Wyman says it worksFrom oliverwyman.com
Specialization
No learning curve for clients
Its expertise page says it is committed to industry specialization because clients don't have time for a learning curve, and that its experts work from 50+ cities.
Teams
Experts beside new consultants
Its consulting careers page says it builds multi-disciplinary teams combining industry experts, experienced managers and new consultants at the beginning of their careers.
Careers
No one size fits all
Its careers page describes a built-in support network, flexible career paths, extensive training curriculums and no artificial barriers to advancement.
Entry level
Years of experience in months
Its entry level page says varied projects condense years of industry experience into mere months.
A voice for everyone
The Global Leadership Team Council
A group of non-executive colleagues who work alongside senior leaders on the firm's long-term strategy, according to its careers page.
Society
Oliver Wyman for Society
Volunteering, fundraising, pro bono social impact projects and nonprofit fellowships, which Oliver Wyman calls a core part of its culture.
Brand
Part of Marsh
A banner on its site says Oliver Wyman is now part of the new, expanded Marsh brand.
Worked example: one answer in four parts (ours)4 parts and a weaker version
A made-up candidate: an analyst at a health insurer who wants to move into consulting. Every detail is invented by Soreno. Write yours from your own experience.
What you want
The work first
"I've spent two years pricing health plans, and the part I like is when a pricing change holds up a year later. I want to spend the next few years on problems like that, for more than one company."
One Oliver Wyman idea
Specialization
"Oliver Wyman says it specializes by industry because clients don't have time for a learning curve. I'd rather go deep in one sector than start from zero on every project."
Proof
Someone you met
"A consultant I met at your health care event told me she was staffed next to a former insurer executive on her first project. That's the kind of team I want to learn in."
What you bring
Link to a value
"Own Our Impact talks about holding high standards for results. I rebuilt our renewal model after a bad quarter, without being asked, and it's still in use."
The weaker version
Why it falls short
"Oliver Wyman has a great culture and works with top clients." No reason, no proof, and it would fit any firm on your list.
From Oliver Wyman: our values, Oliver Wyman: recruiting events, Oliver Wyman: our expertise, Oliver Wyman: consulting careers, Oliver Wyman: careers, Oliver Wyman: entry level, Oliver Wyman: our culture and Oliver Wyman for Society.
What a good why Oliver Wyman answer shows
Oliver Wyman's entry level page says it values initiative, intuition, creativity and a strong problem-solving mindset, and that it appreciates an interesting and impactful life outside your studies. In our practice sessions, the answers that land show these four things.
One reason with Oliver Wyman's name on it
Specialization, the team mix or one value. If another firm's name fits just as well, keep going.
Initiative you can point to
Oliver Wyman names initiative first. A thing you started without being asked is the best proof.
Real interest in business
Its conversational interviews aim to understand your interest in business and your goals. Say what kind of problem you want to work on.
Something from outside class or work
Oliver Wyman says it values an interesting life outside your studies. A short, true detail makes you memorable.
From Oliver Wyman: entry level and Oliver Wyman: interview preparation.
Put your why Oliver Wyman answer together
Four parts we suggest, said in about a minute. Pull the facts from Oliver Wyman's own pages, not a guide's list.
Part 1
The problems you want to work on
Name an industry or a kind of problem, and where you got interested in it.
Part 2
One Oliver Wyman idea
Industry specialization, experts beside new consultants, no corporate mold, or one of the five values. Quote it accurately.
Part 3
Proof you looked
A person, an event or a piece of its published work. Its recruiting events page lists events for students.
Part 4
What you'd add
One example of initiative or creativity, the qualities Oliver Wyman names, then stop.
12 follow-ups to why Oliver Wyman
Our own questions, the sort that come once your first answer is done. Each note describes the reply we'd score highly.
Digging into your reason
Does it hold up?
Why Oliver Wyman over the MBB firms?
One thing Oliver Wyman says about itself that you want, said without knocking anyone. Practice it, see a model answer
Which industry group would you want to join, and why?
One industry with a real reason from your past, plus openness to being staffed elsewhere.
Which of our values do you relate to most?
One of the five by its right name, with a time you acted on it.
What have you read of our published work?
One piece, summarized in a sentence, and what you thought of it.
The conversational interview
Oliver Wyman says these cover your background, interests and goals.
Give me a quick overview of your background and what brought you to consulting.
Two minutes, in order, each move with a reason, ending on consulting. Practice it, see a model answer
Where do you see yourself in five years?
A direction Oliver Wyman's work helps, without a promise to stay or leave. Practice it, see a model answer
What do you do outside work or class?
Something true and specific. Oliver Wyman says it values a life outside your studies.
Do you have any questions for me?
One question about the interviewer's own work that the website can't answer. Practice it, see a model answer
Stories for the values
One story each, short enough to tell in two minutes.
Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager.
Be Brave. What you said, the risk and how it ended. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you took the initiative without being asked.
Own Our Impact. What you saw, what you did and the result you owned. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you led a group to a result that mattered.
Work As One. Your part, how you brought others in and the shared result. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about an idea of yours that surprised people.
Strive For Breakthroughs. The usual approach, your different one and why it worked.
Mistakes in why Oliver Wyman answers
What we see most when candidates practice this question.
Quoting old values
Oliver Wyman refreshed its values. Use the five on its values page, not a list from a prep site.
It's like MBB, only smaller
That's a comparison, not a reason. Say what you want from Oliver Wyman itself.
Naming an industry you can't explain
If you pick an industry group, expect a follow-up on why. Have one true reason.
No person behind it
Without one real conversation or event, the answer is hard to believe.
Too long
About a minute. The interviewer will ask for more if they want it.
Say why Oliver Wyman out loud
Soreno's AI interviewer asks why Oliver Wyman, then follows up on the industry group you'd join, the value you picked and what you've read. It scores your answer. Start your free week.
Questions people ask
How do I answer why Oliver Wyman?
Name the problems you want to work on, tie them to one thing Oliver Wyman says about itself, prove it with a real conversation, and close on an example of initiative. About a minute is enough.
What are Oliver Wyman's values?
Its values page lists five: Be Brave, Lead With Heart, Strive For Breakthroughs, Work As One and Own Our Impact.
Why do guides list different Oliver Wyman values?
Oliver Wyman's recruiting events page says its Global Leadership Team started a journey to refresh the values. Older lists still circulate, so check the values page before your interview.
What does Oliver Wyman look for in candidates?
Its entry level page says it values initiative, intuition, creativity and a strong problem-solving mindset, welcomes all majors, and appreciates an interesting and impactful life outside your studies.
Where does why Oliver Wyman come up?
Oliver Wyman mixes conversational and case interviews. It says the conversational ones aim to understand your interest in business, your goals and your experiences, and are your chance to ask about the firm. In our experience, that is where why Oliver Wyman is asked.
Should I mention that Oliver Wyman is part of Marsh?
Only if it is part of your reason. Its site says Oliver Wyman is now part of the new, expanded Marsh brand.
How should I treat the case interviewer?
Oliver Wyman's interview preparation page says to think of your case interviewer as your client, who wants you to solve the problem and can help.