The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the recruitment processes at the big professional services firms. The “Big Four” firms—Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC—all want to hire similar people, but the way they do interviews and the questions they ask can be very different. We’ve put together some notes on interview style and sample questions for the Big Four based on reviews of interviews from the last twelve months to help you prepare for the hiring round.
Landing an interview for a managerial role at a prestigious firm like PwC is a major accomplishment. But now comes the real test – acing the interview. PwC receives thousands of applicants every year for its competitive management positions. So you need to arrive fully prepared to stand out from the pack.
This comprehensive guide covers the 25 most common PwC manager interview questions along with proven strategies to craft winning responses. By learning how to tackle these queries confidently, you’ll be ready to put your best foot forward and take the next step in your career journey with PwC.
1. Walk Me Through Your Experience Leading a Team
PwC wants managers who can steer their teams effectively towards success. So expect interviewers to ask about your prior experience managing a team
Structure your response by:
- Describing the team and project background briefly
- Explaining your specific leadership role and responsibilities
- Sharing how you motivated, guided and supported your team members
- Discussing key accomplishments under your leadership
Conclude by relating your strengths as a team leader back to the role you’re applying for
2. How Did You Handle a Conflict Between Two Team Members?
Conflicts are inevitable in any team. This question evaluates your conflict resolution skills and emotional intelligence as a leader.
In your response, provide a real example demonstrating how you:
- Proactively identified early signs of conflict
- Brought both parties together to understand their perspectives
- Found a fair solution acceptable to both sides
- Reinforced the importance of a collaborative team environment
Focus on your impartial approach, strong communication and ability to reach an optimal outcome.
3. What’s Your Management Style?
Your management style directly impacts team dynamics and performance. PwC wants to ensure it aligns with their people-focused culture.
In your answer, emphasize that you:
- Lead by example and seek to inspire, not impose authority
- Promote open communication and employee engagement
- Make decisions consultatively by listening to team insights
- Focus on enabling your team to develop skills and advance their careers
- Blend compassion for your team with pursuit of excellence
Back this up with examples of how you’ve demonstrated this style.
4. How Do You Handle Pressure on Deadlines?
PwC managers routinely handle high-stakes projects with tight deadlines. This question tests your composure and ability to deliver under pressure.
Describe your approach for:
- Keeping yourself and your team focused when facing urgency
- Dividing up responsibilities and maintaining accountability
- Tracking progress meticulously to identify potential delays early
- Having contingency plans to reprioritize without sacrificing quality
- Leveraging your experience to help guide your team through crunch times
Convey that you’re able to maintain excellence amidst challenges.
5. Why Do You Want to Work at PwC?
With this common question, interviewers want to gauge your motivations for joining PwC and determine if they align with the firm’s values.
Show you’ve done your research on the company by highlighting specific things that attract you such as:
- PwC’s global scale and reputation as an industry leader
- The opportunity to do meaningful work across diverse industries
- Access to exceptional training and career development programs
- The collaborative culture and focus on innovation
- The potential to progress into senior leadership roles
Back up your points with on-target examples of how PwC aligns with your own career goals and aspirations.
6. Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
This question gauges your career ambitions and determines if they fit with PwC’s talent development approach.
Emphasize your commitment to growing at PwC by mentioning goals such as:
- Gaining expertise across different industries and service lines
- Expanding your skills in areas like digital transformation and data analytics
- Moving into an executive position with increased strategic responsibilities
- Managing larger, more complex client engagements
- Leveraging your experience to mentor and develop junior staff
Align your aspirations with PwC’s strengths in nurturing talent internally over the long term.
7. How Would You Handle an Unhappy Client?
PwC lives and dies by client relationships, so they need managers who can handle disgruntled clients tactfully.
Highlight how you would:
- Listen actively to understand the root of their dissatisfaction
- Express empathy for their perspective and apologize for any lapses
- Take ownership by proposing potential solutions to resolve issues
- Develop an action plan for meeting expectations and restoring trust
- Follow up to ensure their needs are addressed and satisfaction is regained
Your response should demonstrate both compassion and accountability.
8. Why Should We Hire You Over Other Candidates?
With this question, you’re being asked to advocate for why you’re the strongest candidate. Now’s the time to recap your top selling points.
Tailor your answer around key qualities and experiences that make you stand out, like:
- Specific skills in areas that align closely with the role
- Years of management experience successfully leading high-performing teams
- Deep expertise in the company’s target industries
- A proven track record exceeding business goals and KPIs
- Diverse capabilities ranging
The interview process at Deloitte
Deloitte switched all of its recruitment on-line following the UK government’s most recent response to the Omicron variant. Simon Hallet, Resourcing Director says the firm takes a hybrid approach to its assessment and selection activities. “Hiring Managers may also want to meet in person,” Hallet says. “But we will listen to what the candidate feels comfortable with and be open to in-person interviews at the end.” “We are thinking about whether to let candidates choose between a virtual and an in-person assessment center.” The assessment exercises and elements are the same. ”.
Hallet says that Deloitte’s interview questions are meant to find out about the candidate’s relevant experience, what drives them, and their strengths and subject matter expertise. For roles that involve more technology, there may be a skills test to see how well they know how to use a certain technology. Case studies are a good way for job candidates to get a feel for the job and show how knowledgeable they are about the job in a real-life setting. ”.
Hallett says Deloitte asks a variety of competency, strength and scenario style questions. Some examples of questions that could be asked during the process include;.
- We’re all better at Deloitte when we look out for each other and put our health and happiness first. How would you describe the way you help the people around you?
- Tell me about a time when you had to get things done with the help of other people.
The following questions are also known to crop up in Deloittes interview process:
- Talk about a time when you worked with others to reach a goal.
- Give me an example of a tough character you had to deal with.
- How would people describe you in three words?
- Why Deloitte?
- Why audit?
- Please describe a long-term project you’ve worked on.
- If you want to work as an accountant, why did you go to college?
- What’s good about you?
- Describe a time you defended a friend.
- How would you sell yourself?
- Which other companies are you applying to?
- You had to decide what to do at one point. Tell me about it. What were your thought processes when you made this decision?.
- What do you do to get better?
- Tell us about a time you led a team.
- What can you bring to Deloitte?
- How do you handle stress at work?
- Tell me about a time when you dealt with something new.
- Why are pot holes round?
- How many pens can I fit in this room?
- Why should Deloitte invest in you?
- What is your leadership style?
- What are you reading right now?
The interview questions of EY
There are surprisingly few up-to-date reviews of the interview process with Ernst & Young. What is available suggests that there are “Lots of behavioural and situational questions”, and “Very fast, informative interviews”.
EY tells applicants to get ready by thinking about relevant work experience and how they feel about current market trends and changes in the sector.
The interview could happen in person, over the phone, or via video chat. The company also says it might give candidates a written test, which could happen online or at a testing center.
EY seems to believe in case studies as an interview method and focuses on “personality and match with the firm.” They also have a slightly more structured and less conversational approach. “Tell me about a time when you had to show leadership” seems to be a question that people ask a lot.
Past questions include:
- Why do you want to work for EY?
- Describe a time you contributed to a high-performing team.
- Tell me about a time when you didn’t agree with someone and how you handled it.
- Tell me about a skill you haven’t talked about yet.
- What are you good at?
- What do you most enjoy studying?
- What gives you a buzz?
- Are you a starter or a finisher?
- Are you into big picture or detail?
- Describe a successful day you had recently.
- Have you ever done something differently the second time around?
- Tell me about your friends.
- Which three words would you friends use to describe you?
- What’s your biggest weakness?
- Have you ever wanted to stop doing something?
- Do you believe that to lead a group, you need to know a lot?
- Would you say you’re organized? Would your friends?
PwC Interview Questions with Answer Examples
FAQ
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What questions should you ask during a job interview at PwC?
If you’re applying for a job at PwC, you’ll need to be prepared for some tough questions during your interview. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most common questions asked by hiring managers at PwC, along with tips on how to answer them. What experience do you have working in the corporate world?
What is the PwC interview process?
The PwC interview process is rigorous, evaluating technical skills and a candidate’s ability to align with these principles. By asking PwC behavioral interview questions, hiring managers gain insight into how candidates behaved in past situations, predicting their future performance.
What does a PWC interview coach do?
Coaches focus on sharpening the communication skills necessary for the PwC interview process. They can offer mock interviews that simulate the HR interview or partner round you’ll encounter, helping you practice handling behavioral interview questions and receiving direct feedback.
