Some time ago, Bain & Company changed its hiring procedures to include something called a “HireVue interview”, which Bain sometimes calls a “Bain One Way”.
Following BCG’s lead using one way video interviews the past year to pre-screen candidates using fit questions, certain Bain offices is starting to also use one way videos as well and if you’re reading this, it’s likely the office you applied to is one of those offices.If your goal is a career in management consulting, you need to buff up your video interview skills.Below, we’ll tell you everything we know about Bain’s one way interviews, from what to expect to how to pass.
- Tell me about yourself (a classic HireVue question)
- What was the toughest challenge you’ve faced.
- Tell me about a time you faced a problem with a team member.
- Tell me something that is not on your resume.
- Access more of these questions at Voomer!
Interviews for Top Jobs at Bain & Company
- What are some strategies you would use to solve this problem?
- Tell me about a time you resolved a challenge?
- What offices do you want to work in? Market sizing cases
- How would you handle a scheduling conflict for your managers .
- According to the expectations I had during the interview preparation
- Tell me about yourself. Why consulting? Why Bain?
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What happens in a Bain HireVue interview?
In a HireVue interview, youll record yourself answering questions.
Those questions might be shown to you as a couple of lines of text or they might be displayed as a pre-recorded video by someone at Bain asking you that question.
Then, youll get around 30 seconds to prepare your answer and around two minutes to answer.
The number of questions varies, so be ready to answer anything from 2 to 5 questions.
You can answer on your cell phone, laptop, or desktop computer – as long as it has a camera.
Bain’s HireVue interview specifics
The questions asked will be mostly behavioral ones, so make sure you are brushed up on how to answer those. The best way to answer them is via the STAR method – if you arent familiar with how to ace every question using that method, check out the video below.
You also want to be aware of Bains corporate values. You want to answer the behavioral questions on HireVue through the lens of those values. This will make the hiring managers life very easy as they are looking for those values in every person they evaluate.
You can find Bains corporate values on its website. Also take a look at their website to familiarize yourself with Bains history and corporate goals, because knowledge of those can be extremely helpful in an interview.
The Bain Experience Interview: What Does It Assess?
In the experience interview, Bain is looking to learn more about you.
Unlike a case interview, there are no right or wrong answers to these questions, though answers that show that you understand the type of work that Bain does and its firm values will make you a stronger candidate.
Spend some time on their website looking at consultant profiles, the types of business problems they solve, and what they look for in candidates as preparation for this interview.
Bain wants to understand who you are so they can assess whether you’ll fit in well with their organization and succeed at the type of work they do.
They want to understand:
- Whether you’re a hard worker.
- What kind of teammate you’ll be.
- Whether you have the analytic skills required to succeed in consulting.
- Whether you can lead a team and take initiative.
- Whether you can create measurable change in an organization.
- What your strengths and weaknesses are.
Bain actually does a great job of telling you what they look for in their experience interview here. This video includes sample Bain experience questions and answers, as well as an evaluation of the answers by a senior Bain consultant.
What Is the Bain One Way Interview?
A one way interview is a video interview. With Bain’s invitation, they’ll provide a link to HireVue.com, a digital recruiting company that specializes in online assessment games and video interviews.
You can use your computer or smartphone (we recommend computer) to access the site and record your answers at a time convenient for you (though do make note of the deadline).
When you’re ready to answer Bain’s questions, click on the link.
HireVue will provide your questions and walk you through the process of recording and submitting your video answers.
Why Are Bain and BCG Doing One Way Interviews?
HireVue says that video interviews have several advantages over the traditional process.
They’re quick because video interviews eliminate the need for candidates to travel to a Bain office.
Also, the timing of the interview is flexible; there’s no need to wait until an appropriate interviewer has a free slot in their schedule.
Another advantage is that they allow Bain to recruit from a broader range of geographies and a more diverse candidate pool.
This can give candidates from non-target/non-core schools a better shot at getting a first round interview.
HireVue says most candidates have a positive experience with the process.
Things You Should Know Before Your Bain Video Interview
- HireVue’s platform will give you a chance to do a practice /test to make sure you understand how their system works.
- You’ll be asked to answer 3 questions.
- You’ll be given 5 minutes to prepare your answer for each question.
- You’ll have only one opportunity to record your answer and will have 2 minutes for your answer
FAQ
What does the Bain do?
Consulting services
The firm advises on issues such as private equity investments, mergers & acquisitions, corporate strategy, finance, operations, and market analysis. It also has departments focused on customer loyalty, word of mouth marketing, and digital technology. Most of its consulting is on corporate strategy.
Is Bain better than McKinsey?
Is Bain a good company to work for?
