Deloitte Consulting Interview Process

Briefing Document
Contents

Lateral Recruitment Approach for FY’21

Detailed Interview Rounds: Tips and Tricks

Appendix: Sample Strategic Case

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Lateral Recruitment Approach for
FY’21

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Lateral Recruitment Interview Process
A layered approach to assess a candidate’s Deloitte and Consulting fit at each stage of
the process
Rounds Format Type Time What is Tested? Candidate Selection Process
• Consulting fit
Behavioral/ 10–15 • Resume and background Behavioral/ Background
Background Minutes • General
Round 1 behavioral skills
1 candidate
30-45 1 interviewer
minutes • Basic problem-solving
Mini-Case + 20-30 and logical reasoning
Guesstimate Minutes • Quantitative ability Mini-Case + Guesstimate
(mandatory)

Focused • Candidate-specific
5-10 Focused Behavioral/
Behavioral/ behavioral/resume
Minutes Background
Round 2 Background questions
1 candidate
50-60 1-2 interviewers
minutes • Structured thinking
40-50 • Logical reasoning Business Case
Business Case
Minutes • Problem solving from
structured data

Partner /
Round 3 & 4 1 candidate Managing Partner / MD / SM
15–20 • Presentation skills
15-20 1–2 Director/ Senior Round
minutes • Fit with Deloitte
minutes interviewer(s) Manager Round /
Hiring Manager
Final Offer
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Detailed Interview Rounds
Behavioral and Case interviews: Tips and Tricks

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Behavioral Interview (Rounds 1 and 2)
Behavioral questions are different from traditional interview questions. They look for
accounts of actual experiences

Qualities being evaluated

Track record of Leadership and Aptitude Deloitte Fit/

achievements team work for Consulting Interest

Behavioral interview tips

• Describe how you personally drove specific results • Be concise, and structure your thoughts
• Be specific when discussing projects or actions • Just be yourself
• Avoid speaking in theory or using buzz-words

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Case Interview: Overview (Rounds 1 and 2)
A case is a hypothetical question or business issue to stimulate analysis and discussion

Round 1 - Mini Case + Guesstimate

An interview case will require that a candidate:
• Typically a simple business problem asking for inputs on key cost
buckets, profitability levers, revenue drivers etc. • Analyze the situation

• Provides opportunity to test analytical and problem-solving skills • Identify key issues

• Used to evaluate the candidate’s ability to structure a business • Develop a structured approach to solve the problem
problem, identify and prioritize key issues of the case
• Develop proposed solutions to the issues
• A guesstimate is presented to test quantitative solutioning in the
same context of the business problem • Outline next steps

• Discuss key considerations for execution

Round 2 - Business Case • Engage the interviewer in a discussion
• Typically a business case involving various facets, i.e., understanding
functional and business concepts, knowledge of market drivers,
macroeconomic factors, etc.

• Provides opportunity to evaluate candidate’s strategic thinking

capability, poise and ability to hold a conversation
with executives, and ability to analyze structured data

• Requires candidates to display enhanced problem-solving, analytical,

and communication skills

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Case Interview: Key Skills (Rounds 1 and 2)
A case tests both analytical acumen and interpersonal capabilities

Skill Description
Framing / Organizing Identify key issues that come into play to solve the problem
Prioritizing issues Assess the issues, prioritize them, and form a coherent plan of attack
Analytical skills

Identifying relevant information Dig deep enough to find the detailed information that leads to a meaningful answer…ignore the rest
Drawing conclusions Use given facts and data to develop a logical conclusion
from facts • Identify the key data dimensions needed to reach a solution
• Derive relationships among different pieces of data provided
Identifying key implications Predict outcomes based on sound reasoning
and next steps • Clear logic to conclusion
• Delineation of alternatives
Listening skills • Answer the questions asked
Interpersonal skills

• Remember data provided during case discussion

• Read nonverbal communication
Verbal skills / Articulation • Engage in discussion
• Get to the point
• Clear and logical structure and rationale
• Build a conversation—do not drift
Charisma / Spark / Credibility / • Be energetic/enthusiastic
Maturity • Appear as someone your lead would be comfortable sending alone to the client
• Remain engaged in issue

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Case Interview: Approach (Rounds 1 and 2)
Develop a “structured approach” to analyze the problem

Analyze the situation and

Listen and clarify Develop a approach Present findings
data

Listen to the case overview and Outline the approach for Perform sound analysis to support Share your answers and entertain
ask follow-up questions answering specific questions recommendations any challenges

• Understand the company • Pause—take 2-3 minutes • Structure analysis clearly • Follow structure…or explain why
situation to reflect you changed a structure
• Focus on answering
• Identify the specific client • Use logical tools to organize key questions • Be methodical but
problem conversational
– Frameworks: SWOT, • Study data provided and
• Note specific questions you will Profitability, etc. “connect the dots” • Answer follow-up questions
need to answer (take hints!)
– Create your own structure
• Review quantitative information • Remember to wrap up on
• Consider qualitative and
time—time goes quickly!
• Review notes and ask quantitative inputs
clarifying questions
• Share/approve intended
approach with interviewer

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Preparing for a Case

Preparation Execution
• Practice! Call a friend and practice cases with them • Relax. The interviewer wants you to succeed as much as you do
• Frameworks can help logically structure problem solving • Maintain your composure. Act as if you are having a
conversation rather than an interview. Don’t be startled if you are
• Don’t blindly follow a framework! Choose a framework based on
given data to analyze
the problem you are solving and use the framework to organize
your analysis • Don’t jump to an answer. Take your time and explain how you
arrived at your answer
• It’s better not to apply a framework if you are unsure of how to
use it • Ask questions. If you really need to make an assumption, state it
and move on
• You don’t need to use a framework as long as your response is well
structured and your solution is sound • Write it down. Structure your notes in line with your selected
approach. Use charts and diagrams to better communicate
your ideas
• Hit all key topics. Be sure you’ve addressed the interviewer’s
explicit questions
• Engage the interviewer. We want to know you. Make the
interview process a discussion, not a one sided conversation

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Appendix
Sample Strategic Case

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Round 2 Sample Strategic Case: Helicopter Manufacturing
Business Situation

Our client is a $2.8 Billion manufacturer of Helicopters. The client sells new helicopters and the parts associated to operate them to customers
globally. Our client produces only one helicopter model , the JetHawk, at their sole manufacturing facility. It is an extremely high quality aircraft
that was developed many years ago specifically to serve the Oil & Gas market segment. Additionally, the parts market has grown around the
needs of these customers. These customers tend to be very sophisticated and price insensitive. Helicopters, in general, vibrate themselves apart
as they fight gravity to stay in the air; as a result, it is expected that they consume parts throughout their lifecycle (note: the manufacturer
typically retains the exclusive rights to produce the parts).

Over the last few years, our client has dramatically grown their revenue base by expanding outside of their core Oil & Gas market into new
markets using their existing JetHawk product. Specifically, they have expanded into both the Law Enforcement and Corporate segments;
revenue in these segments has grown from almost nothing to $600M in the last fiscal year. However, while the revenue base has grown, our
client is concerned about the significant erosion in their profit margin.

Our client has an aggressive goal of expanding their profit margin and is considering investment to expand share in international Oil & Gas
markets; however given the recent economic downturn and the erosion in their profit margin they are proceeding with caution. (Note: Assume
there has been no change in the Oil & Gas customer mix/profitability).

Problem Statements

1. How can a company be successful entering new market segments (with an off-the-shelf product) but actually erode bottom line profit?
2. Based on the data provided, what are the dynamics of this business that have eroded profit margin as the company has expanded? What
market segments should the company pursue?
3. What is occurring with our Client’s core market (the US) and what are the considerations you might recommend for their core market?
4. What factors would you consider when expanding into new markets?

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Helicopter Manufacturing—cont’d
Data Sheet

Client Income Statement Global Oil & Gas Market Overview - $10B

Middle
Service US Europe Asia Total
Aircraft Total East
Parts
Total Aircraft Revenue
Revenue ($M) 2,200 600 2,800 ($M) 2,000 3,000 1,000 4,000 10,000

Gross Margin 18% 80% 31% Market CAGR -10% 5% 14% 9% 5%

Total New Aircraft Sales
Profit Margin 4% 20% 7% (Units) 500 600 500 500 2,100
Client Revenue Share 30% 15% 15% 10% 16%
# of Competitors 8 3 12 10 18
Price Sensitivity Med. Med. High Low n/a

Client Segment Performance Customer Needs

Law
Oil & Gas Corporate Oil & Gas Corporate Law Enforcement
Enforcement
Overall Market
Segment CAGR 5% 35% 30%
New Aircraft Sales  Durability  Strong Brand  Aircraft Performance
(Units) 400 100 100  Dependability  Field Technical Support  Low Operation Costs
Aircraft Revenue  Payload Capacity  24hr Customer Service  Field Technical Support
($M) $1,600 $300 $300  Single, Global Parts and  Many Local Parts Distribution  Customer Service Centers
Service Parts Distribution Centers Centers  Availability of Parts
Revenue ($M) $500 $40 $60
“Core Market”

Note: The data in the gray tables is client-specific. The data in the teal tables represents the total market

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 Helicopter Manufacturing – Confirm your understanding of the problem

Listen and Clarify Develop Approach Analyze Data Present Findings

Clarify…. Understand the problem…

 Confirm your understanding of the problem Key Considerations include:

– What did you hear?  One product, one manufacturing facility

– What preliminary questions are fair game?  Until recently, served only the Oil & Gas market segment. Expanding into Law
Enforcement and Corporate markets ($600M in new revenue)

 Parts market has grown from the nature of the product

 Customers have been price insensitive

 Profit margin has been eroding

 Objective: Determine why profitability has declined and offer a recommendation on

how to reverse this trend

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Helicopter Manufacturing – Develop logical structure for addressing questions & objective

Listen and Clarify Develop Approach Analyze Data Present Findings

The Helicopter Manufacturing case is an example of a market analysis case. Develop and outline a structured approach for answering specific questions.

The approach could be structured to answer the following:

 Economics of our client’s business

 Rationale for recent failure in the market

 Strategies for dealing with contracting markets

 How to think about expanding into new markets

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Helicopter Manufacturing – Use provided and acquired data to develop hypotheses

Listen and Clarify Develop Approach Analyze Data Present Findings

Analyzing the data to answer Problem Statement #2:

 Identify Pertinent Data: “Client Income Statement” and “Client Segment Performance” indicate that revenue is driven by aircraft but profit comes from parts

 Acquire or Synthesize Additional Necessary Data: Use information from the Data Sheet to make a hypothesis:

Law
Oil & Gas Corporate
Enforcement
Hypothesis

Parts $ / “The new markets do not consume the most profitable part of the business
31% (5/16) 13% (2/15) 20% (1/5)
Aircraft $ at the same rate”

Parts $ /
Aircraft $1.25/aircraft $0.40/aircraft $0.60/aircraft
Units

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Helicopter Manufacturing – “I recommend X, based on Y facts, and with more time, I
would further examine Z”
Listen and Clarify Develop Approach Analyze Data Present Findings

Lay out potential strategies for contracting core, which may include… …recommend a path for future growth
 “Roll-up strategy” – Acquisitions and scale-up  Present a well-structured strategic recommendation backed by previous
case discussion and any additional data
 “Cost cutting” – Reduce prices to protect share
 Take into account the characteristics of each market (size, growth rates,
 “Harvest” – Reduce investment in regional Oil and Gas segment and focus on
comp. landscape) as well as client’s strengths and current market position,
other growth markets
and customer needs.

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