Stefano is a McKinsey Digital engagement manager based in Singapore. He conducts more than 30 interviews a year for both digital and generalist consulting roles. Focusing mostly on campus interviews (e.g., INSEAD), he also participates in experienced professional interviews.
I love meeting new people through our recruiting process and learning about their backgrounds and experiences, as well as their approach to problem solving. People are what drive the firm, and recruitment is how we attract and hire exceptional talent.
Expectations
I think of recruiting as a two-way process in which the candidates can learn more about the firm, the kind of work we do and the impact we have, and about the people who may become their colleagues. I am very excited at the end of an interview when the candidate has a chance to ask questions. I see this as an opportunity to get them even more excited about the prospect of joining us.
A different kind of remote interview
One memorable moment was when I interviewed a candidate who was at a remote mine site in West Africa, which meant he had to conduct interview via video on his phone. He had to travel to the nearest village to get strong mobile reception, which meant he was going to participate in the interview on the street. It was funny to see other people walking behind him and curiously trying to figure out what the phone call was about. I was impressed and appreciated his willingness to interview in an unconventional setting.
Advice
Don’t neglect the personal experience part of the interview. Make sure you prepare as much for that portion as for the case studies. Be sure to focus on experiences in which you were really challenged and stretched, and walk the interviewer through some of the details of your experiences. For example, share what you felt or how you handled a particular situation and bring your leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal impact to life.
More about Stefano
Stefano graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors in Economics. He started his career at BHP Billiton, the mining company, in commercial functions in Singapore as a marketing manager. After six years, he left to pursue his MBA at INSEAD and worked at two consulting firms based in Australia and Singapore. In 2018, Stefano joined McKinsey Digital.
Outside of work, Stefano loves to travel. He enjoys exploring cities he travels to for client work. These days he enjoys playing hide-and-seek with his daughter and watching live streams of the Bolshoi Theater Ballet and the Kruger Park safaris.
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