[lancewiggs]

In which case this is lifted in part out of the McKinsey interview play book. A behavioural interview and a case study, with a resume review frost up. Keeping the case studies consistent across a set of interviewees for the best calibration. Making them realistic problems rather than academic exercises or quizzes means multiple paths can be taken to a variety of right answers. Laszlo and many others inside his area are ex McKinsey. (As am I)

[dpritchett]

As a developer I've never heard good things about McKinsey. Can you tell us your perspective on their value proposition and the relevance of their hiring methodology?

The best I've heard about them is that they provide political cover for executive agendas that might not play well absent validation from a third party with some academic credentials.

[lancewiggs]

McKinsey don't operate above the radar, but are responsible for helping with an incredible number of major corporate decisions across the world.

Recruitment and development is McKinsey's core advantage. They attract and retain incredible talent from all sets of places.

Teams work with the top clients - the CEO and team as well as high flyers at more junior levels. Things get done extraordinarily quickly. And well. But make sure that the internal team is up to scratch, and that there is that mandate from the top.

There is no prescription for how to deliver a project, beyond the hypotheses approach.

There is an obligation to dissent, and a client-first mandate. When enforced well the client gets what they need to hear, not want they want to hear. High quality consultants don't want to work on projects justifying dumb decisions - and can choose not to.

Use McKinsey and other consultants to help with new issues, not business as usual. They are fantastic for quickly understanding and assessing important questions of strategy, for mergers and acquisitions, organisational design and so on. They help understand the context and set the new agenda, or validate the old one. Generally clients simply don't have enough internal capacity to perform this work alone.

Use them, decide what to do and start doing it - and then get rid of them. Consultants that are camping at a client are in effect wildly expensive employees.