I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Bain & Company (Boston, MA) in Jun 2014
Interview
A recruiter contacted me about my online application and asked to schedule an initial phone call regarding my background and experience. She asked me questions about my past employment, why I was looking for a new job, why Bain/ this role in particular. A few days later, I had my first round of interviews with four different members of the team, who asked me a mix of situational questions and behavioral questions: what were my biggest strengths/ weaknesses, why am I excited about this role, where do I see myself in 5 years, etc. A couple of weeks after, I came into the office a second time for another round of interviews. I met three different individuals on the HR team and had a similar array of questions. Everyone was welcoming and very honest with me about the responsibilities and culture.
I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Bain & Company in Nov 2017
Interview
First interview was a two-panel behavioural-based VC. Standard questions such as why are you interested in the position, why HR, tell me about a time you had to challenge a decision etc.
Next stage was an unstructured meeting with the manager over VC. She was very friendly and shared her passion for the company. It felt more like a meet and greet where you made sure you would get along.
The final stage was what was supposed to be an informal coffee with the initial two interviewers. However, it quickly escalated into a repeat of the first-stage interview and wasn't informal at all. I tried to divert some of the questions because it was so uncomfortable answering exactly the same questions all over again, but it just kept returning back to the script. Very odd!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Were you ever unable to do something, and if so, what did you do?