CASEBOOK 15 advanced-level cases inspired by real McKinsey interviews with detailed answers from a professional case prep coach RECRUITING CYCLE OF 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | Peter K Casebook 2023. McKinsey style advanced-level cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org 01 Top-notch quality frameworks for 15 hard cases meticulously crafted based on real McKinsey interviews 02 Dozens of challenging brainstorming questions to push your ideation skills to a new level 03 Only real data based on in-depth research. No made-up numbers or fake industry facts 04 A lot of 2nd/3rd layer insights in each case to boost your business acumen | 1 Only for McKinsey interviews and for advanced candidates Only for McKinsey interviews This casebook is designed to facilitate the preparation for McKinsey interviews only. All the cases provided are representative of real McKinsey interviews. Other leading consulting firms don’t use “wild card” cases or other McKinsey-style hard cases. Only for advanced candidates These are hard cases. If you are at the beginning of your case preparation journey, please make sure you’ve done at least 10 cases first and then come back to this casebook. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 2 Newsletter Subscribe to Peter K's newsletter to receive periodic updates on the latest news about top consulting firms, new case types, emerging interview topics, unexpected experiences shared by candidates in their recent interviews, and much more! © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org https://bit.ly/Peter-K_newsletter | 3 Do you like this casebook? Share your feedback! • What works great? • What could be better? https://bit.ly/2023_McK_casebook © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 4 Peter K $10 Education is a right, not a privilege of those who can afford it. That’s why all the materials at www.Peter-K.org are priced at $10, which is 20-30 times cheaper than with other case prep providers Real cases All the casebooks, e-courses, and other materials are based on recent real cases with top consulting firms Hyper practical All the materials are highly practical and immediately applicable. No high-level or vague advice. That’s why all the e-courses are as short as possible © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 5 Wild card Contents Inspired by Year 01 McKinsey 2023 Lasio virus Healthcare Hard 02 McKinsey 2023 Women’s equality Overall economy Hard 23 03 McKinsey 2022 Climate change Overall economy Hard 39 04 McKinsey 2023 K-12 teachers Education Hard 55 05 McKinsey 2022 Presence at Amazon Pet supplies Hard 72 06 McKinsey 2023 Customer engagement Retail chain Hard 89 07 McKinsey 2022 Sustainability Home supplies Hard - 105 08 McKinsey 2022 Differentiation Sport shoes Hard - 120 09 McKinsey 2023 Reputation Education Hard © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Name Industry Level Math Charts Page - 8 135 | 6 Implementation Impact of trend Contents Inspired by Year Name Industry 10 McKinsey 2023 Plant-based meat Fast food chain Hard 11 McKinsey 2023 Digital fitness Gym chain Hard 167 12 McKinsey 2023 AI Recruitment Hard 186 13 McKinsey 2023 Distribution strategy Fast food chain Hard 204 14 McKinsey 2023 Digital transformation Pharma Hard - 220 15 McKinsey 2022 Online training Asset management Hard - 235 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Level Math Charts Page - 151 | 7 Case # 1 Inspired by McKinsey Lasio virus 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 8 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Prompt Additional information A major African country has been facing a rapidly increasing number of child infections with Lasio, a deadly virus. Lasio spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis. Most countries eradicated Lasio through vaccination, but this African country has been struggling of reaching 90% vaccination level needed to stop the virus. Currently only 50% of children are fully vaccinated against Lasio. The World Health Organization (WHO) has brought your team to design a plan to vaccinate 90% of children in the country and stop the virus in 2 years. Please provide this information only upon request • Lasio mainly affects children under 5 years of age • There are 5M children in the country • Children should receive two doses of vaccine orally (by drops in the mouth) • • • • Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org The vaccine is stored at low temperatures (2°C/35°F) There are no known side-effect of the vaccine Anti-oral vaccine videos have been circulating in the high-risk communities The country has been struggling to ensure a reliable supply of vaccines to vaccination providers Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 9 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “Having a deadly virus uncontrollably spreading in a large country might represent substantial risks for neighbour countries and for the rest of the world in general” • ”Mass vaccination is operationally complicated and requires smooth collaboration between multiple stakeholders like vaccine suppliers, vaccination providers, governments of different levels, public opinion leaders, etc.” • “There might be different attitudes among parents towards children vaccination fuelled by disinformation and intimidation, so active marketing campaigns might be essential for success” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What age groups of children are affected by the virus? • How is the vaccine administered? Is it a one-shot or multi-shot vaccine? • How large is this African country population-wise? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 10 Wild card Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Case questions 01 What factors would you consider to help this country boost the Lasio vaccination rate to 90% in 2 years? 02 How to ensure the reliable supply chain of Lasio vaccines to vaccination providers? 03 What suggestions do you have to increase the number of children vaccinated against Lasio in this country? (Assuming reliable supply of vaccines and no costs for patients) 04 What is the minimum number of vaccines required for the country to achieve a vaccination rate of 90%? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 11 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider to help this country boost the Lasio vaccination rate to 90% in 2 years? Vaccination providers Vaccination • % vaccinated, growth rate • Break-down by age groups and regions • Vaccine efficacy • Vaccination providers (e.g. hospitals, mobile clinics) • Availability of vaccines and equipment Patient population • Awareness • Accessibility (e.g. in rural areas) • Trust and misconceptions Government • Vaccination funding (available budget) • Accountability levels (e.g. local, state, federal) • Capacity (# of nurses, storage) • Vaccination progress monitoring (e.g. frequency, granularity) • Geographical footprint • Engagement and coordination Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 12 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “I’d like to assess Do horizontal this problem through the lens of four areas – first, vaccination; secondly, vaccination presentation providers; thirdly, patient population; and finally, government” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the indicator (vaccination) and stakeholders (vaccination providers, patient population, and government) 03 Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “In order to almost double the vaccination rate from 50% to 90%, the government might need high-scale operations, aggressive marketing, and lots of funding” • “Given accomplished 50% vaccination rate, I’d imagine the healthcare system has necessary capabilities and talent, but might lack accessibility in some regions” • “Given WHO’s support, we can rely on international vaccine supply as well” 04 Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this approach sounds reasonable, I’d like to start by digging into vaccination providers. Do we have data on their number and geographical footprint?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 13 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q2. Reliable supply factors 2 How to ensure the reliable supply chain of Lasio vaccines to vaccination providers? Production Warehousing Transportation [Given the large size of the country, I anticipate strong need in domestic vaccine production capacity] • Maximize utilization rate of existing vaccine manufacturers (e.g. add new shifts) • Expand domestic production capacity (e.g. invest in new production lines and factories) • Partner with foreign vaccine manufacturers [Vaccine storage might require specific microclimate. So not any warehouse facilities might be eligible for our purposes] • Ensure storage quality (e.g. microclimate) and minimize waste • Minimize idle capacity • Expand existing warehouses • Invest in new storage facilities [Long-distance shipping might be costly as trucks require refrigerating capabilities which are energy-consuming] • Upgrade the existing fleet of refrigerated trucks • Expand the fleet • Ensure high-quality maintenance services (e.g. build supplies of spare parts, hire and train more mechanics) • Strengthen the truck driver force (e.g. hire more, train, incentivize) Storage at clinics [Clinics might lack required cold storage capabilities and capacity which might limit vaccine accessibility] • Modify the design of vaccine packaging to ensure longer shelf-life and storage time • Equip clinics with necessary refrigeration capabilities • Train staff to minimize vaccine waste due to improper storage and vaccine administration • Improve demand forecasting models to better predict required amount of vaccines Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 14 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “Great question! I’d structure it as a process flow of four steps and see what can be improved at each step. First, vaccine production. Secondly, warehousing. Thirdly, transportation. And finally, storage at clinics” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 15 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q3. Vaccination growth ideas 3 What suggestions do you have to increase the number of children vaccinated against Lasio in this country? (Assuming reliable supply of vaccines and no costs for patients) Increase awareness and address misconceptions Improve access [A lack of trust in the safety of vaccines and a belief that Lasio threat is exaggerated might contribute to the vaccine hesitancy] • Launch a top-notch vaccination web-portal • Offer 24/7 hotline • Run educational ads • Recruit celebrities and other vaccine advocates • Partner with community leaders to promote Lasio vaccination • Send out reminders for next vaccine dose (e.g. text messages, emails) [Potentially low urbanization rate might suggest low population density and thus lead to accessibility issues] • Maximize participation of healthcare providers in vaccination efforts • Offer Lasio vaccination at pharmacies • Launch a network of mobile clinics to offer Lasio vaccination • Increase the capacity of existing vaccination providers (e.g. dispatch more nurses) • Offer transportation in remote regions to vaccination sites Improve vaccination experience [Great patient experience might drive word of mouth] • Expand working hours and days • Ensure no lines • Accommodate walk-ins • Invest in training staff to be knowledgeable and friendly Offer additional benefits [Although not gamechanging, some additional benefits might increase attractiveness of vaccination to low-income families] • Offer candies for kids • Offer small gifts (e.g. toys) • Offer food for families • Offer other healthcare services (e.g. physical checkups) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 16 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “Sure. Some vaccination growth ideas that come to mind might fall into four categories: awareness, access, patient experience, and additional benefits. In order to increase awareness they could…” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 17 Wild card Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Q4. Math exercise – prompt 4 What is the minimum number of vaccines required for the country to achieve a vaccination rate of 90%? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Current vaccination results: • Due to poor storage conditions and inadequate vaccine demand forecasting, 25% of vaccines go to waste – 50% of children are fully vaccinated (received 2 doses) – 20% of children received 1 dose – 30% of children didn’t receive any doses • Children of all age groups are subject to vaccination © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org • The children population is 5M in this country • The children population growth rate can be neglected [for the purposes of this calculation] | 18 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q4. Math exercise – calculations 4 What is the minimum number of vaccines required for the country to achieve a vaccination rate of 90%? # of vaccines needed for children with 1 dose 5M 20% 1 dose 1M # of vaccines needed for children who didn’t get any 5M (90%-50%20%) 2 doses 2M Total #of vaccines needed (incl. waste) (1M+2M) (1-25%) 4M4M In order to reach a vaccination rate of 90% the country needs at least 4M vaccines © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 19 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q4. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 4 What is the minimum number of vaccines required for the country to achieve a vaccination rate of 90%? Basic comments (expected from everyone) At least 4M vaccines will be required to bridge the vaccination gap and vaccinate 90% of the children More adequate vaccine demand forecasts and additional investment in refrigerating equipment might allow to reduce the vaccine waste and thus decrease number of required vaccines Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) The birth rate in African countries is likely far higher than in the developed world, so a substantial number of additional vaccines might be required for newborns (that aren’t considered in the calculation) New distribution methods (e.g. mobile clinics, health camps) might boost the vaccination but also increase the waste rate leading to a higher required number of vaccines Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 20 Case #1. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Lasio virus Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 21 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 22 Case # 2 Inspired by McKinsey Women’s equality 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 23 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Prompt You’re working on an internal project for McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). Your team is preparing a report on advancing women’s equality in Africa. Due to the lack in gender diversity, Africa’s social and economic progress can’t reach its full potential. At the current rate of progress, Africa could take more than 140 years to achieve gender parity. What factors would you consider to advance women’s equality and reach gender parity? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • Africa population is 1.4B (2023), 50% of whom are female • According to experts’ estimates, Africa could add $300B-$1T (10%-35%) to its GDP in 5 years by advancing women’s equality • Africa has not made much progress in promoting women’s equality since 2015 • Progress towards gender parity varies significantly among African countries Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 24 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Ask for a moment to structure Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “Diversity and inclusion is a hot topic today, and not only for political reasons, but also for pure economic benefits. So, I understand the importance of the report” • “Reaching gender parity might unlock huge potential in labor force, business leadership, entrepreneurship, as well as bring social well-being to millions” • “One of the major roadblocks on the path to women’s equality is likely traditional attitudes and culture. The governments will need to address people’s stereotypes regarding women’s role in a family, a society and an economy in general” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What components are usually included in the definition of women’s equality? • What African country is a leader in promoting gender equality and why? • How large is the gap in women’s equality between Europe and Africa and what equality metrics are most behind? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 25 Wild card Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Case questions 01 What factors would you consider to advance women’s equality and reach gender parity? 02 What would you tell African leaders on tangible next steps to advance women’s equality? 03 In 2022 female entrepreneurs contributed $350B to Africa’s economy (13% of GDP). Women represent only 20% of African entrepreneurs. How can the African governments empower women’s entrepreneurship? 04 How many women should join labor force in Africa to reach the gender parity? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 26 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider to advance women’s equality and reach gender parity? Women’s equality • Definition (e.g. social, political, financial, career) • Current level and growth rate Impact of gender inequality Gender inequality at work Gender inequality in society • Social impact • Employment rate • Education level • Economic impact • Professional & technical jobs • Political representation • Unpaid care work • Digital inclusion (e.g. mobile phone ownership) • Political impact • Break-down by African countries • Leadership positions • Legal protection Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 27 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. ”I’d like to look at Do horizontal this problem through four dimensions: first, definition of women’s equality; secondly, its presentation impact; thirdly, inequality at work, and finally inequality in society” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the indicator (women’s equality) and components (inequality at work and inequality in society) 03 Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “The lack of equal legal rights and freedoms is a crucial part of the problem of gender inequality, however social and economic aspects might be as important” • “Given African countries are mostly developing, I’d imagine that gender disparities are far deeper in this region in comparison with the developed world” • “Political, economic and social inequalities are highly interconnected so making progress will require systematic action across a range of initiatives” 04 Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this approach resonates with you, I’d like to get aligned on the definition first. Do we know how women’s equality is defined?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 28 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q2. Solutions to advance women’s equality 2 What would you tell African leaders on tangible next steps to advance women’s equality? Education [Investment in human capital will not only bridge the education gap for women but also open more career opportunities and improve financial and legal literacy] • Strengthen education for girls • Create/boost professional programs for women • Scale up educational programs for women on financial and digital literacy Business [Equal economic opportunities will enable African countries to substantially accelerate GDP growth] • Encourage business leaders to include gender equality in their corporate goals • Promote women friendly corporate cultures • Empower women’s entrepreneurship • Encourage corporations to launch mentorship programs for women Culture [One of the major challenges to accomplish gender parity is deeply routed stereotypes about women’s role in the family, society, and economy] • Run campaigns to promote gender parity at work and in society • Recruit celebrities and opinion leaders to promote women’s equality • Hold large-scale events promoting women’s equality Laws [Equal legal rights are fundamental for gender parity. Laws should be not only adopted but reenforced by authorities] • Strengthen women’s rights at work and in society • Adopt regulations to reenforce gender equality Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 29 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “Sure. Let me break it down into four areas: education, business, (optional) culture, and law. In terms of education…” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 30 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q3. Ways to empower women’s entrepreneurship 3 In 2022 female entrepreneurs contributed $350B to Africa’s economy (13% of GDP). Women represent only 20% of African entrepreneurs. How can the African governments empower women’s entrepreneurship? Business education Business opportunities Access to finance [To help women jumpstart their companies, mitigate potential business risks, and see opportunities, the government should invest in business education] • Create/support startup incubators and accelerators for women • Promote mentorship programs for businesswomen • Launch/strengthen entrepreneurship programs for women [Facilitating business opportunities will offer a boost to women-owned companies] • Organize/sponsor more tradeshows and business conferences for women • Support women’s business associations • Set targets for government contracts to purchase from womenowned businesses • Promote women-owned businesses [Women might be at disadvantage to raise funds or get loans for their businesses due to genderbased biases] • Launch/encourage loans for women-owned businesses • Offer grant/subsidies for women-owned businesses • Create/support investment funds that are focused on investing in women-owned businesses Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 31 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “Great question! The way I’m thinking about it is through three lenses: business education, business opportunities, and access to finance. In terms of business education…” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 32 Wild card Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Q4. Math exercise – prompt 4 How many women should join labor force in Africa to reach the gender parity? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • See Appendix 1. • Currently 30% of females in Africa participate in labor force • Africa’s population is 1.4B, half of whom are females © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 33 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q4. Math exercise – calculations 4 How many women should join labor force in Africa to reach the gender parity? # women that are part of labor force 1.4B 50% 30% # women needed to reach gender parity 210M 0.75 (See App. 1) 280M Additional # women needed 280M 210M 70M 210M 70M more women should join the labor force in Africa to reach the gender parity (match the size of male labor force) © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 34 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q4. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 4 How many women should join labor force in Africa to reach the gender parity? Basic comments (expected from everyone) 70M women should join the labor force to match the number of employed men in Africa This sounds challenging not only because 70M is sizeable population, but also because Africa demonstrates far higher labor-force-participation rate than the world average of 0.64 (see Appendix 1) Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) I’d imagine that a good amount (~50% if not more) of the female population are girls and elderly, who aren’t able to join the labor force. That might explain the seemingly low number of 30% of females who participate in the labor force Boosting the number of women in the labor force is crucial as it’ll have a multiplier effect on other gender parity metrics. For example, it’ll improve formal employment of women and number of female managers/leaders Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 35 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 36 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 37 Case #2. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Women’s equality Wild card Appendix 1. Gender inequality at work in Africa, 2019 Real data Female/Male ratio (# of women to # of men) 0.75 Labor-force-participation rate 0.64 0.68 Formal employment 0.86 0.68 0.73 Professional and technical jobs Unpaid care work 0.39 0.33 Leadership positions 0.33 0.37 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 Africa World average 1 Gender parity © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 38 Case # 3 Inspired by McKinsey Climate change 2022 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 39 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Prompt The government of a West European country Franland has been under international pressure recently to accelerate the decarbonization of its economy. According to scientists, to reverse the odds of the most dangerous and irreversible effects of climate change, the countries should cooperate to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. In particular, Franland should reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20% by 2030. They have hired your team to help them out. What factors would you consider in building a plan to reduce GHG emissions? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • Franland is a developed country with 60M people • Franland enjoys multiple strong sectors - industries, agriculture, power/energy, transportation, etc. • Franland’s GHG emissions were ~360 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2021 • Franland’s GHG emissions are expected to keep declining, but not fast enough to meet its national mitigation targets by 2030 Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 40 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “The climate change is on agendas of most countries as its catastrophic consequences have been becoming more obvious recently” • “Given our client is a West European country, I’d imagine they have access to financial resources and latest technology to decarbonize their economy” • “The biggest challenge to accomplish such a radical decline in GHG emissions is to lead a cross-sector transformation which might be a multi-year project and take a lot of will power and political capital” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What types of gases are included in GHG? • What’s the structure of the Franland’s economy? Is it a developed country? • What sectors are the largest contributors to GHG emissions in Franland? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 41 Wild card Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Case questions 01 What factors would you consider in building a plan to reduce GHG emissions in Franland? 02 What solutions can you come up with to reduce Franland’s GHG emissions? 03 By how much (percentage-wise) will Franland be able to decrease GHG emissions from 2021 to 2030? 04 In case of ongoing high GHG emissions, Franland would like to be ready for the adverse effects of climate change. What initiatives to foster climate resilience can you suggest? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 42 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider in building a plan to reduce GHG emissions in Franland? GHG emissions in Franland Sectors that burn fossil fuels • Types of gases • Industry • Current level and historical data • Power generation • Break-down by region • Transportation • Benchmarking vs other European countries Other sectors, emitting GHG Potential action areas • Agriculture/ livestock • Legislation & taxation • Waste management • Investment in technology • Deforestation • Awareness & education Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 43 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. ”There are four Do areas I’d like to double-click on. First, analyze the status quo with GHG emissions in horizontal Franland. Secondly, explore sectors that burn fuel. Thirdly, get a better understanding of presentation other sectors emitting GHG. And finally, build an action plan.” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the indicator (GHG emission level) and drivers (sectors that burn and don’t burn fossil fuel) 03 04 Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “Given Franland is a developed country, its economy is likely focused on services and large portion of manufacturing facilities has been moved to low-cost countries by now. So, industry might not be the biggest contributor to GHG emissions” • “I’d think Franland enjoys solid GDP per capita, and thus the number of cars per household is fairly high. So, transportation should drive a major part of GHG emission” Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “That’s my plan of attack. If it makes sense to you, I’d like to explore the current status of GHG emissions in Franland. Do we know the current level of…” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 44 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q2. Solutions to reduce GHG emissions 2 What solutions can you come up with to reduce Franland’s GHG emissions? Industry [Generally speaking, the approach might be fourfold: substitute current energy sources with nonfuel-based alternatives, improve efficiency, reduce energy waste, and consume less carbonbased products] • Promote electrification of operations (that require heating, e.g. in construction) • Encourage industrial efficiency (e.g. implement less energyconsuming tech) • Eliminate energy waste • Set targets for recycling (e.g. plastics) Power generation [Coal-, gas-, and oil-based power generation is likely one of the major contributors to GHG emissions. Abating or even abandoning this outdated tech might be vital to reaching 20% reduction in GHG emissions] • Invest in renewables (wind/solar) • Prioritize hydroelectric power plants Transportation Agriculture and food consumption [The car emission standards have been tightened over the last 20 years. Further reduction in GHG emission in transportation might be driven by high tech] • Promote electric vehicles (e.g. subsidies) • Invest in self-driving technology (e.g. to ensure more energyefficient driving) • Consider advancing “uberization” (to reduce personal use of cars) [The biggest driver of GHG emission reduction in the agriculture might be a change in dietary habits. In particular, dramatically cutting down on the consumption of meat] • Reduce livestock (to cut down on methane) o Promote plant-based/ cultivated meat o Inspire vegetarian diets • Upgrade cultivation methods • Minimize food waste Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 45 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “I’d like to generate some ideas for specific sectors that contribute to the GHG emission the most. First, industries; secondly, power generation; thirdly, transportation; and finally, agriculture” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 46 Wild card Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Q3. Math exercise – prompt 3 By how much (percentage-wise) will Franland be able to decrease GHG emissions from 2021 to 2030? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request We expect the following decline in GHG emissions across sectors by 2030 (2021 as a base year): • Appendix 1 • Agriculture - 10% • Industry - 20% • Buildings - 30% • Transport - 40% • The rest - negligeable change © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 47 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q3. Math exercise – calculations 3 By how much (percentage-wise) will Franland be able to decrease GHG emissions from 2021 to 2030? Expected reduction in GHG emissions (MtCO2e) in… …Agriculture 47 10% 5 …Industry 69 20% 14 …Buildings 63 30% 19 …Transport 120 40% 48 Overall reduction by 2030 5+14+19+48 357 24% Franland will be able to reduce its GHG emissions by 24% by 2030 according to the current estimates © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 48 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q3. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 3 By how much (percentage-wise) will Franland be able to decrease GHG emissions from 2021 to 2030? Basic comments (expected from everyone) Based on the current estimates, Franland will be able to decrease its GHG emissions by 24% and meet its target of 20% by 2030 More than half of the reduction is supposed to come from greener transport, which makes sense given rapid growth of electric vehicles and high oil prices over the last ten years Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) I’d imagine that buildings emissions come from burning gas for heating and cooking. Switching gas stoves and gas heaters to electric ones might be incredibly capex intensive, so 30% emission reduction seems a bit aggressive target It’s surprising to see that Franland doesn’t expect a lot of reduction from agriculture. With strong trends of healthier nutrition, rapidly expanding number of vegetarians and skyrocketing demand for plant-based meats, I’d expect to see a more encouraging decline in GHG than 10% Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 49 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 50 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q4. Climate resilience initiatives 4 In case of ongoing high GHG emissions, Franland would like to be ready for the adverse effects of climate change. What initiatives to foster climate resilience can you suggest? Hazard mitigation [Rising global temperatures cause more frequent and more severe heatwaves, wildfires, and rainfall-driven floods. Those represent economic and life threats to communities of Franland] General • Create early-warning systems • Build climate risk insurance schemes Heatwaves • Invest in urban greening • Increase covered public areas with AC and water stations Wildfires • Invest in emergency services (e.g. fire-fighting equipment) • Improve forest management Floods • Build flood protection infrastructure (e.g. dams) • Floodproof buildings and drains in high-risk areas • Limit new construction in high-risk areas Agriculture resilience Fresh water availability [Rising temperatures affect agricultural yields and life conditions of livestock] • Increase strategic supplies of food and seeds • Encourage crop and livestock diversification • Invest in R&D of crop and breed genetics to develop heat-tolerant varieties • Expand farmlands to low-risk areas [As temperatures rise, snowpack and glaciers are expected to decrease, reducing the amount of water available in rivers] • Expand water storage capacity • Upgrade the water filtration systems • Diversify water supply sources • Promote water conservation measures among population Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 51 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “That’s right. I’d like to focus on three areas with most evident (optional) climate change impact - hazards, agriculture, and fresh water supply” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 52 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 53 Case #3. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Climate change Wild card Appendix 1. Franland’s GHG emissions* by sector, MtCO2e/year (Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) 400 378 350 17 23 24 300 250 367 17 22 21 49 47 65 65 200 150 314 15 20 17 357 100% 17 18 23 5% 5% 6% 47 13% 35 63 18% 55 70 68 65 Waste Power Energy (own use) Agriculture 69 19% 100 50 Real data Buildings Industry 130 127 107 120 2020 2021 34% Transport 0 2018 2019 2021 Note: *Include energy-related CO2 emissions and methane emissions (~80% of all GHG emissions) © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 54 Case # 4 Inspired by McKinsey K-12 teachers 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 55 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12* teachers Prompt Around a quarter of U.S. K-12* teachers are thinking of leaving their jobs (~900k educators). 9% of teachers left the profession in 2022 (e.g. switched to other industry) which is more than double that of countries with high-performing K-12 systems (e.g. Finland and Singapore). The nation’s education talent challenges are on the top of the agenda of the U.S. Education Secretary. They have hired your team to suggest a plan on how to dramatically lower the teacher attrition rate and get the situation under control. What areas would you like to explore to help the client turn things around and decrease the number of quitting K-12 teachers? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • There were 3.5M K-12 teachers (full- and part-time) in the U.S. in 2022 • The number of K-12 teachers grew by 2% annually in 2013-19, but then declined by 5% over 2019-22 due to the pandemic-induced layoffs • 2M K-12 teachers quit their jobs in 2022 (e.g. to switch to another school), out of which 315k left the profession entirely (e.g. joined another sector) • In 2010-18 the number of people completing a teacher-education program declined by a quarter (from 220k to 160k per year) • The number of K-12 students in the U.S. was flat in 2013-19 at ~51M and decreased by 2-3% during the pandemic in 2020-21 Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve *K-12 - kindergarten through grade 12 (incl. elementary and secondary school grades) | 56 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “The covid-induced burn-out and stress related to the radical shift from in-person to online education might have pushed a lot of K-12 teachers to reconsider their careers and prioritize their mental health” • “I’d expect the teachers’ attrition rate to slow down in the short-term given the ongoing recession, as the labor market conditions right now might not be too welcoming. However, once the economy starts improving, we might see a jump in teacher quitting” • “The rapid development in online learning, AI tech like chatGPT, and teaching software might increase the expectations from schools and put additional pressure on teachers” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • How many K-12 teachers are in the U.S. and is their number increasing? • What are the major drivers of teachers’ attrition rate? • How homogenous the attrition rate is across the U.S.? Or is it highly state-specific? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 57 Wild card Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Case questions 01 What areas would you like to explore to help the client turn things around and decrease the number of quitting K-12 teachers? 02 What are the major reasons driving K-12 teachers to leave? 03 Your team has led a survey of 2k K-12 teachers on the key attrition factors (Appendix 1). The inadequate compensation is the top problem. What can you suggest to address it? 04 By how much did the number of employed education workers change in 2018-22 in the U.S.? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 58 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What areas would you like to explore to help the client turn things around and decrease the number of quitting K-12 teachers? Teacher attrition Impact of teacher turnover • Current level and historical data • Changes in education level • Break-down by region/tenure/ subject • Financial assessment • Benchmarking against top K-12 systems (e.g. Finland, Singapore) • Analysis of perception/morale of teachers and students Attrition drivers Retention factors • Career opportunities • Community factors • Compensation • Meaningful work • Workload & worklife balance • Non-financial perks (e.g. proximity) • Leadership quality Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 59 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “It’s my pleasure to Do work on this problem. I’d like to consider four workstreams. First, educate myself on the horizontal current data of attrition rate. Secondly, evaluate the impact of teacher turnover. Thirdly, presentation assess attrition drivers. And finally, explore retention factors” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the indicator (teacher attrition) and drivers (attrition drivers and retention factors) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: 03 Add stories (optional) • “I’d imagine that teacher labor markets are fairly local as teachers won’t likely move to a new city for a job. So, the attrition rate and drivers might be quite region-specific” • “My understanding is that teaching is a low-paid occupation, and compensation and perks might be among top turnover reasons along with the rise of tech industry that might steal STEM professionals” • “Education has become more politicized lately with growing restrictions on what to teach and limits on teachers’ autonomy which might take away from attractiveness of this job” 04 Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “Does it sound like a fair plan of attack? If so, do we have historical data on the teacher attrition?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 60 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q2. Major attrition drivers 2 What are the major reasons driving K-12 teachers to leave? Compensation and benefits [K-12 teachers are likely far less paid than their colleagues at colleges or other bachelor-degree professionals while they still need to pay similar amount of student loans] • Low salary and bonuses • Poor perks (e.g. health insurance, retirement plan, childcare) • Large student loan payments (for their teacher education programs) • Weak or no labor union to ensure a fair pay Work conditions Development Culture [Given that most K-12 schools are public, teachers might face a lot of bureaucracy and reporting that may negatively impact their job satisfaction] • Unsustainable work-life balance (e.g. hefty workload, incl. high student-to-teacher ratio) • Lack of necessary equipment and materials for adequate teaching • Covid-induced burnout • Restricted teaching method flexibility • Limited work schedule flexibility • Unsafe workplace [Teaching is both science and art and there might be a lot of potential to master it. Poor results and no path to improve might demoralize teachers] • Limited career growth opportunities • No meaningful professional development • No skills transferable to other industries/roles • Lack of professional satisfaction (no meaningful results) [Teaching involves a wide variety of stakeholders like parents, school leaders, peers, and students. Inability to build and navigate these social connections might hurt teachers’ morale] • Poor school leadership (lack of administrative support) • Inadequate colleague support • Lack of or toxic parentteacher-student community (e.g. low respect) • Overall feeling of being undervalued Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 61 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “Thank you for the question! I’d like to explore four areas: (optional) compensation, work conditions, development, and culture” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 62 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q3. Compensation increase ideas 3 Your team has led a survey of 2k K-12 teachers on the key attrition factors (Appendix 1). The inadequate compensation is the top problem. What can you suggest to address it? Increase compensation [Given teacher shortage and attrition are likely localized, blanket compensation increase might be too costly for the government and not the most efficient] • Increase salaries for specific subjects (e.g. STEM) and tenure • Consider launching pay-forperformance programs (e.g. to reward best teachers) • Increase size of classes (in case of per-student funding) • Pay for extra responsibilities taken by teachers • Offer more lucrative retirement plans Reduce teachers’ living costs [Monetary benefits for teachers might also come from covering living costs, where the government can enjoy more levers] General costs • Offer free/subsidized childcare • Offer free/reduced-price public transportation • Offer more affordable healthcare plan • Engage NGOs that provide classroom supplies for free Professional development costs • Introduce student loan forgiveness programs (e.g. for teaching majors) • Subsidize upskilling programs • Offer tax dedications for professional development costs Administer tarCulture in geted interventions high-need schools [Increasing compensation for schools with the most acute teacher turnover might be the most efficient fund utilization to improve teacher retention] • Offer bonuses for teachers in high-need schools • Introduce cash awards for best results in high-need schools Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 63 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “That resonates with me a lot. The way I’d look at it is through three lenses: increase compensation, decrease teachers’ living costs, and administer targeted interventions in high-need schools” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 64 Wild card Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Q4. Math exercise – prompt 4 By how much did the number of employed education workers change in 2018-22 in the U.S.? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Appendix 2. • 10M education workers were hired during 2018-22 (incl. doublecounting as same teachers, for example, might have changed schools) • The number of education workers job openings almost doubled from 160k (Jan’18) to 280k (Jan’23). © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 65 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q4. Math exercise – calculations 4 By how much did the number of employed education workers change in 2018-22 in the U.S.? Total number of separations in 2018-22 Change in the number of education workers in 2018-22 161k + 162k + 203k + 136k + 166k 10M 10M 12 months 10M 0 The number of employed education workers didn’t change over the last five years in the U.S. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 66 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q4. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 4 By how much did the number of employed education workers change in 2018-22 in the U.S.? Basic comments (expected from everyone) The number of education workers hasn’t changed since 2018 as new hired staff offsets existing attrition The education worker shortage has likely become more acute over the last five years given the flat dynamic of the education worker number and almost doubled amount of education worker job openings Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) This zero increase might be misleading as the teacher labor markets are hyper-localized. So, the change in the teacher number might be very uneven across the country resulting in regions with high need in teachers and regions with teacher abundance High attrition rate might be very costly due to hiring and onboarding expenses. Lower turnover will enable schools to capture cost savings and potentially channel these additional funds to increase teacher compensation which will improve retention rate even more Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 67 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 68 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 69 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Appendix 1. Top reasons that drove U.S. K-12 teachers Real data to leave or plan to leave, % of respondents (n=2,000), 2022 42% Compensation 48% 31% 33% Expectations 23% Well-being Left Plan to leave 31% 31% 30% Leadership 21% Workplace flexibility 26% 0% © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% | 70 Case #4. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. K-12 teachers Wild card Appendix 2. Average monthly separations of workers* in state and local government education in the U.S., k Real data Other separations Layoffs and discharges 203 200 Quits 17% 147 150 135 134 18% 20% 126 35% 33% 149 16% 16% 18% 100 32% 16% 151 33% 161 162 166 15% 15% 16% 34% 31% 136 15% 29% 32% 21% 23% 32% 50 50% 47% 50% 2012 2013 2014 49% 51% 52% 2015 2016 2017 54% 56% 49% 2018 2019 2020 63% 62% 0 2021 2022 *Includes teachers, instructional aides, administrators, professional staff, support staff, maintenance personnel, cafeteria workers, and transportation workers © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 71 Case # 5 Inspired by McKinsey Presence at Amazon 2022 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 72 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Prompt Paw Pet Products (PPP) is a U.S. major premium dog toy manufacturer with $50M in revenue (2022). With over 300 items, they offer many puzzle toys and interactive dog toys – from squeak toys to tug ropes – for all breeds and sizes. As part of their positioning strategy PPP would like to strengthen their presence at Amazon, a large distribution channel and an important marketing platform for them. The CEO has invited you to look into this and design a strategy on how to boost PPP’s presence at Amazon. What factors would you consider? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • Amazon is the most visited e-commerce platform in the U.S., with ~3B visits a month, 200M global Amazon Prime members, and ~$400B in revenue/year • Two-thirds of U.S. consumers start their product search on Amazon • PPP sells through offline and online channels, incl. Amazon • PPP doesn’t plan to go internationally and would like to focus on the U.S. • PPP doesn’t have their own page/store at amazon.com, their product pages aren’t that developed, and their rankings aren’t the highest in comparison with other dog toy brands Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 73 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “Amazon is a great distribution channel given its nation-wide customer reach and outstanding customer experience. PPP is a small business with only $50M in revenue, so Amazon might help the client dramatically increase brand awareness and geo footprint” • “Amazon makes products look commoditized as customers are pigeonholed to choose offerings mostly based on price. For a premium brand like PPP, that’s an obvious risk” • “During the pandemic the dog adoption sky-rocketed as people were locked down and felt isolated. The e-commerce grew explosively too as offline retail was closed so customers developed new habits of online shopping. So, I’d imagine the dog toy market got a boost and it makes sense for PPP to strengthen online channels in their distribution” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What portion of PPP’s sales comes from Amazon? • Does PPP have any budget they’re ready to invest to boost their presence at Amazon? • Does PPP have any plans to go internationally (as Amazon is an international platform)? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 74 Wild card Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Case questions 01 What factors would you consider to strengthen PPP’s presence at Amazon? 02 As part of the pilot, the team would like to upgrade product images, infographics, compelling titles, and reviews for a best-selling PPP’s product RopeBiter. By how much will it increase its annual sales? 03 A quick benchmarking analysis revealed that PPP gets far fewer reviews than its peers at Amazon. What can PPP do in order to increase the number of reviews? 04 Some high-end pet supply brands aren’t present at Amazon at all (e.g. The Foggy Dog, Kanine, Tuft & Paw) which seems like a thought through strategy. What downsides might Amazon presence have for PPP? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 75 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider to strengthen PPP’s presence at Amazon? Presence at Amazon • Definition of presence (e.g. strategic, financial) • PPP’s revenue from Amazon (e.g. historical data and % of total) • Any recent changes to PPP’s presence at Amazon Product • Breadth (# listings) and depth (# SKUs) of PPP’s offerings at Amazon • Product availability (e.g. % sold-out) • Latest additions to Amazon and innovation pace Customer experience Brand and marketing • Product page design (e.g. clear overview, intuitive lay-out) • PPP’s own page at Amazon • Customer journey (e.g. conversion rates at different steps) • Major pain points • Rankings/reviews • SEO (search engine optimization) at Amazon • Promotions/ads at Amazon • Community development (e.g. community-driven Q&As) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 76 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “Thank you for Do horizontal having me on this project. The way I’d like to attack this problem is by looking into four presentation areas: presence at Amazon, product, customer experience, and finally brand and marketing” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the indicator (presence at Amazon) and components (product, customer experience, brand and marketing) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: 03 • “Given the customers can’t touch and feel the product, the product page should be visually appealing, offer a holistic description, top-notch pictures, and ideally videos” Add stories (optional) • “Dogs are perceived as family members, so customers choose products for their dogs with diligence and care. That’s why customers might be less resilient to potential flaws in PPP’s brand perception and customer journey at Amazon” • “Dog owners are often part of local communities that they connect to when they use dog parks or go for a walk. That’s why community feeling might be crucial for PPP’s presence at Amazon and can be offered through posts, Q&As, followship, ads, etc.” 04 Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this framework makes sense, I’d like to start by getting more data on the current PPP’s presence at Amazon. Do you know…” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 77 Wild card Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Q2. Math exercise – prompt 2 As part of the pilot, the team would like to upgrade product images, infographics, compelling titles, and reviews for a best-selling PPP’s product RopeBiter. By how much will it increase its annual sales? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Appendix 1. • The conversion rate to PPP’s RopeBiter page is expected to grow from 5% to 7% • According to the base scenario, the conversion rate from unique RopeBiter page visitors to purchases should increase from 10% to 11% • The unit price for RopeBiter is $25 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 78 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q2. Math exercise – calculations 2 As part of the pilot, the team would like to upgrade product images, infographics, compelling titles, and reviews for a best-selling PPP’s product RopeBiter. By how much will it increase its annual sales? New volume sold 800k 7% 11% 6.2k Current annual sales 4k $25 12 months $1.2M New annual sales 6.2k $25 12 months $1.86M 4M Annual sales increase $1.86M $1.2M $0.66M The annual sales of RopeBiter should increase by $0.66M © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 79 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q2. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 2 As part of the pilot, the team would like to upgrade product images, infographics, compelling titles, and reviews for a best-selling PPP’s product RopeBiter. By how much will it increase its annual sales? Basic comments (expected from everyone) The expected annual revenue will increase by more than 50% to $1.86M Double-digit conversion rate to purchase might be a bit aggressive. However, it might make sense as customers often come to Amazon specifically to make a purchase, and Amazon enjoys strong customers’ trust which might boost the conversion rate Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) While expected 50% jump in sales is outstanding, it isn’t reasonable to extrapolate this result to the overall PPP’s business. RopeBiter is just ~2% of PPP’s revenue ($1.2M/$50M) and given it’s a best-seller, it might not be representative for other products $25 per unit makes sense as PPP is a premium brand, so they target customers with low price sensitivity and high willingness to pay Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 80 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 81 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q3. Actions to increase number of reviews 3 A quick benchmarking analysis revealed that PPP gets far fewer reviews than its peers at Amazon. What can PPP do in order to increase the number of reviews*? Existing buyers [PPP can use every touch-point with customers to request a review] • Use product inserts (a card in the packaging) to ask for a review • Ask for reviews through Amazon’s review requests • Contact customers with poor reviews to address their problem (and hopefully they’ll update their review) • Reach customers after customer service calls/emails to ask for product reviews Professional reviewers New buyers [Improving the quality of customers’ interactions with PPP’s brand and products will naturally lead to more reviews] Marketing • Invest in aggressive online marketing to attract more buyers • Encourage reviews through ads, offline events, newsletters, etc. • Create visually appealing packaging Pricing • Offer limited-time steep discounts [great deals usually encourage reviews] Customer experience • Ensure quick lead times (e.g. join Amazon Fulfillment) • Offer 24/7 Customer Support Service • Launch 100% satisfaction guaranteed • Upgrade product images, include infographics, create compelling titles [Professional reviewers are likely to provide more balanced and objective reviews as they have tried a lot of similar products already, know the industry standards and best practices] • Partner with influencers to review PPP’s products • Contact top Amazon reviewers in dog toy category and ask for reviews *According to Amazon’s rules, sellers can’t directly incentivize positive reviews (e.g. discounts or free products for positive reviews) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 82 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “I’d like to generate some ideas by thinking about types of potential reviewers. First, existing buyers. Secondly, new buyers. Thirdly, professional reviewers” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 83 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q4. Disadvantages of presence at Amazon 4 Some high-end pet supply brands aren’t present at Amazon at all (e.g. The Foggy Dog, Kanine, Tuft & Paw) which seems like a thought through strategy. What downsides might Amazon presence have for PPP? Financial Marketing Product [Partnership with any big-name distributor might substantially change the economics of the business and affect both revenue and cost structures] Revenue • Cannibalization of sales from other channels (both offline and online) • Potential Amazon’s restrictions on pricing Costs • High sales commissions charged by Amazon • Additional opex to meet Amazon’s requirements on delivery time and packaging [Distribution channels usually don’t offer a lot of potential for marketing and sometimes might be detrimental to brand perception] Brand • Inability to tell a brand’s story • Commoditization of PPP’s premium brand (as customers compare products mostly based on price) Customers • No access to customer’s data (thus, no newsletters, personalized offerings, customer segmentation) • Loss of control on customer experience [Amazon product pages dramatically increase the transparency of PPP’s business with other players. Detailed product descriptions, number and content of reviews, traffic volume, etc. offer robust revenue proxies and disclose key competitive advantages] Product flexibility • Inability to personalize/ customize dog toys • Limited information for product innovation given no access to customers and their feedback Unethical competition • Elevated risks of rise in counterfeit and copycats • Risks of Amazon launching their own dog toys based on PPP’s sales data Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 84 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “To suggest potential disadvantages, I’d like to look into three (optional) areas - financial assessment, marketing, and product” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 85 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 86 Case #5. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Presence at Amazon Wild card Appendix 1. RopeBiter’s monthly sales funnel at Amazon, 2021 Number of unique visitors of dog toy pages 800k 5% Number of unique visitors of PPP’s RopeBiter page 40k 10% Volume of RopeBiter purchased, units © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org 4k | 87 More at Peter-K.org © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 88 Case # 6 Inspired by McKinsey Customer engagement 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 89 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Prompt Texas-based supermarket chain Y-E-S saw a drop in their customer engagement in 2020-21 driven by the pandemic. The customer engagement didn’t improve in 2022 after most pandemic-related restrictions were lifted. The decreased customer engagement hurts Y-E-S’ brand perception, marketing efficiency, and financial results. They have approached your team to build a robust actionable strategy to boost their customer engagement. What areas would you investigate to help the client? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • Supermarket chain Y-E-S has 400 stores in Texas and Mexico and generates $22B in annual sales (2022) • Y-E-S offers groceries and products across a wide variety of needs: beauty, pets, kids, health, home, and others • Y-E-S is known for affordable prices, high quality, and convenient locations • Y-E-S doesn’t enjoy a developed digital footprint (incl. online store, social media, online news) • Y-E-S is perceived as local chain and Texans are proud of shopping at Y-E-S Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 90 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “During the pandemic the customer behaviour changed as people got used to online shopping and got exposed to far more digital marketing, which might have affected Y-E-S’ customer engagement” • “Decreased customer engagement might be crucial for the client’s business, as it might lead to lower retention, less frequent purchases, and thus hurt customers’ life-time-value” • “Supermarket chains operate in a highly commoditized market where differentiation is challenging but might provide strong competitive advantage. Customers’ excitement about the brand and overall high customer engagement might be that competitive edge” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • How does the client define customer engagement? • How large is this supermarket chain in terms of number of stores and sales? • What is the typical profile of Y-E-S’ customers (e.g. demographics, income level)? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 91 Wild card Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Case questions 01 What factors would you consider to help the client boost their customer engagement? 02 The client would like to embrace livestream commerce as a way to build consumer engagement and present a modern, innovative image to customers. What sales will a series of livestreaming events generate for the client over 2023-24? 03 Some regional supermarket chains have already piloted livestreaming events (LEs), for example, with virtual cooking classes, where they feature local chefs. Each event racks up 200k-500k views. Why are customers so attracted to LEs? 04 What are some advantages that Y-E-S will enjoy if they succeed in building out a regular series of livestreaming events? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 92 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider to help the client boost their customer engagement? Customer engagement • Target audience, key customer groups • Customer engagement metrics adopted by Y-E-S Impact of low customer engagement • Financial implications • Brand equity • Marketing efficiency • Employees’ morale • Current level and historical data Offline/online shopping Marketing channels • Overall experience (e.g. NPS, customer satisfaction rate) • Social media (e.g. # comments/likes) • Customer purchasing behavior (e.g. # visits, time spent in-store, average purchase) • Customer flow (e.g. churn/retention, % new) • Emails/newsletters (e.g. open rate, click rate) • Loyalty program (e.g. # members, point redemptions) • Marketing events/promotions Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 93 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “Four workstreams Do horizontal that I’d dig deeper in are: first, customer engagement; secondly, impact; thirdly, presentation offline/online shopping; and finally, engagement at marketing channels” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the indicator (customer engagement) and components (customer engagement at shopping and at marketing) 03 04 Add stories (optional) Finish with a question To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “Customer engagement is multi-faceted and can be assessed across various dimensions, but the most vital dimensions are likely shopping experience and customer interactions in different marketing channels as they directly affect the bottom-line” • “Supermarkets are an old-fashioned and tech-light industry which doesn’t offer a lot of levers to engage with customers, so the client should be creative to solve this problem” • “Customer engagement differs drastically between generations, and if elderly and gen X would be responsive to typical marketing technics, gen Z needs almost 100% digital” McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “This is how I’m thinking about this problem. Does it resonate with you? If so, let me double-click on the customer engagement metrics. What does Y-E-S use for that today?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 94 Wild card Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Q2. Math exercise – prompt 2 The client would like to embrace livestream commerce as a way to build consumer engagement and present a modern, innovative image to customers. What sales will a series of livestreaming events generate for the client over 2023-24? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Appendix 1. • We can use Walmart’s event volume as a benchmark for Y-E-S and plan 30 livestreaming events in 2023 and 100 events in 2024 • The expected average sales per event is $30k in 2023 and $50k in 2024 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 95 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q2. Math exercise – calculations 2 The client would like to embrace livestream commerce as a way to build consumer engagement and present a modern, innovative image to customers. What sales will a series of livestreaming events generate for the client over 2023-24? Expected revenue in 2023 $30k 30 events $900k Expected revenue in 2024 $50k 100 events $5M Total expected revenue in 2023-24 $900k $5M $5.9M 4M Y-E-S should expect additional revenue of ~$6M in 2023-24 generated from livestreaming events © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 96 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q2. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 2 The client would like to embrace livestream commerce as a way to build consumer engagement and present a modern, innovative image to customers. What sales will a series of livestreaming events generate for the client over 2023-24? Basic comments (expected from everyone) Based on current assumptions, Y-E-S should expect $6M in additional revenue from livestreaming events Livestreaming events do enable Y-E-S to reach out to a larger audience, however they might also cause some cannibalization as price-sensitive customers might hold off purchasing at the Y-E-S stores hoping to get promotional discounts during the events Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) $6M in additional revenue is negligeable for such a multi-billiondollar supermarket chain as Y-E-S. However, livestreaming events might create a lot of buzz, strengthen the feeling of community, and boost the excitement about the brand $30k-$50k in sales per event isn’t exaggerated and sounds reasonable as U.S. consumers have grown up watching QVC and other shopping channels on TV, so the concept of shopping as a form of entertainment isn’t entirely new Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 97 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 98 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q3. Key participation drivers 3 Some regional supermarket chains have already piloted livestreaming events (LEs), for example, with virtual cooking classes, where they feature local chefs. Each event racks up 200k-500k views. Why are customers so attracted to LEs? Consumer habits Social value Exclusive benefits Marketing [Y-E-S shouldn’t invest a lot in consumer education as livestreaming events aren’t an entirely new shopping concept] Shopping • Consumers are accustomed with live shopping on TV • Online shopping skills got a boost during the pandemic Content consumption • Gen Z and Millennials crave interactive experiences • During the pandemic people got used to consume live videos (e.g. zoom meetings) [Given the global epidemy of loneliness, aggravated by the pandemic, people are more inclined to look for social opportunities] Community • LEs create community feeling, sense of belonging to like-minded people • Consumers get elevated shopping experience social shopping (vs solitary traditional online shopping) • Consumers get social affirmation (e.g. likes, hearts) for their purchases Friendship • LEs offer a new way of hanging out with friends • LEs might spark new friendships with other participants [Livestreaming events offer a clear practical value that more utilitarian customers likely appreciate] • Participants get access to new or limitededition products • Supermarket chains might offer discounts/ coupons for participants • Consumers might develop new skills (e.g. cooking) [Typical marketing technics are likely at play to encourage consumers to join livestreaming events] • Early adopters might appreciate the sense of novelty of LEs • LEs are a form of entertainment and might feature celebrities and product experts Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 99 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “Great question! The way I’d like to approach it is through four lenses: first, consumer habits; secondly, social value; thirdly, exclusive benefits; and finally, marketing” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 100 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q4. Advantages of livestreaming events 4 What are some advantages that Y-E-S will enjoy if they succeed in building out a regular series of livestreaming events? Financials Marketing Brand [Given its nascent nature as a marketing channel, livestreaming events might not generate high sales today but likely offer strong long-term revenue potential] • Immediate sales • Postponed sales due to increased brand recognition • Reach out to new consumer segments (especially gen Z and young Millennials) • Low opex sales channel [Livestreaming events provide a new marketing platform that might complement other marketing channels] • A buzz among customers • Boosted Y-E-S’ followship at social networks • Customer data (e.g. excitement about new products, price-sensitivity) • Customer education about products/brand • Ability to test new products and get market feedback • Word-of-mouth marketing after LEs [Novelty, uniqueness, and high-tech nature of livestreaming events might contribute to the brand personality of Y-E-S] • Stronger brand awareness • Higher brand relevance (as modern and up-to-date) • More robust community around brand Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 101 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “There are three types of benefits I’d like to talk about. First, (optional) financials; secondly, marketing; and finally, brand” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 102 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 103 Case #6. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Customer engagement Wild card Appendix 1. Livestream commerce Livestream commerce* in the U.S., B USD Real data Number of livestream events conducted by Walmart in the U.S. 30 120 25 100 20 80 15 60 26 10 40 18 11 5 100 20 6 0 30 0 2020 2021 2022 2023F 2021 2022 Note: Livestream commerce is an online streaming video that offers the ability to purchase in real time © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 104 Case # 7 Inspired by McKinsey Sustainability 2022 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 105 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Prompt Additional information Curex, one of top-5 laundry detergent brands in the U.S., has been experiencing pressure from their parent company to push the sustainability of their business to a new level. Curex enjoys $400M in annual revenue and healthy margins (2021). The company is proud of top-notch quality of their detergent products and high brand recognition they have developed over decades. The CEO has invited your team to help them navigate this new strategic challenge and achieve best-in-class sustainability in the industry. What factors would you consider to design a strategy to boost sustainability? Please provide this information only upon request • Curex operates only in the U.S. and doesn’t plan to go internationally • Curex doesn’t have a specific approach to think about sustainability (one of the reasons they have hired you) • Curex is focused on mass market and offers all common types of detergent at affordable prices: liquid, single-dose pacs, and powder • Curex is part of several collective sustainability efforts (e.g. to reduce waste) • Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Curex donates regularly to nonprofits that are on a mission to preserve the environment Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 106 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “Sustainability has become one of the strategic pillars for most countries and big-name companies. Saving the planet is a strengthening standard across industries and is the promise that customers often expect from brands nowadays” • “Great to know that Curex is a financially strong company which suggests they might enjoy deep pockets to fund a potentially expensive sustainability strategy” • “It seems like Curex has cultivated a loyal customer base which is great as the company can leverage it to change customer behavior and improve sustainability of its detergent usage” Ask 2-3 questions Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What are the major sustainability initiatives or projects that Curex is engaged in? • Does Curex expect a comprehensive sustainability strategy covering its entire value chain from suppliers to customers or does Curex want to focus on some specific aspect? • How does Curex define sustainability and do they track any sustainability metrics? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 107 Wild card Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Case questions 01 What factors should your team consider to design a sustainability strategy for Curex? 02 Curex’s supply chain might do a lot of harm to the environment and cause high social costs. It creates long-term risks for Curex as Curex might lose suppliers due to potential new laws. What can Curex do to increase sustainability of its supply chain? 03 The partner got intrigued by your sustainability ideas for product design. They’d like to hear more thoughts on how to boost Curex’s sustainability via altering detergent design. 04 Inspired by the findings of the team, Curex would like to invest $50M to reach four sustainability goals by 2025. By how much will it increase Curex’s annual profits? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 108 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What factors should your team consider to design a sustainability strategy for Curex? Sustainability definition • Social o Fair trade o Fair working conditions o Inequalities • Environmental o Carbon footprint o Deforestation o Pollution (soil, water) Supply chain • Supplier selection process (incl. sustainability requirements) • Transparency in suppliers’ sustainability (e.g. inspections) • Sustainability goals, support and incentives for suppliers Production and logistics Customers • Product design (e.g. materials, packaging) • Key customer groups (e.g. B2C/B2B) • Energy usage (e.g. electricity vs fuel) • Typical laundry cycle and its sustainability assessment • Waste management • Working conditions (e.g. hours, rest, discrimination) • Required changes in customer behavior (e.g. recycling) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 109 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “Great to be here. Do horizontal I’d like to break it down into four workstreams. First, sustainability definition; secondly, presentation supply chain; thirdly, production and logistics; and finally, customers” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the indicator (sustainability) and value chain stages (supply chain, production, and customers) Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “Poor sustainability performance of the supply chains can jeopardize the Curex’s growth as the environmental and social impact demands from consumers, investors, and regulators have been tightening at an exponential pace” • “To decrease the natural and social costs of Curex’s production, the company might opt for tactical changes like investing in clean manufacturing processes as well as strategic shifts like upgrading its detergent product line through heavy R&D” • “Curex’s sustainability gains also depend on customers’ adoption of key usage behaviors like running a washing machine on “eco” rather than the regular cycle” Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “Does it come across as a reasonable structure? Do we have any data on the current sustainability metrics that Curex monitors?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 110 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q2. Sustainability plan for supply chain 2 Curex’s supply chain might do a lot of harm to the environment and cause high social costs. It creates long-term risks for Curex as Curex might lose suppliers due to potential new laws. What can Curex do to increase sustainability of its supply chain? New suppliers Existing suppliers Product design [The shift to sustainability champions among potential suppliers might propel Curex’s sustainability agenda] • Include sustainability requirements in the supplier selection criteria • Expand database of suppliers to add vendors with high sustainability level • Add sustainability goals to SLAs (service level agreements) • Move supply chains to low-cost countries with stricter sustainability legislation [Encouraging sustainability efforts among existing suppliers might deepen the business relationship and improve cooperation between Curex and its vendors on other fronts] Assess • Do regular inspections/audits of suppliers • Offer digital tools to suppliers for free to track sustainability metrics Incentivize • Offer awards for reaching sustainability goals • Provide endorsements to highly sustainable suppliers Develop • Provide trainings on sustainability strategies • Help suppliers design and implement sustainability programs • Offer low-interest loans to suppliers for sustainability initiatives • Conduct regular conferences for suppliers on sustainability [Alterations in detergent design might result in shift in supply chains and increase the sustainability appeal for customers] • Change the detergent formulation to minimize ingredients with poor sustainability footprint (e.g. high-pollution manufacturing) • Change packaging to avoid ingredients similar to above Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 111 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “The way I’m thinking about it is through three lenses: first, new (optional) suppliers; secondly, existing suppliers; and finally, product design” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 112 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q3. Product design ideas 3 The partner got intrigued by your sustainability ideas for product design. They’d like to hear more thoughts on how to boost Curex’s sustainability via altering detergent design. Offering [As a highly chemical product, detergent is inherently harmful to the environment. Investing in new product formulation and packaging design might limit waste, reduce water pollution, and save energy] Product • Make the detergent’s composition eco-friendly, without toxic chemicals • Increase the shelf-life of detergent (to reduce waste) Packaging • Create detergent without packaging (e.g. refilling stations at supermarkets) • Offer water-soluble packaging • Limit paper in packaging (to reduce deforestation) • Limit plastics in packaging • Offer recyclable/reusable containers Consumers’ behavior Companies’ behavior [Consumers are a crucial stakeholder in sustainability efforts. Educating detergent users on and promoting environmentally responsible ways to do laundry should be part of Curex’s sustainability strategy] • Design a new detergent formulation that offers high quality laundry in: o low temperature (avoiding hot washing saves energy) o shorter cycles (saves water and energy) • Design a new detergent formulation that increases lifespan of clothes (thus, reduces waste and consumption of new clothes) • Partner with laundry chains to offer a new Curex’s detergent and promote the messages above to encourage more environmentally conscious behavior [I’d imagine large-scale commercial laundry users might apply aggressive detergent solutions due to sanitary norms. It might be a great opportunity for Curex: both financially and sustainability wise] • Create detergents for B2B clients (e.g. hotels, hospitals, gyms, and other large-scale laundry users) to offer solutions for: o low temperature laundry (e.g. hotels do very hightemperature laundry due to sanitary norms) o Shorter laundry cycles o Lower water use • Create strategic partnerships with hotels, gyms and other consumerfacing companies (heavy laundry users) to encourage more sustainable clothes washing (see above) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 113 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “Absolutely. I’d like to break my ideation down into three (optional) dimensions: offering, consumers’ behavior, and companies’ behavior” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 114 Wild card Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Q4. Math exercise – prompt 4 Inspired by the findings of the team, Curex would like to invest $50M to reach four sustainability goals by 2025. By how much will it increase Curex’s annual profits? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Sustainability goals: • Due to improved brand image, Curex’s detergent sales are expected to grow by 5% – All the factories are powered with 100% renewable energy – All the detergent packaging is 100% recyclable – All the detergent products are 100% phosphate free* – Zero waste to landfill for all the factories • Changes in raw materials and energy sources are estimated to boost Curex’s profit margin by 2 percentage points • The current Curex’s margin is 10% • As specified in the prompt, Curex’s annual revenue is $400M Note: Phosphates are used to soften hard water and are considered harmful to the environment. They get into waterways where they cause eutrophication (huge algae blooms) which suck up all the oxygen and suffocate fish and aquatic life. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 115 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q4. Math exercise – calculations 4 Inspired by the findings of the team, Curex would like to invest $50M to reach four sustainability goals by 2025. By how much will it increase Curex’s annual profits? Current annual profit $400M 10% 40M New annual revenue $400M (1+5%) $420M New annual profits $420M (10%+2%) $50M Annual profit increase $50M $40M $10M Based on the current assumptions, the annual profits will increase by $10M © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 116 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q4. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 4 Inspired by the findings of the team, Curex would like to invest $50M to reach four sustainability goals by 2025. By how much will it increase Curex’s annual profits? Basic comments (expected from everyone) We expect the annual profits to jump by 25% driven by financial implications of the sustainability gains $10M in additional profits means 5 years of payback period for $50M investment, which isn’t too lucrative but coupled with the sustainability gains seems like an attractive project Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) 10% profit margin for such a highly commoditized product as detergent seems on the higher end which makes me believe that Curex might be perceived as a premium brand. Alternatively, Curex might benefit from the economies of scope of its parent company $50M investment over 3-4 years is a large project for a $400M company. It’ll send a clear signal to the market that Curex isn’t greenwashing but actually takes serious steps to create meaningful environmental and social benefits Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 117 Case #7. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Sustainability Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 118 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 119 Case #8 Inspired by McKinsey Differentiation 2022 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 120 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Prompt Additional information Our client is a privately-held Boston-based sport shoe company New Equilibrium with $6B in sales. New Equilibrium is a beloved brand among sneakerheads, and it also gains traction among the general consumers. With fierce competition from Nike, Puma, and other players, New Equilibrium is rapidly becoming a commoditized, generic brand of sneakers. They have asked your team to put together an aggressive strategy to reinforce the differentiation of the company without changing their pricing strategy. What factors do you want to consider to help the client? Please provide this information only upon request • New Equilibrium sells their sneakers through an offline chain of sport shoe stores, own online store and a network of offline and online distributors • New Equilibrium’s online store generates 5% of the company’s revenue • New Equilibrium operates only in the U.S. and doesn’t plan to go internationally • • Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org New Equilibrium doesn’t have any specific goals for this project New Equilibrium uses traditional marketing like sponsorships, TV ads, marketing events, but they stay away from ambassadors and key cultural tastemakers as competitors’ influencer strategies brought mixed results in the past Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 121 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “I’d imagine sneakers are an incredibly commoditized market as for the vast majority of customers it’s a single-function product. So, differentiation would not likely come from product design” • “I’d think that the key purchasing decision making criteria might include the overall look of sneakers, but will most likely be heavy on brand perception. So, how customers feel about New Equilibrium should be one of our major focuses” • “It’s great to know that our client is a multi-billion-dollar player as it suggests they enjoy deep pockets to go aggressive on marketing and other differentiation strategies we’ll come up with” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What goals does New Equilibrium have in mind for this differentiation strategy? • What major differentiation points did they use in the past? • What unique features does New Equilibrium’s sneakers offer? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 122 Wild card Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Case questions 01 What areas do you plan to explore to develop a differentiation strategy for New Equilibrium if pricing is off the table? 02 After stage 1 of the project, New Equilibrium considers converting their online store into a brand flagship platform to expand their core offering and establish a direct connection with consumers. What new products/services can they offer at the platform? 03 If New Equilibrium decides to proceed and launch a brand flagship platform, what key success metrics should they consider? 04 Once New Equilibrium launches a flagship platform, they’d like to boost their marketing and invest in collaboration models, public endorsers, ambassadors, as well as ads and promotions. What revenue from the platform should the client expect in two years? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 123 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What areas do you plan to explore to develop a differentiation strategy for New Equilibrium if pricing is off the table? Customer experience Shoe portfolio Brand and marketing Distribution channels • Brand awareness among different customer groups • Online and offline channels • Breadth (# lines, types) • Key customer segments • Depth (# SKUs per line) • Customer satisfaction • Quality and unique features • Major pain points • Brand loyalty • Typical purchasing decision making criteria • Marketing strategy (e.g. channels, key messages) • Innovation cycle • Brand perception • Geographical footprint • Capacity and product availability per channel Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 124 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “I plan to doubleDo click on four buckets. First, understand the shoe portfolio of New Equilibrium. Secondly, get horizontal a better sense of their customers. Thirdly, explore brand and marketing. And finally, look presentation into the distribution strategy” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case is focused on drivers (4Ps - product, marketing, distribution, without pricing) and stakeholders (customers) 03 04 Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “Given the large size of U.S. sneakers market (as sneakers are one of the most popular footwear), I’d imagine there are plenty of niches and subsegments that New Equilibrium can cover to differentiate” • “Brand recognition and loyalty are major sales drivers in commoditized markets, as price pressure is high and products don’t differentiate much” • “Mass market customers usually appreciate accessibility, so it’s important to be close to them and offer best-in-class distribution channels” Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this comes across as a feasible framework, I’d like to start by analyzing the shoe portfolio first. Do we know the current unique features of their sneakers?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 125 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q2. New product/service ideas 2 After stage 1 of the project, New Equilibrium considers converting their online store into a brand flagship platform to expand their core offering and establish a direct connection with consumers. What new products/services can they offer at the platform? Brand shop [Given sneakers have been around for decades, I would expect limited innovation in product design and materials. However, there might be some marginal differentiation based on look and fashion] • New shoe designs (incl. exclusive to online purchases only) • Collaboration models (with sport celebrities) • Sport apparel • Brand merchandise Self-led practice Coaching Culture Culture Community [A wide variety of fitness smartphone apps might enhance customer experience and become a strong differentiation point. It will also provide valuable customer data and increase retention rate] • Running app • Training app • Hiking app [New Equilibrium might become a marketplace for 3rd party vendors and offer high-touch experiences for sport enthusiasts] • Guided group runs and workouts • Training, nutrition and wellness advice from professional trainers • Individual 1-on-1 training [New Equilibrium might stand out by building a strong community around its services. It’ll allow to boost brand value for customers and increase brand loyalty] • Local social events • Networking tools to connect with fellow sport enthusiasts • Work-out groups • Q&As with crowdsourced answers Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 126 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “Let me think about new products as ways to differentiate through four lenses: first, brand shop; secondly, self-led practice; thirdly, coaching; and finally, community” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 127 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q3. Key success metrics 3 If New Equilibrium decides to proceed and launch a brand flagship platform, what key success metrics should they consider? New Equilibrium [Stronger differentiation should primarily lead to financial results. Financial success metrics can be assessed through stages of customer journey] Aggregated metrics • Overall traffic (# unique leads) • # page views • Conversion rates (e.g. to product page, purchase) • # purchases • Revenue generated Customer data • # unique customers (who purchased products) • Visit/purchase frequency • Time spent per visit • Life-time value Customers [Measuring and tracking customer gains might be powerful success metrics that could uncover problem areas and show progress in strengthening the client’s brand] Customer satisfaction • Overall customer satisfaction or NPS • Willingness to recommend to a friend • Rankings of apps and products Social activities • # followers, comments, likes, reactions, etc. • # participants at the company’s events • Amount of crowd-sourced content (e.g. answers to questions) 3rd party vendors [Ensuring 3rd party partners are a success might not only bring stable revenue stream from sales commissions but also unlock new business opportunities] • Revenue for 3rd party vendors (e.g. trainers, workout tracker apps) • # customers • Average purchase per customer • Retention rate Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 128 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “I’d suggest to think about success metrics based on stakeholders. First, the client itself. Secondly, customers. And thirdly, 3rd party vendors” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 129 Wild card Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Q4. Math exercise – prompt 4 Once New Equilibrium launches a flagship platform, they’d like to boost their marketing and invest in collaboration models, public endorsers, ambassadors, as well as ads and promotions. What revenue from the platform should the client expect in two years? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • New Equilibrium’s online store generates 5% of the company’s revenue • Each pair of sneakers is sold at $150 on average • We expect the volume sold through the platform to quadruple in two years • Due to aggressive marketing, the average price per pair of sneakers is expected to decrease by 10% © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 130 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q4. Math exercise – calculations 4 Once New Equilibrium launches a flagship platform, they’d like to boost their marketing and invest in collaboration models, public endorsers, ambassadors, as well as ads and promotions. What revenue from the platform should the client expect in two years? Current volume sold through online store $6B 5% $150 New average selling price $150 (1-10%) $135 New expected revenue 2M 4 times $135 2M $1.08B 4M According to the current scenario, the platform’s revenue should reach $1.08B in 2 years © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 131 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q4. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 4 Once New Equilibrium launches a flagship platform, they’d like to boost their marketing and invest in collaboration models, public endorsers, ambassadors, as well as ads and promotions. What revenue from the platform should the client expect in two years? Basic comments (expected from everyone) Based on our assumptions, the revenue from own online channel is going to more than triple from $300M to $1.08B in two years The development of a brand flagship platform seems like a large-scale and time-demanding project that might take up to several years. By that time a lot of assumptions might become less reasonable Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) Given pandemic-induced spike in online shopping and large marketing resources that New Equilibrium can put behind this project, quadrupling volume sounds ambitious but feasible With such promising revenue jump, we should expect other bigname sport shoe brands to launch their own brand flagship platforms, so we need to move fast to benefit from this competitive advantage before fast-followers catch up with us Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 132 Case #8. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Differentiation Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 133 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 134 Case # 9 Inspired by McKinsey Reputation 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 135 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Prompt Additional information Robert Sandler School of Drama (RSSD), an internationally recognized top U.S. acting school, would like to retain their standing as a reputable and one of the best colleges with acting programs in the world. RSSD offers students a four-year, sequence-based program leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama. Students take extensive core curriculum classes of acting, voice and speech, and movement. Classes are small and an emphasis is placed on highly individualized, personal attention, as well as developing a sense of collaboration and working in an ensemble. What factors should we consider to help the client with their reputation? Please provide this information only upon request • RSSD was founded in 1914 • RSSD alumni have received 13 Oscar Academy Awards (motion picture), 142 Emmy Awards (television industry), 52 Tony Awards (theater) • RSSD has one of the smallest class sizes among top drama schools in the world • • • Case type © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org The acceptance rate to the RSSD’s acting program is only 0.4% The RSSD’s faculty consists of working theater and movie professionals committed to teaching the highest standards of quality and professional ethics Due to the recent generous donation, the RSSD’s programs are free for students Wild card Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 136 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “To keep their sky-rocketing success, TV streaming platforms have been aggressively investing in new movies and shows which creates strong demand for high-caliber actors” • “The generational shift towards digital content puts downward pressure on conventional theaters and broadway shows which might make an acting career less attractive” • “Covid-propelled demand for entertainment, constant innovation of social networks, and growing appeal of influencers offer favorable environment for millions of people to express themselves through digital content creation. Arguably, that has boosted appetite for acting and cultivated a large pool of raw acting talent for drama schools’ talent scouts” Ask 2-3 questions Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • How selective is RSSD? What’s their acceptance rate to the acting program? • How distinguished is the faculty of RSSD? What’s their background? • What’s the overall brand perception of RSSD? Are there any PR issues? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 137 Wild card Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Case questions 01 What factors should we consider to help RSSD retain their topnotch reputation of one of the best colleges with acting programs in the world? 02 RSSD plans to expand its faculty which will enable the school to serve more students. How many more applicants should RSSD attract to expand the class size if the school wants to ensure the same student-to-faculty ratio and acceptance rate? 03 RSSD would like to hire five high-caliber professors in acting to strengthen their faculty and increase the class size. What factors would matter for new professors to join RSSD? 04 As a top acting school, RSSD is vulnerable to potential reputational risks. What might cause issues to RSSD’s reputation in future? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 138 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q1. Framework 1 What factors should we consider to help RSSD retain their top-notch reputation of one of the best colleges with acting programs in the world? Robert Sandler School of Drama Faculty Students • Rankings/ratings • Talent management • Class size • Brand perception • Research & publications • Quality of students (e.g. acceptance rate, grades) • Marketing and PR strategy • Student-to-faculty ratio • Employment prep Alums • Size of alum community • Reputation of alum (e.g. awards, roles) • Current employment • Curriculum and performances Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 139 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “It’s a very Do horizontal interesting problem to solve. I’d like to dissect it into four workstreams - the client, faculty, presentation students, and alums” Hit key points Wild card cases don’t usually require including any specific key points in a framework. However, the candidate might think through the following dimensions when designing their structure: 1. Indicator (e.g. definition, current level, historical data, break-down by…, impact) 2. Indicator components, drivers, stakeholders, supply/demand The offered framework in this case covers the stakeholders (client, faculty, students, and alums) 03 04 Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “I’d imagine that the choice for drama majors is just partly driven by future income but more so by passion and strong perspectives of becoming a great actor. Thus, the outstanding faculty is key for the client’s reputation” • “To my best knowledge, employment is a challenge for most actors, and often they need side jobs to stay afloat. Robust employment records of fresh-of-college grads is likely an important factor for the drama school’s reputation” • “I’d think that artists feed inspiration and learn from each other, so diverse and exceptionally talented community of peers is crucial for the learning process. That’s why being highly selective and allowing low acceptance rate might be a sign of high quality” Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this resonates with you, I’d like to look into the client first. Do we have any data on their current rankings/ratings?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 140 Wild card Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Q2. Math exercise – prompt 2 RSSD plans to expand its faculty which will enable the school to serve more students. How many more applicants should RSSD attract to expand the class size if the school wants to ensure the same student-to-faculty ratio and acceptance rate? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Appendix 1. • RSSD offers a four-year acting program leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama • RSSD plans to hire five more lecturers/professors in acting © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 141 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q2. Math exercise – calculations 2 RSSD plans to expand its faculty which will enable the school to serve more students. How many more applicants should RSSD attract to expand the class size if the school wants to ensure the same student-to-faculty ratio and acceptance rate? New class size (23+5) 2 [student-tofaculty ratio] 4 years Number of additional applicants (14-12) 0.4% 500 14 The client should attract 500 more applicants to yield 2 more students © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 142 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q2. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 2 RSSD plans to expand its faculty which will enable the school to serve more students. How many more applicants should RSSD attract to expand the class size if the school wants to ensure the same student-to-faculty ratio and acceptance rate? Basic comments (expected from everyone) RSSD should increase their marketing efforts to attract additional 500 applicants in order to get 2 more students to ensure the same student-to-faculty ratio Such a rapid dramatic increase in applicant pool (by ~20%) might result in poorer candidate quality and drop in the acceptance rate or new students’ level which will hurt the school’s reputation Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) Despite the increase in the class size, it’ll remain the smallest among top-10 acting schools and thus shouldn’t negatively affect the program’s quality and the school’s reputation The class size increase should create a buzz among candidates and correspondent media and strengthen brand awareness of RSSD Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 143 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 144 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q3. Attractiveness factors for new professors in acting 3 RSSD would like to hire five high-caliber professors in acting to strengthen their faculty and increase the class size. What factors would matter for new professors to join RSSD? Spiritual perks Compensation Work conditions Culture [New professors might cherish the opportunity to be part of the reputable school as well as outstanding student and faculty communities] [Acting doesn’t offer predictable income so stable and competitive compensation package should be solid value proposition for professors] [I’d imagine art professionals often seek for self-expression and professional satisfaction. So, work conditions might be a crucial decision-making factor for new professors] [I’d think that acting is a very social profession, so healthy communities are key for professional growth and success for actors] • Attractive salaries • Strong healthcare plan • Creative freedom in teaching (ability to promote their own acting techniques) • Top-notch equipment • Honor to be part of such a reputable school (e.g. famous alums) • Honor to work side-by-side with distinguished acting professionals from faculty (e.g. Oscar award winners) • Pride of teaching a new generation of actors • Ability to pay back to their school (if they are RSSD’s alums) • Ability to direct a production (and satisfy professional ambitions) • Appealing retirement plan • High-quality childcare • Annual bonuses • Strong labor union • Subsidized apartment rent • Small teaching groups • Outstanding hand-picked students (due to strict selection process and low acceptance rate) • Strong leadership of current administration • Healthy culture and community of faculty • Personal connections to existing faculty (e.g. from previous work experience) • Plenty of school events • Proximity to school • Proximity to cultural hubs (e.g. NYC, LA, Chicago) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 145 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “Sure. The way I’m thinking about it is through four lenses: (optional) spiritual perks, compensation, work conditions, and culture” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 146 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q4. Reputational risks 4 As a top acting school, RSSD is vulnerable to potential reputational risks. What might cause issues to RSSD’s reputation in future? RSSD’s administration [Brand image and reputation management are at the core of the school’s overall strategy. Poor business leadership might stimulate reputational risks] Business risks • Drop in RSSD’s rankings • Inadequate marketing (e.g. inefficient messages, channels, low volume) • Lack of investment in upto-date tech and equipment Legal risks • Nepotism • Bribery • Legal issues with accreditation • Lawsuits against RSSD Faculty Students Alums [Faculty is the key asset of any drama school. Any challenges with faculty selection, quality, development, or culture might cause irreparable reputational damage. Especially when the class size is so small] Culture risks • Toxic culture and questionable role modelling • Low morale Instructional risks • Poor quality of teaching • Too experimental curriculum • Creativity crisis Unprofessional behavior • Sexual harassment of students • PR (e.g. unethical statements in social media) Talent management risks • Unusually high drop out rate • Strikes [Any education system is a two-way road. School and faculty can provide needed curriculum and conditions, but students’ success often depends on students’ hard work. Low quality student body and inadequate learning outcomes could jeopardize the school’s reputation] • Poor performances (e.g. harsh critics’ reviews of end-of-semester public performances) • Unusually high drop out rate • PR (e.g. unethical statements in social media) [Alums represent the school during their entire careers, and reputational issues with their professional lives might damage RSSD’s reputation] • Low employment rate right after graduation • Limited successes (e.g. no big roles, no awards, especially in recent graduation classes) • PR (e.g. unethical statements in social media) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 147 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “Absolutely. I’d like to suggest reputational risks that might be (optional) associated with four actors - school itself, faculty, students, and alums” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 148 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 149 Case #9. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Reputation Wild card Appendix 1. Top-10 acting schools in the world, 2022 SCHOOL Real data Region Class size Number of applicants Faculty size Student-tofaculty ratio** Acceptance rate 1 Juilliard School US 18 1,500 18 4 1.2% 2 NYU: Tisch School of the Arts US 300* 3,000* N/A N/A 10.0% 3 David Geffen School of Drama at Yale US 16 ~1,000 34 2 1.6% 4 London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts UK 30 3,500 20 6 0.9% 5 Robert Sandler School of Drama US 12 3,000 23 2 0.4% 6 Royal Academy of Dramatic Art UK 28 3,500 42 2 0.8% 7 UCLA: School of Theatre, Film and Television US 50* 600* 30 5 8.3% 8 USC School of Dramatic Arts (BFA in Acting program) US 32 516 N/A N/A 6.2% 9 Guildhall School of Music & Drama UK 26 2,610 31 2 1.0% Australia 26 1,000 N/A N/A 2.6% National Institute of 10 Dramatic Art Note: *Estimated; **Student-to-faculty ratio equals the total number of students in acting majors across years of studying divided by the faculty size © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 150 Case # 10 Inspired by McKinsey Plant-based meat 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 151 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Prompt The CEO of a $1B regional fast-food chain Up-N-Down Burger (UDB) has asked your team to help her prepare for the annual strategy meeting with the executives. Specifically, she is concerned about the rapidly growing popularity of plant-based meat and the implications of this major innovation for UDB over the next 5 years. The chain hasn’t baked this new trend in its strategy yet, but a lot of other fastfood players have already started adjusting to this new reality. How should UDB think about the quickly expanding segment of “meatless” meat? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • UDB’s chain has 400 locations in five states with a major focus on California • UDB doesn’t offer “impossible” burger or any other plant-based meat offerings • In the U.S. eight fast-food chains offer vegan burgers, incl. giant Burger King with Impossible Whopper • After a trial run in 2021-22, McDonald’s discontinued its vegan burger (McPlant) due to low sales (especially in rural areas) with no plans to re-introduce it • While only 8% of the U.S. population consider themselves vegetarians or vegans, more than 40% describe themselves as flexitarians (semi-vegetarians who follow a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally eat meat or fish) Case type Impact of trend © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 152 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “I’d think that vegan burgers aren’t a brand-new offering with a lot of unknowns, but they are rapidly becoming a new mainstream with proven demand. Given a lot of players have already adopted plant-based burgers in their regular menus, it seems that UDB should be able to benefit from integrating this alternative burger into their model” • “Sustainability and health consciousness are major decision-making purchasing factors for lots of consumers and likely cause constant downward pressure on the fast-food industry” • “Offering vegan and vegetarian menu items might expand sizeable addressable market for UDB and improve brand perception” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • Does UDB have any alternative meat offerings? • What’s geographical footprint of UDB? • What’s the size and growth rate of plant-based meat market in the U.S.? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 153 Impact of trend Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Case questions 01 What factors should UDB consider in assessing the impact of the rapidly growing popularity of plant-based meat on UDB over the next five years? 02 If UDB decides to launch a plant-based burger across its chain, what impact on the company’s operations will this launch have? 03 How will this decision of introducing a vegan burger impact UDB financially? What drivers would you consider in assessing financial implications of this new menu item? 04 UDB would like to launch a plant-based burger to capitalize on the boom of alternative meats and success stories of other players like Carl’s Jr, Burger King, Shake Shack, etc. What additional annual gross profits should UDB expect from this new burger? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 154 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q1. Framework 1 What factors should UDB consider in assessing the impact of the rapidly growing popularity of plant-based meat on UDB over the next five years? Competitive landscape UDB’s menu UDB’s marketing • New fast-food chains with focus on plant-based meat • Brand-new menu items (e.g. plantbased ostrich meat) • Brand implications • First movers and fast followers among existing players • Vegan alternatives for existing menu items Customers • Customer mix o Vegans and vegetarians o Sustainability supporters • Regional differences in diets • Adoption cycle (e.g. early adopters, early majority) • New industry standards and expectations • Market education • New drivers (e.g. sustainability, health) • Wider range of plant-based meat (e.g. frozen/fresh/ ambient) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 155 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “The way I plan to Do attack this problem is through four dimensions. First, I’d like to explore implications for horizontal customers. Secondly, for competitive landscape. Thirdly, for our menu. And finally for our presentation marketing” Check if the candidate covers all key points typical for an impact-of-trend case structure: Impact on Impact on Impact on Impact on customers competition operating model* business model • Change in • Newcomers • People • Product portfolio Hit key customer segments • Major players and • Marketing strategy • Processes points • Change in their reaction to • Distribution channels* • Systems customer behavior the trend • Pricing strategy* * - less important in this case as these areas won’t likely be affected Add stories (optional) Finish with a question To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “It’s great to see that our client is a large chain and likely enjoys deep marketing pockets, high brand awareness, and economies of scale. These capabilities will help UDB adjust to the new trend” • “The rise of plant-based meat might be similar to the increase in popularity of plant-based milk which triggered a lot of product innovation and changes in menus of food chains” • “Given that red meat isn’t sustainable and countries try to reduce the beef production to fight the climate change, it should propel the demand for plant-based meat in future” McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this comes across like a reasonable plan of attack, let’s dive into customers. Do we see changes in our customer segments?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 156 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q2. Operational implications 2 If UDB decides to launch a plant-based burger across its chain, what impact on the company’s operations will this launch have? Storage and logistics Supply chain [The limited number of plantbased meat suppliers in the U.S. might constrain UDB’s flexibility in building operationally efficient supply chains] • Find and build new supplier relationships • Likely hire new account managers for plant-based meat suppliers • Develop new routes to deliver new raw materials to UDB’s warehouses [Storage and transportation of perishable food products are always operationally challenging] • Potentially invest in storage facility expansion • Build in additional safety measures in warehouses to avoid contamination of plantbased meat from animal meat • Consider expanding fleet of refrigerated trucks to transport “meatless” patties to UDB’s stores • Ensure strategic supply buffer of plant-based meat to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions [in case limited number of suppliers fail to accommodate explosive market demand in future] Stores [A new menu item might impact the entire operational flow of stores from storage to cooking to serving. The changes might appear at the level of people, processes, and systems] New operational processes • Develop new cooking methods for new patties (e.g. to ensure flavors and safety) • Update storage processes (as shelf-life is likely shorter) • Elaborate and implement new quality control procedures (e.g. to ensure consistency in prep, storage, taste) New/enhanced capabilities • Potentially invest in new cooking equipment and fridges (incl. to avoid cross-contamination with animal meat) • Train personnel • Update software systems with new menu items, new reports, etc. • Ensure enough capacity (e.g. seats, staff, equipment) to accommodate potential spike in demand at a launch Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 157 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “Great question! Let’s think about operational implications along the value chain starting from suppliers, then storage and logistics, and finally at the level of UDB’s stores” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 158 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q3. Financial impact 3 How will this decision of introducing a vegan burger impact UDB financially? What drivers would you consider in assessing financial implications of this new menu item? Revenue implications Opex implications Capex implications [Given sky-rocketing demand for plant-based burgers, UDB should expect a healthy boost to their sales from this menu expansion] Revenue increase • Sales increase due to more menu options • Novelty-driven spike in sales at the launch • Long-term sales increase due to appeal to new customer segments (e.g. vegans) Revenue decline • Potential cannibalization • Hypothetical brand damage resulting in sales drop (e.g. if brand essence is tied up with meat) [Given still a fairly low scale of alternative meat suppliers and their ongoing high R&D, their cost structure isn’t as optimized as conventional meat producers. Thus, UDB should expect higher raw material costs] Change in variable costs • New raw materials • New packaging • Additional transportation expenses • Potentially higher food waste (e.g. in case of shorter shelf-life) • Likely additional bonuses to store crew members to incentivize sales of plant-based burgers Change in fixed costs • New marketing campaigns • Crew member trainings [Depending on expected sales volume of new burgers and safety requirements, UDB might need to make investments to expand capacity of its operations and minimize potential crosscontamination with animal meat] • Potential investment in new refrigerated trucks • Potential storage facility expansion • Potential new cooking equipment and fridges for stores • R&D to develop a new menu item based on plant-based meat patties supplied by UDB’s partners Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 159 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “The intuitive way of assessing financial impact is through three (optional) areas - revenue, operational expenses (opex) and capital expenditures (capex)” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 160 Impact of trend Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Q4. Math exercise – prompt 4 UDB would like to launch a plant-based burger to capitalize on the boom of alternative meats and success stories of other players like Carl’s Jr, Burger King, Shake Shack, etc. What additional annual gross profits should UDB expect from this new burger? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • UDB charges $5 for its signature burger • In 2022 McDonald’s expected 40-60 McPlants (plant-based burgers) sold per location daily. We can project 50 burgers sold per store every day for UDB • Given plant-based burger is a premium product UDB plans to charge a 20% premium over its signature burger • UDB enjoys a large chain of 400 stores • Gross profit margin for new burgers is estimated at 70% • Please assume 360 days/year © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 161 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q4. Math exercise – calculations 4 UDB would like to launch a plant-based burger to capitalize on the boom of alternative meats and success stories of other players like Carl’s Jr, Burger King, Shake Shack, etc. What additional annual gross profits should UDB expect from this new burger? Price for plant-based burger $5 (1+20%) $6 Expected annual sales $6 * 50 360 days 400 stores Expected annual gross profits $43M 70% $30M $43M UDB should expect additional annual gross profits of $30M from launching plant-based burgers © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 162 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q4. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 4 UDB would like to launch a plant-based burger to capitalize on the boom of alternative meats and success stories of other players like Carl’s Jr, Burger King, Shake Shack, etc. What additional annual gross profits should UDB expect from this new burger? Basic comments (expected from everyone) Given our assumptions, a plant-based burger is going to generate $30M in additional annual gross profit We haven’t considered cannibalization though, as plant-based burgers will likely eat into the sales of conventional burgers. Thus, the overall impact on profits is likely to be lower Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) Gross profit margin doesn’t tell the whole story. UDB will need to invest in R&D to develop a new menu item based on plant-based meat patties it’ll get from its suppliers. The chain might also need to run a marketing campaign and incur other fixed costs. So, even with such a lucrative gross margin, the net margin might turn out to be slim. $43M is only 4% of revenue increase which makes sense to test the water, but UDB might want to expand its alternative meat offerings as vegans, vegetarians, and general sustainability supporters represent far larger portion of the population than 4% Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 163 Case #10. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Plant-based meat Impact of trend Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 164 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 165 More at Peter-K.org © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 166 Case # 11 Inspired by McKinsey Digital fitness 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 167 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Prompt Additional information Case type DoubleSweat is a national low-end gym chain with 2,400 clubs across the U.S. They’re concerned about the sky-rocketed demand for digital fitness (e.g. livestreamed, on-demand, and pre-recorded online fitness content) fuelled by the pandemic. Their target audience - first-time and casual gym goers (primarily Millennials and Gen Z) - are among the most interested in digital fitness options. DoubleSweat’s CEO has hired your team to assess how digital fitness will affect their business over the next five years and what the chain should do about it. Please provide this information only upon request • The global digital fitness market is to grow from $11B to $79B in 2021-28 • In 2020 71k health-and-fitness smartphone apps were launched globally • The U.S. market of gym and health clubs fell off the cliff from $43B to $31B in 2019-22 due to the pandemic with 28% of the clubs shutting down permanently • • • DoubleSweat doesn’t offer any digital fitness solutions 10% of the client’s clubs are corporate-owned and the rest is franchisees DoubleSweat has 17M members (2022) and offers one of the cheapest memberships in the market - $10/month (and $25/month for premium plan) Impact of trend © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Hard level Interviewerdriven case 20-25 minutes to solve | 168 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “During the pandemic people were forced to form new habits incl. adjusting their workout routines to in-home set-up. Also, due to the high unemployment rate at the time, a lot of people had time to spare and might have started exercising regularly. The digital fitness solutions likely became a go-to work-out tool for many” • “I’d imagine that digital fitness solutions are priced low as they are in a high-capex and volume-driven business. Thus, they likely directly compete with low-end brick-and-mortar gym chains like our client. So, I can see why DoubleSweat is so concerned” • “Explosive growth of sport wearables, live-streaming, and fitness influencers likely propel digital fitness trend substantially” Ask 2-3 questions Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What digital fitness solutions does DoubleSweat offer currently (e.g. live-streaming workout group sessions, smartphone app with pre-recorded work-out routines)? • Do we consider fitness trackers and fitness apps as parts of the digital fitness market? • What companies are the major players in the digital fitness market in the U.S.? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 169 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Case questions 01 What factors would you consider in assessing the potential impact of the rapidly growing digital fitness market in the U.S. on DoubleSweat’s business over the next five years? 02 The digital fitness attracts a lot of first-time and casual gym-goers and is expected to grow exponentially (see Appendix 1). What are the major differentiation points of the digital fitness vs conventional gyms that attract sport enthusiasts? 03 The analyst has just emailed you these charts with some market and client’s data (Appendix 2 and 3). What do these charts tell you? What insights can you derive? 04 DoubleSweat was able to capitalize on the drop in number of gym clubs and rapidly expanded its own chain. This is a short-term success, but how can the client stay competitive long-term and fight against digital fitness? 05 DoubleSweat considers building a mobile app to provide work-out routines, live-streamed group classes and other fitness content. What payback period should they expect? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 170 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider in assessing the potential impact of the rapidly growing digital fitness market in the U.S. on DoubleSweat’s business over the next five years? Fitness enthusiasts Competitive landscape DoubleSweat’s product innovation DoubleSweat’s marketing • Adoption cycle for digital fitness (e.g. early adopter, laggards) • Digital fitness players (e.g. apps, fitness mirrors, ecourses) • Own online content options and best practices • Brand implications • Customer mix (e.g. fitness fanatics, routine-focused, casuals) • Legacy gym chains with hybrid model • Purchasing decisionmaking criteria / preferences • Pure offline gym clubs • Trends in digital fitness • Partnerships (e.g. with fitness trackers, fitness influencer) • Market education • New drivers (e.g. convenience, personalization) • Pain points and unmet needs in existing offline services Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 171 Impact of trend Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “Pleasure to help Do our client! Let’s break it down into four workstreams. First, impact on customers. Secondly, horizontal impact on competition. Thirdly, impact on DoubleSweat’s offerings. And finally, impact on presentation DoubleSweat’s marketing strategy” Check if the candidate covers all key points typical for an impact-of-trend case structure: Impact on Impact on Impact on Impact on customers competition operating model* business model • Change in • Newcomers • People • Product portfolio Hit key customer segments • Major players and • Marketing strategy • Processes points • Change in their reaction to • Distribution channels* • Systems customer behavior the trend • Pricing strategy* * - less important in this case as these areas won’t likely be affected Not to sound generic, candidates can bake 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “Digital fitness is likely a generational trend and might appeal mostly to Millennials and Gen Z who consume information through screens” • “Time works against brick-and-mortar gyms and digitalization might soon become inevitable for them similar to how it became a mainstream for movies, shopping, even Add stories hanging out with friends, and other experiences. I’d expect a lot of offline gym players (optional) have already started adopting a hybrid model launching online fitness content and apps” • “I’d think that digital fitness offers a lot of value like convenience, accessibility, even personalization and much more. But gyms provide equipment and community feeling. So, fundamentally DoubleSweat enjoys some strong competitive advantages against online fitness, but might need to expand its value proposition not to lose some customer groups” McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it Finish with is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this works for you, I’d suggest double-clicking on customers first. Do we have any data on a question their major decision-making criteria when they opt for digital fitness options?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 172 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q2. Key differentiation points 2 The digital fitness attracts a lot of first-time and casual gym-goers and is expected to grow exponentially (see Appendix 1). What are the major differentiation points of the digital fitness vs conventional gyms that attract sport enthusiasts? Convenience Perceived efficiency Enhanced motivation Low budget [Nowadays consumers have busier schedules than ever. So, they increasingly value convenience when purchasing goods or services] [First-time and casual gym-goers likely appreciate professional guidance and structured workout routines that they can’t build themselves due to lack of expertise] [Consistent work out requires strong intrinsic and extrinsic motivation] [Given fitness services are commoditized, customers are likely highly pricesensitive. So, low-price or even free fitness options should stand out for them] General • No lines • 24/7 accessibility • No commute needed • Distraction free • Easy to set up Endorsed habits • Aligned with strong habits of digital consumption • Endorses pandemicinduced habits to work out at home General • A wide variety of content (e.g. workout routines, online group classes) to choose for specific purpose • High quality content as created by professional athletes and coaches Potential features • Integration with fitness trackers to track progress and consolidate results • Personalization of workout routines General • Cheers from coaches (e.g. pre-recorded, live) • No intimidation, shame, or social pressure of working out at gyms • Privacy of working out from home • Typically low prices or free • Typically no locked periods (e.g. annual membership) - stop at any time Potential features • Gamification (e.g. rewards, milestones) • Cheers from online community (incl. sharing progress, comments) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 173 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “The differentiation points can be split into four categories (optional) convenience, efficiency, motivation, and prices” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 174 Impact of trend Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Q3. Chart-reading 3 The analyst has just emailed you these charts with some market and client’s data (Appendix 2 and 3). What do these charts tell you? What insights can you derive? Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Chart 1. Number of health and gym clubs in the U.S. (2018-22), k Chart 1. DoubleSweat’s revenue (2018-22), M USD • During 2018-19 the industry experienced low-single-digit growth rate which is expected as conventional gyms are a mature market • The pandemic was devastating for gyms as they depend on foot traffic which was wiped out by the mandatory isolation. I’d imagine that small-scale chains and clubs in low foot-traffic areas (e.g. towns) were hit the most and closed down permanently • I’d imagine that in 2022 and onwards we should witness short-term exponential growth. Survived players likely aggressively expanded to fill the void after 10k+ health clubs shut down • DoubleSweat is a large player with almost $1B in revenue which suggests the company enjoys high brand awareness, deep marketing pockets, and economies of scale • Not surprisingly it was hit hard by the pandemic in 2020 • Before the pandemic DoubleSweat grew explosively (~20% in 2018-19 vs single digits for the market) mostly driven by aggressive chain expansion Chart 2. Number of health and gym clubs of DoubleSweat (2018-22), units • It seems like DoubleSweat captures 7-8% of the market which confirms that it’s a major player • The client’s market share jumped in 2020 as DoubleSweat managed to keep all their clubs running and even expand their chain whereas the entire market fell off the cliff. Saying that the revenue per DoubleSweat’s location should have plummeted driven by the pandemic restrictions • DoubleSweat relies heavily on the franchising model as the vast majority of their locations are franchisees’. That is one of the key drivers for its rapid growth, but also might cause service quality issues as it’s challenging to control so many partners • DoubleSweat doubled the number of their own stores in 2022 which is unusual for the company and might be inorganic (through M&A). It seems like the client took advantage of decreased competitive pressure as 10k+ gym clubs went out of business • In 2022 DoubleSweat’s revenue went through the roof as the company doubled the number of their own stores and the number of members per location likely went up given so many clubs shut down after the pandemic • I anticipate that the client’s growth will slow down dramatically in the upcoming years. First, the market will soon get back to the pre-pandemic level. Secondly, the landscape will become more consolidated as survived large chains will expand quickly taking space of those clubs that left the market Chart 2. DoubleSweat’s system-wide sales (2018-22), M USD • The sales dynamics mimics the revenue data so all the insights from the chart above are applicable here too Note: Typically candidates are expected to generate at least 1 insight per chart. More insights will demonstrate your business acumen. Insights don’t include purposeless Math (e.g. it grew by 5%), obvious observations (e.g. the client has three revenue streams; the market dropped), and questions/next steps/new analyses (e.g. I’d want to know drivers behind this) © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 175 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q4. New competitive advantages 4 DoubleSweat was able to capitalize on the drop in number of gym clubs and rapidly expanded its own chain. This is a short-term success, but how can the client stay competitive long-term and fight against digital fitness? Adjust marketing [I’d imagine that switching costs between conventional gyms and digital fitness are negligeable for customers. And the perceived value of both options is often similar. So, marketing might be a major driver of competitiveness for DoubleSweat] • Focus messaging on what digital fitness can’t offer: equipment, face-to-face interaction with coaches and peers, etc. • Attack downsides of digital fitness: less safe, less accountable, etc. • Promote DoubleSweat’s convenience (to fight the key differentiation point of digital fitness) Strengthen current differentiation points [Reinforcing DoubleSweat’s benefits that digital fitness can’t offer will help become more competitive, increase gym-goers’ loyalty and potentially deepen customer segmentation] Upgrade equipment • Add new types of equipment • Minimize outdated/worn-out equipment • Revisit lay-out if needed (e.g. add more treadmills if higher demand for cardio) Boost community • Plan networking events (e.g. happy hours, holiday parties) • Do charitable events (e.g. blood drives with the Red Cross) • Offer monthly challenges and competitions • Create clubs (e.g. run club, dance club) Increase convenience • Expand working hours • Reduce lines (e.g. add more equipment in demand) • Add more parking spots Go digital [DoubleSweat should adopt a hybrid approach and develop some digital fitness options to appeal to its broad target audience - Millennials and Gen Z] • Live-stream group classes • Launch an app with work-outs • Offer online courses on wellness, diet, and exercises • Offer virtual training sessions • Integrate gym machines (e.g. cardio) with major fitness trackers Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 176 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “Great question! That’s exactly where I wanted to go next. In order to ensure the client’s competitiveness, I’d provide ideas through three lenses: first, marketing; secondly, enhancing existing value prop; and finally, going digital ” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 177 Impact of trend Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Q5. Math exercise – prompt 5 DoubleSweat considers building a mobile app to provide work-out routines, live-streamed group classes and other fitness content. What payback period should they expect? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • DoubleSweat plans to invest $3M in the smartphone app development • Additional opex (e.g. bug fixing, software updates) is expected to be $0.4M/year • Based on the current scenario, the app will increase membership by 2% • Current profit margin from clubs [equipment sales excluded] is 10% • Revenue data is in Appendix 3 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 178 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q5. Math exercise – calculations 5 DoubleSweat considers building a mobile app to provide work-out routines, live-streamed group classes and other fitness content. What payback period should they expect? Expected revenue increase (379+330)M [Append. 3] 2% 14M Expected profit increase 14M 10% 0.4M Payback period 3M 1M 3 years 1M It’ll take 3 years to pay back the initial investment of $3M © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 179 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q5. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 5 DoubleSweat considers building a mobile app to provide work-out routines, live-streamed group classes and other fitness content. What payback period should they expect? Basic comments (expected from everyone) All else being equal, DoubleSweat will need 3 years to cover the initial investment after the smartphone app launch The payback period doesn’t consider the development cycle which might take from months to 2-3 years given the potential complexity of the app’s features (e.g. booking, streaming, messaging) and likely its large scale of millions of users Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) Given the magnitude of expenses of $3M, I’d imagine DoubleSweat envisions a top-notch smartphone app with bestin-class features and intuitive design. So, such a substantial 2% app-driven increase in membership sounds reasonable The high investment might increase the barriers for entry for other fitness players as it will be challenging for them to replicate such a capex-heavy app. This strategic move might help DoubleSweat build a strong competitive edge over peers Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 180 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Q5. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 181 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 182 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Appendix 1. Global market size data Real data Global market size of selected fitness industry segments (2019-2021, 2028F), B USD Digital/online fitness CAGR (2021-28), % 100 79.3 50 6.1 8.0 10.7 2019 2020 2021 33% 0 2028F 100 Fitness apps 50 0 100 Gym & health clubs 2.9 3.6 4.7 2019 2020 2021 20.8 2028F 132 97 81 41 50 24% 7% 0 2019 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org 2020 2021 2028F | 183 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Appendix 2. Number of health and gym clubs Number of health and gym clubs in the U.S. (2018-22), k Real data 50 40 30 20 41 43 2018 2019 34 31 N/A 2020 2021 2022 10 0 Number of health and gym clubs of DoubleSweat (2018-22), units Corporate-owned clubs 2,500 2,000 76 98 Franchisee clubs 103 112 234 1,500 1,000 500 1,666 1,903 2,021 2,142 2,176 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 1,742 2,001 2,124 2,254 2,410 0 Total © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 184 Case #11. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital fitness Impact of trend Appendix 3. DoubleSweat’s revenue data Real data DoubleSweat’s revenue (2018-22), M USD 937 1000 800 600 400 200 0 573 688 252 224 278 139 160 406 83 206 117 2018 2019 2020 210 587 129 291 167 228 330 Gym equipment* 379 Corporate-owned clubs 2021 2022 3,367 3,879 Franchise fees DoubleSweat’s system-wide sales (2018-22), M USD Total 2,739 3,260 2,417 5,000 4,000 3,000 139 2,000 1,000 167 160 379 117 2,600 3,100 2018 2019 2,300 Corporate-owned clubs 3,200 3,500 2021 2022 Franchisee clubs** 0 2020 Note: *DoubleSweat’s franchisees are obligated to buy fitness gym equipment from the parent company and to replace this equipment approximately every 5-7 years. **Franchisee clubs pay 8-9% of their sales in royalties to DoubleSweat © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 185 Case # 12 Inspired by McKinsey AI 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 186 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Prompt Our client, JobJedi, is a major job board in the Philippines that began operating in 2019 and has experienced rapid growth. Currently, the platform has over 700,000 registered job seekers and features more than 73,000 job postings from over 100 companies. Despite its success, the investors of JobJedi recognize that the job board industry is on the cusp of significant changes due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence and technologies, such as ChatGPT. They have enlisted the aid of your firm to help JobJedi assess how AI will impact their business over the next five years. Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • JobJedi operates only in the Philippines • The competitive landscape of job boards in the Philippines is crowded • The Philippines’ population is 117M and unemployment rate is ~5% (2023) • Some job boards have started offering AI-enabled value-add services like chatbots to screen candidates, artificial voice calls for reference-checking, etc. • AI has potential to automate a lot of jobs but it can also create new jobs. 25% of current work tasks could be automated by AI in the U.S. and Europe • Backed by big-tech, AI will keep its explosive growth (in 2023 Microsoft invested $10B in ChatGPT maker OpenAI; Google released ChatGPT rival AI “Bard”; etc.) Case type Impact of trend © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 187 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “Job boards are highly commoditized as they offer a seemingly standard service. The AIenabled uplift in service quality as well as new AI-based offerings might provide strong competitive advantages and thus reshape the competitive landscape considerably” • “It’s great to see that our client is one of the major players as AI-technologies might be expensive and only affordable for those with deep pockets” • “Being a relatively new entrant to the market, JobJedi may enjoy the necessary agility and entrepreneurial spirit to pivot their business model if required. In contrast, legacy players may be more prone to inertia and lose the market momentum” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • Have we seen AI-driven changes in the job board market already? What are they? • Is JobJedi focused on white-collar or blue-collar jobs? (more or less tech savvy candidates) • How consolidated is the competitive landscape in this space? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 188 Impact of trend Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Case questions 01 What factors would you consider in assessing how rapid development of AI technologies is going to affect JobJedi’s business over the next five years? 02 What implications will explosive growth of AI likely have for JobJedi’s workforce over the next five years? 03 What will be the overall change in the headcount at JobJedi as a result of the rapid development of AI? 04 Based on the initial assessment (see Appendix 2 and 3), the competition has already started adopting new AI-enabled services. What AI-powered offerings can JobJedi build? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 189 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider in assessing how rapid development of AI technologies is going to affect JobJedi’s business over the next five years? Change in competition • Newcomers with AI-enabled offerings • Legacy players with enhanced AI capabilities • Trends in AI-enforced competencies Impact on business model • Product innovation o New value-add services o Upgraded existing offerings • Marketing strategy (e.g. new messages around matching quality, speed, personalization) Adjustments to operational model • New talent requirements (e.g. higher-skilled, new roles) • Shift in processes (e.g. towards less labor intensive) • New hard- and software systems Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 190 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “After thinking Do about how to attack this problem, I’d like to deep-dive into three areas. First, changes to horizontal the competitive landscape. Secondly, impact on our business model. And finally, presentation adjustments to our operational model” Check if the candidate covers all key points typical for an impact-of-trend case structure: Impact on Impact on Impact on Impact on customers* competition operating model business model • Change in • Newcomers • People • Product portfolio Hit key customer segments • Major players and • Marketing strategy • Processes points • Change in their reaction to • Distribution channels* • Systems customer behavior the trend • Pricing strategy* * - less important in this case as these areas won’t likely be affected Add stories (optional) Not to sound generic, candidates can bake 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “I’d expect consolidation in this market as AI is typically capex heavy and only large players can afford it” • “Bare-bones job boards will likely become a thing of the past. I’d anticipate a lot of value chain expansion among existing players. The job boards will expand their business models both upstream and downstream. And the key differentiation for job boards will become how many AI-enabled services they offer to both job seekers and employers” • “I’d imagine that with AI becoming part of the industry’s DNA in the near future, JobJedi will likely need to go through operational transformation - for example, bring new higherskilled talent, streamline or automatize processes though AI, and invest in R&D” Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “If this approach sounds reasonable, I’d like to kick things off by exploring the impact on our business model. Does JobJedi plan to develop any AI-enabled services?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 191 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q2. Impact on workforce 2 What implications will explosive growth of AI likely have for JobJedi’s workforce over the next five years? Downsize Hire Upskill • Account managers [with AI-driven streamlined operations account managers will increase their capacity and thus be able to support more employers] • Software engineers (e.g. in AI and machine learning) • Existing salespeople and account managers [educate them on new AI-enabled offerings and how AI works high-level] • Central services [AI will likely automatize basic tasks of accounting, finance, and HR] • Product managers for new AIenabled services • Current software engineers [in case they’ll need to cooperate with AI engineers] • Data analysts [new offerings will increase number of touch points for job seekers and employers with JobJedi and thus generate a lot of additional data to analyze] xxx • Marketing function [today ChatGPT already does copywriting, basic analytics and market research; in 5 years AI will likely perfect execution of these tasks] • Salespeople [inevitable expansion of AI-enabled offerings and intensified competition will likely require more aggressive sales] Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 192 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “I’d look into three aspects: downsize, hire, and upskill” (optional) 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 193 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q3. Math exercise – prompt 3 What will be the overall change in the headcount at JobJedi as a result of the rapid development of AI? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Appendix 1. • - © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 194 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q3. Math exercise – calculations 3 What will be the overall change in the headcount at JobJedi as a result of the rapid development of AI? Current headcount, FTEs* AI-driven headcount change Salespeople 20 +30% 20 * 30% = 6 Account managers 10 -10% 10 * (-10%) = -1 Marketing 20 -15% 20 * (-15%) = -3 Software engineers 15 +40% 15 * 40% = 6 Product managers 5 +100% 5 * 100% = 5 HR 15 -20% 15 * (-20%) = -3 Accounting and Finance 10 -10% 10 * (-10%) = -1 Change Customer-facing roles Headquarters Total Change = 6 - 1 - 3 + 6 + 5 - 3 - 1 = 9 JobJedi should expect an increase in their headcount by 9 FTEs* Note: *FTEs - full-time employees © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 195 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q3. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 3 What will be the overall change in the headcount at JobJedi as a result of the rapid development of AI? Basic comments (expected from everyone) The rapid AI development will bring some structural change to JobJedi’s headcount resulting in its growth by 9 FTEs I’d imagine that over the next five years JobJedi might expand geographically and in scale, as well as add new verticals (e.g. recruiting services, HR software) which will inevitably affect the composition and size of its headcount Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) I’d think that not only JobJedi’s headcount will grow, but also the staff composition will shift towards more expensive high-skilled employees across different functions as AI will take care of a lot of lower quality tasks. So, we should expect a jump in the HR expenses Given JobJedi plans to double their PM staff, the company is going to materially expand their product portfolio with new value-add AI-driven services, which makes sense as it’ll allow JobJedi to differentiate in this very commoditized market Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 196 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 197 Impact of trend Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Q4. AI-based offerings 4 Based on the initial assessment (see Appendix 2 and 3), the competition has already started adopting new AI-enabled services. What AI-powered offerings can JobJedi build? Services for employers [I’d imagine that employers usually care about time-to-hire, hiring biases, and candidate quality. AI can take care of all of that] • More accurate screening and candidate filtering (to better match job requirements) • Chatbots to schedule interviews, conduct assessments, and answer questions about jobs • Artificial voice calls for reference-checking • Job description improvement (e.g. less biased language, more clear messaging) • Advanced analytics (e.g. likelihood of job applications based on salary, requirement, etc.) Services for job seekers [Job searching is typically a time-consuming process that can feel like a second job, requiring significant operational discipline. By utilizing AI, JobJedi has the potential to reduce the workload for job seekers and expedite the job search process] • Higher quality job search (better match with candidates’ profiles) • More efficient job alerts • Cover letter preparation • Resume improvements (incl. automatic changes to match new jobs) • Advanced analytics (e.g. likelihood of interview invite) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 198 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “Great question! I think we can suggest ideas from both sides (optional) AI-enabled services for employers and AI-enabled services for job seekers” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 199 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 200 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Appendix 1. Estimated headcount changes Current headcount, FTEs* AI-driven headcount change Salespeople 20 +30% Account managers 10 -10% Marketing 20 -15% Software engineers 15 +40% Product managers 5 +100% HR 15 -20% Accounting and Finance 10 -10% Other functions 25 Total Headcount 120 Customer-facing roles Headquarters Note: *FTEs - full-time employees © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 201 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Appendix 2. Job boards in the Philippines Philippines only Regional Global Job boards Candidate screening functionality Total number of job postings in the Philippines (May’23) Jora Indeed Glassdoor Jobrapido 92 JobisJob 77 Trovit Asia 69 CareerJet 66 JobsOra 61 LinkedIn 45 Jooble 41 Google for Jobs 30 Talent.com (formerly Neuvoo) 30 TipTopJob 30 GrabJobs 17 Post Job Free 15 Recruit Net 6 Jobvertise 1 SnapHunt 1 Craigslist <1 Jobstreet 53 BestJobs.ph 29 FoundIt (formerly Monster APAC & ME) 29 Kalibrr 2 Fast Jobs 2 Prosple (formerly GradPhillippines) 1 Glints <1 JobJedi 73 Mynimo 7 PhilJobNet 4 Govjobs.Ph 1 Bossjob N/A 0 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Real data 50 100 350 191 None 139 Basic. Screening questions AI-based scoring and filtering of candidates 150 200 250 300 350 400 | 202 Case #12. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. AI Impact of trend Appendix 3. Size of job boards in the Philippines Real data Geo coverage Size, # FTEs* 500+ Regional LinkedIn Craigslist Glassdoor Indeed JobStreet Talent.com FoundIt Trovit Asia Kalibrr Jobrapido JobJedi 50-100 TipTopJob Mynimo Jora Prosple Fast Jobs GrabJobs 1-50 CareerJet SnapHunt JobisJob Recruit Net Jobvertise 1995 Philippines only Glints Jooble 100-250 250-500 Global Google for Jobs 2000 Note: *FTEs - full-time employees (May’23) The data for BestJobs.ph isn’t available © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Post Job Free 2005 PhilJobNet 2010 2015 Bossjob JobsOra Govjobs.Ph 2020 Foundation year | 203 Case # 13 Inspired by McKinsey Distribution strategy 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 204 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Prompt A popular fast-casual salad chain Fresh Bites has gained a loyal following for its healthy and customizable salads. The chain has been rapidly expanding and today exceeds 90 restaurants across the U.S. Fresh Bites generates $240M in revenue but is currently losing money with $100M in net losses (2022). The company’s CEO has engaged your team to help them upgrade their distribution strategy in order to propel their sales, increase economies of scale, and thus improve their economics. How would you help the client improve their distribution given such a fierce competition in the healthy fast-casual restaurant industry? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • Fresh Bites sells mostly through their retail stores, but doesn’t franchise • The vast majority of fast-food and fast-casual restaurant chains added and/or boosted a delivery option to support their sales during the pandemic • Digital channels (e.g. app, site, delivery apps) gain traction. For example, they generated 52% of Starbuck’s (2021) and 62% of sweetgreen’s (2022) U.S. sales • Fresh Bites doesn’t consider vending machines as an option due to the short shelf-life of their offerings • Panera Bread, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Taco Bell and other restaurant chains sell their products through grocery stores like Walmart, Wholefoods, and Target Case type Implementation © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 205 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: 02 Add colors (optional) • “Restaurant chains are location-driven businesses. Poor locations with low foot traffic might hurt the bottom line and damage the brand” • “The pandemic-induced boost of online orders reshaped customer expectations and delivery option has become an industry standard for restaurants” • “With such large losses, I’m wondering how much resources Fresh Bites is capable of dedicating to the upgrade of their distribution strategy. A smartphone app might cost millions of dollars in development and then marketing” 03 04 Ask 2-3 questions Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What are the most efficient distribution channels among other fast-casual chains? • What budget does Fresh Bites plan to invest in upgrading their distribution? • What would be the success metrics for the CEO? Any specific goals for the improvement of their distribution strategy? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 206 Implementation Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Case questions 01 What factors would you consider in analyzing how to strengthen Fresh Bites’ distribution strategy? 02 Fresh Bites would like to build a best-in-class app to launch its digital distribution channel and better connect with its customers. What ideas of in-app experience personalization can you suggest? 03 To expand customer reach, Fresh Bites would like to partner with delivery companies such as DoorDash and UberEats. How will it affect the client’s bottom line? 04 Despite expected short-term losses, Fresh Bites plans to proceed and partner with Uber Eats, DoorDash, and other delivery services. What are some operational implications that Fresh Bites will encounter as a result of these partnerships? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 207 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q1. Framework 1 What factors would you consider in analyzing how to strengthen Fresh Bites’ distribution strategy? Own stores Own smartphone app • Chain size and growth rate • Financial assessment • Geo footprint • Operational feasibility • Capacity • Quality of locations • Benefits for customer experience • Brand implications Food delivery companies • Financial terms • Market reach o Geo coverage o New customer groups • Cannibalization Retail chain partners • Revenue/cost projections • Shelf stability of existing offerings • Our production and logistics capabilities (to make it happen) • Execution timeline and risks Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 208 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “I’d break down a Do horizontal distribution strategy into four dimensions. First, own stores. Secondly, own app. Thirdly, presentation third party delivery options. And finally, potential partners among retail chains” Check if the candidate covers the following key points for an implementation case in their frameworks: Hit key points 1. Areas to change (e.g. stakeholders, supply/demand, PPS (people, processes, systems)) 2. Feasibility assessment (e.g. financial analysis, operational viability, talent requirements) The offered framework in this case covers the areas to change (distribution channels) and feasibility assessment (each bucket includes financial and operational analyses) 03 Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “Building third-party distribution channels might allow Fresh Bites to expand their geo footprint, reach out to new customer segments, and thus scale up their sales rapidly” • “Fresh Bites sales are capped by the capacity of the existing restaurants which might become a bottleneck for uplifting its distribution strategy” • “Distribution channel expansion inevitably leads to cannibalization so the team should prioritize the development of complementary channels first” 04 Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “This is how I picture it. Does this framework make sense to you? If so, do we know how large their current chain is?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 209 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q2. Personalization ideas 2 Fresh Bites would like to build a best-in-class app to launch its digital distribution channel and better connect with its customers. What ideas of in-app experience personalization can you suggest? Personalized marketing Personalized processes Personalized look and feel [More efficient marketing is likely the most valuable outcome of personalization as it drives sales. Purchase pattern analysis, AIpowered A/B tests, and more precise customer segmentation unlock cross-selling and upselling opportunities] [Customers get more spoiled and demanding nowadays, as the expectations about speed, convenience, and choice are constantly raised by the fierce competition. Streamlined processes and intuitive app have become table stakes especially for digitally fluent Gen Z] [Personalized look and feel might be a nice addition as it makes the app more welcoming but it won’t likely result in material impact] Promotions Order selection • Promotions based on purchases and profile • Pre-selected items in an order based on past regular purchases • Birthday gifts and discounts • Personalized pricing (e.g. special discounts for active customers) • Personalized menu based on purchase history • Geo-targeted notifications for customers near stores with seasonal offerings • Automatic recurring orders (e.g. for office workers) • Gamification (e.g. rewards, points, statuses) • “One-click” purchase feature Recommendations • Integration with voice assistants (e.g. Siri, Alexa) to make purchases with voice • Personalized menu item recommendations • Personalized upselling options (e.g. frequently bought together with…) • Personalized in-app greetings • Customized homepage (e.g. background, font size, colors) • Personalized feedback surveys on specific features Order placement Trouble-shooting • Personalized customer support (e.g. chatbots that are fed with the data from a current order) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 210 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “Personalization techniques can be seen through three lenses. (optional) First, marketing. Secondly, processes. And thirdly, app’s design” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 211 Implementation Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Q3. Math exercise – prompt 3 To expand customer reach, Fresh Bites would like to partner with delivery companies such as DoorDash and UberEats. How will it affect the client’s bottom line? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Based on the benchmarking analysis (Appendix 1), delivery partners will likely generate 25% of own channel sales • Delivery partners typically charge 20% in sales commission • Fresh Bites enjoys 30% gross profit margin currently [whereas net profit margin is negative] • Delivery partners will likely cannibalize 10% of existing sales • Fresh Bites sales were given in the prompt [$240M] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 212 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q3. Math exercise – calculations 3 To expand customer reach, Fresh Bites would like to partner with delivery companies such as DoorDash and UberEats. How will it affect the client’s bottom line? Cannibalizationinduced profit loss for own channels $240M -10% 30% New ownchannel sales (after cannibalization) $240M (1-10%) $216M Profits from delivery partners $216M 25% (30%-20%) Change in overall profits -$7.2M $5.4M -$1.8M -7.2M $5.4M 4M The partnership with delivery companies will result in profit decline by $1.8M © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 213 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q3. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 3 To expand customer reach, Fresh Bites would like to partner with delivery companies such as DoorDash and UberEats. How will it affect the client’s bottom line? Basic comments (expected from everyone) Due to high sales commissions and expected cannibalization, using delivery companies will lead to deepening losses by $1.8M The revenue increase driven by delivery companies might strengthen economies of scale and thus improve unit economics which might end up increasing, not decreasing Fresh Bites margins Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) The economics of third-party delivery services might be even worse as customers might place smaller orders than they would for in-person dining. Customers might also order fewer high-margin items like refreshments as drinks might be challenging to transport Increase in convenience and accessibility might improve loyalty and retention rate of customers, which will increase marketing ROI and lifetime value of customers. Thus, potentially lower marketing expenses (customer acquisition costs) will improve bottom-line (despite lower gross margins) Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 214 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 215 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q4. Operational implications 4 Despite expected short-term losses, Fresh Bites plans to proceed and partner with Uber Eats, DoorDash, and other delivery services. What are some operational implications that Fresh Bites will encounter as a result of these partnerships? People Processes Systems [New stakeholders (delivery partners) usually increase operational complexity which naturally requires careful management and assessment] • Hire account manager(s) and analyst(s) to work with delivery partners • Train in-store staff and call center operators on the specifics of these new delivery methods and new processes • Get ready for a rapid headcount increase (e.g. in-store, logistics, and warehouse staff) in case of sales spike driven by delivery partners and relevant marketing [Delivery companies will plug in at the end of the value chain, so processes before that should not be affected] • Design new packaging for delivery partners (e.g. to prevent access to food during delivery and ensure food safety) • Build pick-up procedures for couriers • Establish coordination mechanism between Fresh Bites and delivery partners on trouble-shooting (e.g. delivery delays, missed items) [I’d not anticipate changes in hardware but Fresh Bites and delivery companies will need to integrate their software systems at multiple functions] Integrate software systems of Fresh Bites with delivery partners: • Order processing (e.g. menu, order placement, queuing) • Food inventory (e.g. what salads are available today) • Financial flows (e.g. customer payments) • Customer data storage and processing Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 216 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “I’d like to see operational implications at three levels - people, (optional) processes, and systems” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 217 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 218 Case #13. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Distribution strategy Implementation Appendix 1. Benchmarking analysis Real data sweetgreen’s revenue structure by distribution channel 100%= M USD (2020-22) $220M $340M $470M 18% 21% 21% 100% 90% 80% 70% 25% 33% 60% Delivery partners: Caviar, DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats 38% In-store 50% 40% 30% 56% 20% 46% 41% Own digital: pick-up, own delivery service, and outpost* 10% 0% 2020 2021 2022 Note: *Outpost channel enables office workers, hospital workers, or building residents to get their custom sweetgreen order delivered directly to one of 768 outpost stations (2022) at their location during a dedicated time window each day © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 219 Case #14 Inspired by McKinsey Digital transformation 2023 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 220 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Prompt A global biopharmaceutical company Bio Co focuses on R&D for medications on severe central nervous system disorders, inflammatory disorders, and oncology. A quarter of its 10k employees are salespeople who follow traditional sales practices. For example, they share information about prescription drugs with doctors and other medical practitioners typically during face-to-face visits. The Bio Co’s CEO believes that sales digitalization might unlock a lot of value for the company. They have hired your team to conduct a digital transformation for their sales function. How would you help the client? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • Digitalization is the use of tech, data, and analytics to design business processes. Digitization is the conversion of analog information to digital formats. Digital Transformation is business transformation enabled by digitalization • Bio Co enjoys $6B in revenue and 15% net profit margin (2022) • Bio Co has successfully digitalized R&D - built digital capabilities shortened study timelines and improved access for a more diverse range of participants • The current level of sales process digitalization at Bio Co is minimal • Bio Co doesn’t have any goals but realizes that this project will be capex heavy Case type Implementation © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 221 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “The pandemic should have accelerated sales digitalization in pharma as sales reps were limited in their in-person interaction with healthcare providers. So, Bio Co’s competitors might have already built some sales digital capabilities and Bio Co needs to catch up now” • “In their day-to-day lives physicians are used to online product research, online shopping, and remote customer support. So, their learning curve won’t likely be steep if Bio Co digitalizes their customer journeys. We shouldn’t probably expect strong resistance from healthcare providers, but in fact we might see support and increase in satisfaction” • “Digital transformation is usually a capex intensive project so I’m glad to see that Bio Co can afford it as they are a big-name player and likely enjoy deep pockets” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • What software is currently used for sales at Bio Co? CRM, online store, analytical tools? • How does a typical sales cycle look like? (e.g. length, stakeholders, products sold) • What are the major customer segments Bio Co sell to? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. 04 Ask for a moment to structure • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 222 Implementation Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Case questions 01 What factors should your team explore to help Bio Co digitalize their sales function? 02 The manager reached out to you and asked for your thoughts on what sales processes and customer touch points can Bio Co digitalize? 03 It seems like a lot of value can be unlocked through sales digitalization. However, the CEO is afraid that salesforce will push back. What might be the reasons of salesforce’s potential reluctance to adopt new tech? 04 Your manager would like to understand how much time it’ll take to train all the Bio Co salespeople to transition on the new software. Can you run the numbers? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 223 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q1. Framework 1 What factors should your team explore to help Bio Co digitalize their sales function? Healthcare providers Salesforce • Organizational structure • Existing sales software • Sales processes: ‒ Admin ‒ Account development ‒ KPI tracking • Customer segments • Current level of digitalization of customer journey (e.g. product research, customer support) • Existing software to analyze customer behavior Management • Marketing software (e.g. campaign assessment, A/B test analysis) • Reporting software Implementation • Financial assessment • Operational feasibility • Required talent • Required team (e.g PMO, project management office) Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 224 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “A great case! Let Do horizontal me look into four dimensions. First, salesforce. Secondly, healthcare providers. Thirdly, presentation management. And finally, implementation” Check if the candidate covers the following key points for an implementation case in their frameworks: Hit key points 1. Areas to change (e.g. stakeholders, supply/demand, PPS (people, processes, systems)) 2. Feasibility assessment (e.g. financial analysis, operational viability, talent requirements) The offered framework in this case covers the areas to change (stakeholders - salesforce, customers, and management) and feasibility assessment (last bucket) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: 03 Add stories (optional) • “I’d imagine that selling prescription drugs is a relationship-based business and that’s why Bio Co hosts an army of sales reps to do high-touch sales. However, digitalization might dramatically improve salesforce efficiency and help Bio Co not only increase revenue but also scale back on their sales rep headcount” • “Sales digitalization isn’t a new strategy and has been widely adopted. I’d think there is a good number of time-proven software solutions that encompass various best practices” • “Rapid AI development, cloud tech, and easy-to-use tablets likely enable sales software to streamline admin work of salesforce and free up their time to focus on sales” 04 Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “Does it come across as a reasonable plan of attack? If it resonates with you, I’d look into the sales processes first. Do we know how a typical sales cycle look like?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 225 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q2. Process map 2 The manager reached out to you and asked for your thoughts on what sales processes and customer touch points can Bio Co digitalize? xxx Admin [I’d imagine that sales conversations take just a small portion of the sales cycle, and salespeople might dedicate a lot of time to paperwork, scheduling and other admin. The digitalization of admin functions might free up a lot of time and help salespeople focus on their core job] Sales funnel • Lead identification • Lead verification • Contract preparation • Electronic signature Meeting prep • Day planning (incl. route planning) • Presentation pre-population with client’s data • Scheduling intro/follow-up calls and meetings Reporting • Client status updates • Dashboard preparation (e.g. with personal stats) Sales [Technology might empower salespeople with insights on clients’ purchasing behavior from the entire organization, educate them on the recent changes in their regions, and help rapidly navigate through products and contract options] • Data-based insights about patient population changes and local health environment dynamics (to tailor sales pitch) • Predictive analytics on healthcare providers’ likelihood of switching therapies/medicines • AI-powered recommendations for cross-selling and up-selling to providers • Tablet-based digital questionnaires for client profiling Customer journey [Healthcare providers likely do their homework to learn more about Bio Co’s drugs before or after meetings with salespeople. So, Bio Co should offer self-service top-notch digital solutions for doctors and other healthcare practitioners] Product research at site • Intuitive design • Powerful search function • Short and on-the-point video presentations Q&As • AI-enabled chatbots for general questions • Webchats and video-calls with experts Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 226 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down presentation overview, e.g. “I’d like to suggest sales processes of three categories. First, (optional) admin. Secondly, sales themselves. And finally, customer product research” 03 • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 227 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q3. Implementation obstacles 3 It seems like a lot of value can be unlocked through sales digitalization. However, the CEO is afraid that salesforce will push back. What might be the reasons of salesforce’s potential reluctance to adopt new tech? Painful changes in sales process [Salespeople may be hesitant to relinquish their established best practices and compromise their income for new software that lacks a proven track record but has the potential to result in profound changes in sales processes] • Threat to salespeople’s autonomy (e.g. own judgement on when to interact is replaced by AI-suggested time for touch points) • Software might replace parts of faceto-face interaction and jeopardize client relationships • Software might be perceived as additional burden (new admin work) that takes time from sales • Increased sales efficiency will likely lead to changes in the incentive structure (Bio Co will likely decrease sales commissions) Skill development issues [The development of the skill to work with the new software will depend on the starting point and learning curve] • Lack of tech savviness • Inefficient training • Complicated software; too steep learning curve (e.g. too timeconsuming to learn how to use it) • Limited ongoing support (e.g. long response time from helpdesk) Poor change management [Regular and clear communication about the crucial sales digitalization role might create sense of urgency and pride that will increase chances for successful implementation] • Lack of support from middle management/ direct supervisors • No advocates, no champions • Lack of big-picture importance of sales digitalization • Lack of top-management’s encouragement • Organization-wide inertia Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 228 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “I can see salesforce hesitation coming from three sources. First, painful changes in sales processes. Secondly, skill development issues. And finally, poor change management” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 229 Implementation Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Q4. Math exercise – prompt 4 Your manager would like to understand how much time it’ll take to train all the Bio Co salespeople to transition on the new software. Can you run the numbers? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • Each training cycle lasts 2 months and can accommodate 500 salespeople • The number of salespeople is given in the prompt (a quarter of 10k which is 2.5k) • Each training program ends with an exam, and the expected pass rate is 80% • Bio Co will run additional training cycles For those who didn’t pass • The pass rate for additional cycles is expected to be 100% © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 230 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q4. Math exercise – calculations 4 Your manager would like to understand how much time it’ll take to train all the Bio Co salespeople to transition on the new software. Can you run the numbers? 10k 500 salesmen per cycle 5 cycles 500 salesmen per cycle (1-80%) 5 cycles 500 salespeople Number of additional training cycles 500 salespeople 500 salesmen per cycle 1 additional cycle Total time required for training (5+1) cycles 2 months per cycle 12 months, or 1 year Number of training cycles A quarter Number of salespeople who will fail the exam Bio Co will need an entire year to successfully train all their salespeople © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 231 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q4. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 4 Your manager would like to understand how much time it’ll take to train all the Bio Co salespeople to transition on the new software. Can you run the numbers? Basic comments (expected from everyone) It’ll take an entire year for Bio Co to successfully train all their salespeople to transition on the new software These calculations don’t consider a potentially high churn rate as a lot of salespeople might be reluctant to change their overyears-built sales technics and might quit. The estimated timeline also doesn’t take into consideration new hires Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) A one-year training program might require a large budget and a separate PMO (Program Management Office) with dedicated staff. Given learning and development might not be a core competency of Bio Co, the company might need to bring external consultants Such a long training period might create tensions among salespeople as some of them get access to the new software far earlier than others and thus might have unfair advantage and earn far higher sales commissions (driven by the tech) Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 232 Case #14. Inspired by McKinsey. 2023. Digital transformation Implementation Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 233 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 234 Case # 15 Inspired by McKinsey Online training 2022 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 235 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Prompt Our client is Shey Investment, SI, a British-American global asset management group. They offer a range of financial products to individuals, intermediary advisors and institutional investors. SI manages $290B in assets. Over the last several years SI expanded its offerings of mutual funds that its financial consultants should know well to advise them to SI’s clients. The CEO has hired your team to build an online training program aimed at educating all 300 financial consultants on mutual funds and sales techniques to effectively close client deals related to these mutual funds. What do you need to know to design and implement this online training program? Additional information Please provide this information only upon request • SI offers 50+ different mutual funds. A mutual fund is an investment fund that pools money from many investors to purchase securities; different types of mutual funds invest in different types of securities (e.g. equities, bonds) • SI enjoys $2.2B in revenue, mostly from management fees (2022) • SI employs 3,000 full-time employees globally • SI uses an internally designed basic online courses that financial consultants take to learn about SI’s mutual funds, contracts, legal aspects, etc. • Currently SI hires vendors that conduct a series of workshops for financial consultants to improve their sales skills to sell more mutual funds Case type Implementation © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org Hard level Interviewerdriven case 15-20 minutes to solve | 236 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Opening. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Restate the Typically the candidates are expected to restate the prompt to make sure they are on the prompt same page with the interviewer Add colors (optional) Ask 2-3 questions Ask for a moment to structure Candidates can react to the prompt by providing some quick thoughts which will demonstrate candidates’ business acumen, e.g.: • “I’d imagine mutual funds like other financial products are highly regulated and complicated investments. Thus, financial consultants should demonstrate deep understanding of them in order to provide accurate information to clients” • “Advising mistakes of financial consultants might be costly for SI’s reputation which is likely the key sales driver in this highly commoditized market. So, no wonder they are ready to invest in a brand-new online training program” • “With recent AI development and tech like ChatGPT, the new online training program might be able not only to personalize learning journey but also provide actionable and expert-level feedback” Candidates often ask 2-3 questions before designing their framework. However, there is no “that very right” question that candidates should ask. Questions for this case might be: • How do SI’s financial consultants learn about its mutual funds and improve their sales skills currently? • What’s the current turnover rate of SI’s financial consultants? • Does SI have any specific success metrics for this new online training program? Candidates don’t always get answers to their questions. In fact, McKinsey interviewers often say that they don’t have any additional information. • Typically candidates ask for a couple of minutes to structure their approach • Sometimes McKinsey interviewers ask the first question and then the candidate takes time to build their framework © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 237 Implementation Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Case questions 01 What do you want to know in order to design and implement the online training program to educate financial consultants on SI’s mutual funds and sales techniques? 02 The client has piloted three modules of the learning program. Could you calculate how many consultants successfully graduated from the pilot program? 03 The pilot showed low completion rate and low overall learning outcome. What could we do to increase completion rate and learning outcome in the next pilot? 04 Poor pilot results also revealed misalignment and lack of clarity in expected goals. What success metrics of the online training program do you think SI should track and target? © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 238 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q1. Framework 1 What do you want to know in order to design and implement the online training program to educate financial consultants on SI’s mutual funds and sales techniques? Online training program [educators] Financial consultants [learners] • Program architecture (e.g. asynchronous, webinars, tests) • Target audience of consultants (e.g. geo, size, roles) • Required content (e.g. mutual funds info, legal aspects) • Current knowledge and capability gaps • Expected learning outcomes (e.g. knowledge, sales skill boost) • Success metrics for learners (e.g. sales increase, learner satisfaction) Feasibility assessment • Required talent to design the program (e.g. instructional designers, subject matter experts) • Operational feasibility (e.g. time, complexity) • Financial feasibility (e.g. capex required) Implementation • PMO (project management office) and team • Workstreams (incl. deliverables, ownership and deadlines) • Expected milestones (e.g. 30-60-90 days) • Maintenance of the program in future Note: This is just one of many potential ways to structure your approach. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 239 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q1. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 The best practice is to start with a 15-second big-picture overview, e.g. “Glad to be on the Do horizontal project! I’d like to break it down into four workstreams. First, online training program. presentation Secondly, financial consultants. Thirdly, feasibility assessment. And finally, implementation” Hit key points Check if the candidate covers the following key points for an implementation case in their frameworks: 1. Areas to change (e.g. stakeholders, supply/demand, PPS (people, processes, systems)) 2. Feasibility assessment (e.g. financial analysis, operational viability, talent requirements) The offered framework in this case covers the areas to change (supply/demand - educators and learners) and feasibility assessment (bucket #3) 03 04 Add stories (optional) To avoid cookie-cutter/generic approach, the candidates can incorporate 2-3 stories into their structure presentation, e.g.: • “During the pandemic the demand for online education went through the roof as people were locked down and had time to build new skills and expertise. That makes me optimistic that the adoption rate of our new online training program might be high” • “The online training program will offer a scalable solution. It’ll be tailored to the needs of Shey Investment as it’ll be designed in-house ” • “Developing a company-wide online training program might be capex intensive so it’s good to know that our client is a big-name company with deep pockets” Finish with a question McKinsey interviewers don’t usually expect it, but at the end of the structure presentation, it is helpful for the candidate to show that they can drive team forward and prioritize, e.g. “Does it sound reasonable to you? If it does, let’s dive into the program architecture first. Do we have any information on it?” © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 240 Implementation Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Q2. Math exercise – prompt 2 The client has piloted three modules of the learning program. Could you calculate how many consultants successfully graduated from the pilot program? Please share with the candidate the following information Please provide this additional information only upon request • There are three consecutive online modules and each module had a different completion rate • 40 financial consultants participated in the pilot • In order to move to the next module learners should complete the previous one • To graduate from the pilot program learners should pass an exam © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org • 90% of learners competed Module 1 • One third of learners dropped out on Module 2 • 75% of learners completed Module 3 • Out of the learners who completed all three modules, 50% passed the exam on their 1st attempt and 70% of the rest passed it on the 2nd attempt | 241 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q2. Math exercise – calculations 2 The client has piloted three modules of the learning program. Could you calculate how many consultants successfully graduated from the pilot program? Number of learners who completed the pilot program 40 participants 90% * (1 - 1/3) * 75% Number of learners who passed the exam on the 1st attempt 18 participants 50% 9 participants Number of learners who passed the exam on the 2nd attempt (18 - 9) 70% 6 participants Total number of learners who passed the exam 9 participants 6 participants 15 participants 18 participants Only 15 out of 40 financial consultants graduated from the pilot program © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 242 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q2. Math exercise – contextualization of the answer 2 The client has piloted three modules of the learning program. Could you calculate how many consultants successfully graduated from the pilot program? Basic comments (expected from everyone) 15, or less than half of the initial participants, successfully graduated from the pilot program While the exam pass rate sounds reasonable (15 out of 18), it’s alarming to see such a low completion rate (18 out of 40, or less than half) which might be driven by the low quality of the training materials, low motivation or busy schedules of consultants Advanced comments (for outstanding candidates) 40 participants is more than 10% of 300 financial consultants which likely makes the pilot results statistically representative While the end-of-course knowledge testing is important, what matters the most is if this online training program will bring material change in consultants’ work. For example, if it will lead to sales increase or fewer mistakes in advising clients Note: The candidate is not expected to mention all the advanced comments, but adding some of them will demonstrate that the candidate can connect the dots, see the depth, add colors and bring some insights even if the candidate is not that familiar with the industry/topic © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 243 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q2. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 02 03 04 Structure approach • Providing a big-picture approach of how to calculate the answer might help the candidate gain more points and help the interviewer follow the candidate’s thought process Clarify • Often interviewers don’t provide all the information missing data • The candidate needs to proactively ask for missing pieces points • Ideally the candidate shouldn’t make any mistakes Calculate accurately Add colors (optional) • It is okay to ask for some time to run numbers and then walk the interviewer through the calculations (some interviewers though might push back and ask you to do your Math on the fly) • The interviewers highly appreciate it when the candidate not only calculates the answer correctly, but also contextualizes it • For examples of contextualization, please refer to the advanced comments on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 244 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q3. Learning outcome growth ideas 3 The pilot showed low completion rate and low overall learning outcome. What could we do to increase completion rate and learning outcome in the next pilot? Increase quality of video-content Offer more opportunities to practice Make it social [One-way lectures are the least efficient way of teaching, so we need to make sure our training program is different] Make more engaging • Shorten videos (e.g. microlearning) • Improve storytelling and avoid dry language • Change teaching techniques every 10-15 min to avoid attention fatigue Show value • Offer more practical examples of how this will help consultants • Validate the content with subject matter experts Create push/pull incentives • Set strict deadlines to create sense of urgency • Offer rewards/bonuses for best exam scores [I’m not an education expert but I’d imagine that practice ensures skill development and solidifies learnings. Lack of practice might result in insufficient feedback for learners and thus inability to see their knowledge gaps] • Offer optional drill exercises • Incorporate more quick quizzes throughout modules • Add mandatory reflective essays to solidify the learnings (e.g. “Which of my clients should I offer this mutual fund, and what factors might pique their interest in it?”) • Create app-based flashcards for additional practice [To my best knowledge, teambased learning is one of the hot topics nowadays, as making education social creates additional accountability and sense of community that increases attendance and completion rates] • Allow comments and incourse discussions • Crowd-source opinions on burning questions • Do in-course surveys and share aggregated results • Ensure social pressure (e.g. share anonymized progress curve; percentiles) • Encourage peer-to-peer practice where possible Provide post-graduation learning options [Forgetting curve might be steep after the training program is over. So, in order to keep gained knowledge and skills fresh among their financial consultants, Shey Investment should ensure an ongoing support system] • Offer 1-on-1 mentorship to solidify learnings • Conduct another exam 3 months after graduation • Create a series of podcasts for consultants to revisit materials during their commute or work-out Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 245 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q3. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “I’d suggest thinking about opportunities through four lenses. First, increase content quality. Secondly, ensure a lot of practice. Thirdly, make learning process social. And finally, offer post-graduation learning options” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 246 Implementation Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Q4. Key success metrics 4 Poor pilot results also revealed misalignment and lack of clarity in expected goals. What success metrics of the online training program do you think SI should track and target? Learning outcomes Business results [Learning outcomes can be measured at different stages of learners’ journey - during the training, at the end of training, and post-training] [The eventual goal of the investment in human capital is to monetize it successfully and strengthen the company’s market positioning] • Program completion rate • Sales increase • Pass rate of the program’s exam • Long-term retained knowledge and skills (e.g. 3 months/6 months after program completion) ‒ Number of new clients and amount of new funds ‒ Cross-selling and up-selling for existing clients • % of learners that received industry certificates (in case they exist) • Improvement in customer satisfaction • Learners’ satisfaction • Number and frequency of advising mistakes • Acknowledgement as best-in-class training program in the industry by independent experts • Improvement in brand perception due to higher quality of investment advising Note: This is just one of many potential ways to brainstorm. Please treat this example only as a reference point and develop your own style. [The candidate is usually expected to generate at least 4 ideas. The best practice is 7-8 ideas, structured approach, and on-the-fly delivery without taking notes] © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 247 Case #15. Inspired by McKinsey. 2022. Online training Implementation Q4. Make sure the candidate follows these steps 01 • 80% of interviewers feel comfortable when candidates take 30-40 seconds to Take time or think and write down their ideas before walking the interviewer through them do on-the-go • The best practice is to ideate on-the-fly 02 Do horizontal presentation (optional) 03 • The best practice is to structure brainstorming and offer a 10-second top-down overview, e.g. “There are two sides that I can see. First, we need to measure the learning outcomes. And secondly, we need to track how these learning outcomes help us achieve business results” • Regular feedback from consulting firms is that candidates offer only three ideas which is a bit on the lower end Provide at least 4 ideas • Push the candidate to provide at least 4 ideas • Top-5% of candidates can usually suggest 7-8 ideas 04 Add colors (optional) • To impress the interviewer, the candidates can contextualize some of their ideas • Examples are given in [] brackets on the previous slide © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 248 Recommendation McKinsey typically doesn’t require recommendation for their cases © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 249 More at Peter-K.org © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org | 250 MBB casebooks at Peter-K.org Link Check out Peter K’s MBB casebooks 24 top-notch cases inspired by real MBB interviews. Recruiting cycle 2021 Link 11 © 2023 Peter K. More at Peter-K.org top-notch cases inspired by real MBB interviews. Recruiting cycle 2020 | 251