Bain & Company Assessment Test, Hiring Process & Interviews Online Preparation – 2024

What Is Bain & Company?

Bain & Company is a multinational consulting firm founded in 1973. With offices in thirty-seven countries and half a dozen subsidiaries, they have experience in a variety of demographics and industries. They pride themselves on finding new and innovative ways to effectively serve their clients and strive to learn about the industries they are involved in. Bain & Company looks for people with knowledge of:

• Analytics
• Corporate Finance
• Marketing
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Strategy
• Sustainability

What Is the Bain & Company Hiring Process?

Bain & Company has a fairly simple hiring process. The outline of their interviews is standard but may vary slightly depending on your location and the position you have applied for. The company has a formal, three-stage recruiting process. These include:

• Application
• Online Assessments
• Interview

Application

The application is Bain & Company’s first impression of the candidate. After they briefly review it to ensure all of the entry criteria and qualifications are met, the company will automatically send you to the next stage of the interview process.

Bain & Company favors tailored cover letters. As a community-oriented company, Bain is interested in hearing about your philanthropic endeavors and unique experiences or projects. It is also advantageous to include your strengths and how they make you an asset to the company.

Bain & Company’s Online Assessments

Online assessments are utilized in various selection processes as a tool for objectively measuring aptitude and emotional intelligence. Bain administers these assessments in the second stage in an effort to minimize the candidate pool before they conduct interviews. The number and subject of the tests may vary depending on the position, but the following tests are the entirety of what you may encounter:

• Abstract Reasoning
  The abstract reasoning test serves Bain & Company by assessing decision-making and problem-solving skills. It is a nonverbal, fifteen-minute assessment featuring a series of shapes. These shapes are split into two sets side by side, each with a different pattern. The objective is to identify the pattern in each set and determine how they relate to one another. Then, provided four novel shapes, select which set each new object belongs to. There are thirty total questions.
• Numerical Reasoning
  The numerical reasoning assessment examines mathematical abilities and analytical capacity. Given a graph or table, the test-taker must evaluate the numerical data and answer the questions that follow. The numerical reasoning test requires an understanding of basic mathematical operations, level one algebra, fractions, statistics and more. There are twenty-five total questions paired with a twenty-minute time limit.
• Personality Test
  The personality test offers Bain some insight into how well a candidate’s behavior aligns with the role and how well their disposition fits in with the company’s environment. For example, if they need an outgoing, leadership type, Bain can use these results to decide which candidate best fits this description. The format presents the test-taker with a hypothetical scenario detailing a conflict or situation in the workplace. Subsequently, there will be a statement describing a possible action to take in the given scenario. The test-taker must rate the statement based on how much they agree with it on a scale of one to ten.
• Verbal Reasoning
  The verbal reasoning exam appraises the ability to comprehend written statements and correspondence, use the correct grammar and punctuation, and basic fundamental literacy. It is multiple-choice and considered to be the easiest of all of the aptitude assessments.

Bain & Company’s Interview

The interview is the final stage of Bain & Company’s hiring process. It will be face-to-face and can occur in one of three fashions:

• Case Study Interview
  The case study interview is a requirement of all candidates for consulting roles. Bain uses actual problems from past cases they have encountered with clients. There is some math involved and the interviewer expects to hear the thought-process that led you to a particular solution.
• Experience Interview
  The experience interview may contain a little piece of a case study interview but mainly focuses on the candidate. The questions will discuss the candidate’s resume, background, qualifications, and relevant experience. The behavioral and competency questions may include inquiries such as, “Name a time you made a difficult decision and why you made it” or “What is usually your role in a team dynamic?”.
• Written Case Interview
  The written case interview is an additional round of those who had a case study interview. Candidates will read twenty to thirty documents containing information about a client’s situation. Then they will have a little less than an hour to come up with a solution, narrow in on the main ideas, and write all of their findings in a brief report. Finally, they will present this report to the interviewer who will question them on their conclusions.

The role description accompanying the job posting will most likely inform you which interview you will be participating in. If not, you will be notified a few days in advance to make preparation a little easier.

How to Prepare for Bain & Company’s Online Assessments?

Bain & Company uses these online assessments to highlight the candidates who are skillful, intelligent, and have the right personality for the job. And, because these tests are specifically for reducing the number of candidates, the stakes are much higher. This is why practicing is so crucial for your success.

Preparing with the help of practice tests is greatly recommended by the company and candidates themselves. Because it imitates the test conditions, you can practice taking the assessment before the scores truly matter. You will become familiar with the structure and content of the questions while navigating the time constraint. After, you will receive your scores and can use them to measure your progress and get an idea of how much longer you need to study for.

Another popular studying method is using sample questions. If you are more concerned with the questions on the test rather than the time limit, sample questions are your best bet. They simulate the material and allow you to focus on your problem-solving approach. Eventually, when you gain confidence you can increase your speed while maintaining your accuracy.

What Do Bain & Company Interviewers Look For?

Bain outlines specific traits they value in their employees. This is a helpful reference for your competency and behavioral interviews. Evaluating these qualities and the wat you relate to them will both boost your confidence and elevate your image in the eyes of the company. Bain & Company looks for the following characteristics:

• Passion & Commitment
• Honesty & Openness
• Practical
• Team-Oriented

Along with these qualities, they also want to see recruits with great leadership and problem-solving skills. They will ask you for examples of times you have exuded one or more of these traits. For example, “when was a time you were honest with someone even when it was difficult for you”.

Another common question is about a time you made a difference in an organization and how. This could be your school, past places of work, or other organizations.

Interview Tips for Bain & Company

Putting your best foot forward is easier said than done. But above all else, it is important to do your background research on Bain & Company and spend a generous amount of time preparing for the hiring process.

For your case study interview, Bain & Company favors candidates who include potential arguments from a different perspective. This will emphasize your ability to maintain objectivity and strengthen your own resolution. Remember to highlight the key facts and points to preserve your time.

Your preparation for the experience interview should revolve around having your answers ready for behavioral and competency questions. This includes questions like:

• Describe a time you and a team member didn’t agree on something. How did you handle it?
• What outside interests do you have?
• Describe a time you influenced a decision or outcome.

Conclusion

Working at Bain & Company is a golden opportunity that could be in the palm of your hand with just a little bit of time and effort. Use this as your go-to-guide for acing your interview and show Bain & Company why you are the right candidate for them. Best of luck!