“Ace the Case” (study) – you’ve got 9 oranges…
…and they all look and feel the same. Out of the 9 oranges, one of them weighs slightly more. How can you find the orange that is heavier by using a set of balancing scales and only two weighings?
Clients engage us to find their future talent. Our role is to identify, evaluate and then acquire the best talent. Evaluating an individual’s suitability, experience and potential is not a walk in the park – a combination of both science and art is required, in my humble opinion.
“Potential” value can be extremely subjective. We apply a bit of science by adopting a case study approach to certain recruitment engagements. Our primary objective is to assess a competency such as ‘Problem Solving’. We want to road test an individuals approach to structured thinking and qualify their problem solving abilities.
A case study is an opportunity for the interviewer to see first hand how you perform under pressure and how you approach and solve a potential business challenge. As is the case with a general interview, research is the key to being successful with case study interviews and lots of it. Broadly speaking there are two types of case study interview:
Traditional business case
This is typically a real business problem, one you would be expected to solve as the Commercial or Strategy Manager in the firm we are representing. What is being tested is your ability to listen and approach a problem in an analytical and structured manner often using a framework to structure you response. Pick up any MC bible and you can expect to refer to the 4C’s or Porters five forces.
The market-sizing question
This is the question with no absolute right answer. I’m sure that a few of you have sat in the comfy interview chair opposite me and then would have suddenly faced me throwing you “So, how many golf balls are there in Australia?” In this situation, you need to be able to present an answer that is plausible and logical and be able to show how you reached this conclusion.
If you fancy digging deep on these type of hairy questions check out: www.caseinterview.com or www.acethecase.com I’m also a fan of the book “Are you smart enough to work at Google?” It guides readers through the surprising solutions to dozens of the most challenging interview questions. The book covers the importance of creative thinking, ways to get a leg up on the competition, what your Facebook page says about you, and much more.
My tip: The more practice you do, the better you ‘ace the case’ study questions! So make sure you do a minimum of two or three mock case study interviews with someone who is experienced with them prior to your interview with a search / recruitment consultancy or a company directly.
As for that heavier orange:
(Note: For the health conscious – yes oranges are good for you but please reframe from eating them until you’ve solved this question!). The first step is determining which set of three oranges contains the heavy one. So choose oranges 1,2,3 and oranges 4,5,6 and weigh them. If one set is heavier, save those three oranges. If neither side is heavier, proceed with oranges 7,8,9. The final weighing requires you to weigh two of the three selected oranges. If they are the same, the unweighed orange is the heavy one. If they are different, then the heavier of the two is the odd orange.
