Recruiter Recon
By
Sarah Baicker
Name: Bill Neuenfeldt
Title: Head of Global Schools Recruiting
Company: Bain & Company
Location: New York, NY
Hometown: Menomonie, Wisconsin
What does Bain look for when it recruits MBAs?
They need to be intelligent and have what we call “a nose for value”—an ability to spot where we can drive results for clients; second, they must know how to work in teams, both within Bain and with clients; third, they’ve got to think and act like owners. The individual who can take sharp insights and turn them into a working relationship with clients will be the most successful.
How can a candidate wow you when he enters the room?
Be yourself and think on your feet. You can use your B-school skills—but leave the B-school frameworks at the door.
What should a candidate do to prepare for the interview?
Go to
www.joinbain.com—a new website filled with information not only about the opportunities here, but about how to be successful in the interview and in the long term at Bain. Talk to people on campus who have worked at Bain in the past. Take time to prep—don’t let this be the first time you’ve talked about your leadership abilities or done a case interview. Be prepared to ask tough questions—we want that.
What questions can a candidate expect during the interview?
Bain is very much about finding individuals who can deliver results for clients: Be prepared to speak to your ability to drive results. We think of it as putting a CEO’s lens on a business situation. In the case-interview process, we’ll give them a real-world situation and have a half hour discussion about the best way to structure the problem. There are no trick questions—we want down-to-earth strategic thought.
What kinds of candidates score big points?
They’re really passionate about strategy consulting and about driving results. You see that in their questions and responses. They’ve come for a dialogue about business problems and the way to crack them.
What can candidates do to make sure you remember them?
Highlight a personal results story. Let me know: What are things that distinguish you as an individual—in academics, in the jobs you’ve held, or in community service.
Can a candidate try too hard?
“Trying too hard” is when you try to force-fit an answer. What we’re really looking for is someone who can think and act on their feet; over-prepping and memorizing textbook answers is “trying too hard.”
What’s the biggest misconception people have about Bain?
That we’re just a consulting firm. What they’ll find here is much more than they expected: strategic consulting; work that improves the bottom line through revenue and growth initiatives, as well as managing the operational performance and the cost side of a business; work in private equity. (We’re one of the leaders in consulting to the private equity industry.) They’ll find new innovations like CRG—our corporate renewal group, focused on turning around companies before they actually get in trouble. They’ll even find key adjacencies like Bridgespan, an entity that was spun out of Bain, focusing on the not-for-profit space. I definitely want folks reading to know that Bain & Company is hiring. This past summer we had our largest summer associate program ever. We continue to invest in individuals who will help us deliver exceptional bottomline results for our clients.
MBA Jungle, Winter 2008-299