35 Gartner Consulting Interview Questions & Answers

Below is a list of our Gartner Consulting, Inc. interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.

Accomplishment

1. Tell me about yourself.

What You Need to Know

This is your first and last chance to make a great first impression. Your interviewer has a vested interest in getting to know you for who you are as a person and as a professional. They are looking for talent and want to get to know you and uncover everything you could potentially have to offer them. This is your opportunity to showcase what you have accomplished to get here. Deliver your best elevator pitch and showcase how you are the only authority on the one subject no one else is more knowledgeable about - you.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

How to Prep

Gartner offers this valuable interview advice on their website: "Maximize the conversation. Try to take the lead. Take advantage of the opening introduction by showing your unique personality and highlighting your passion, interests, experiences, etc. A good recruiter will latch onto a good introduction and probe further. Brevity is an important virtue; avoid going around in circles or repeating yourself. Avoid loose talk such as statements that are cliche or non-specific. For example, 'I want to join your company to learn.' Be authentic."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I graduated with honors from college, and my professor, who was also my mentor, used to work with Gartner and recommended I pursue this internship opportunity. I have a letter of recommendation with me. I am innovative, ambitious, and determined. Looking at the career opportunities Gartner offers is in line with my goals. I am hungry for growth and career advancement and am loyal by nature. I would give back tenfold everything Gartner could give me and have a track record to prove it. Also, similar sentiments are spelled out in my professor's letter of recommendation."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"I have worked for years with Deloitte, and my previous boss left a few years ago to join Gartner. She has been nudging me to come over for the past three years. I had some previous commitments with the company, and I pride myself on my integrity. Now that I have entered a stage in my career that is more friendly to facilitating such change, I am ready to open this dialogue and explore what we can do for each other."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

View This Question and Answers

Accomplishment

2. What is the highest ROI percentage you have delivered to a client?

What You Need to Know

An excellent consultant will know exactly what they have delivered to clients in the past and why they were able to achieve such exceptional results. Talk to the interviewer about the highest ROI you have been able to help a client achieve. Include your thoughts on what made the project a success and assure the interviewer that you can repeat that success.

Written by Rachelle Enns on July 28th, 2023

Entry Level Example

"In my internship, I merely served as an assistant to my mentor, and on occasion, I led meetings in his absence. However, I walked step by step through the whole process with him and gained in-depth knowledge of his approach, and have every confidence I could replicate his record of success. While working under him, we most recently achieved a 57% ROI."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

Experienced Example

"The highest ROI I delivered to a client was a whopping 62%. Our company's standard at that time was 26%, so you can see my excitement when our team was able to generate such a great result. The client did not expect such a significant return, and I attribute the success to our highly collaborative approach, excellent communication, and exceptionally talented team. I look forward to delivering similar results to Gartner Consulting."

Written by Rachelle Enns on July 28th, 2023

Answer Example

"Last year, my average ROI was 17%, with an industry average of 9%. I believe my success is directly related to the fact that I perform regular progress reports, ensuring my clients are fully aware of where the project is headed. Clear communication means a smoother project and top-notch results. I am excited to bring these same results to Gartner Consulting and your clients."

Ask The Interviewer

3. Do you have any other questions for me?

What You Need to Know

Before your interview, you'll want to get up to speed on everything related to Gartner. Doing so will make you comfortable having broader conversations about the space the company is in and how they go about bringing in revenue. It will also better equip you to answer each question they throw your way, such as being asked about their business model.

It will also enable you to formulate intelligent questions throughout your interview and be equipped with a few more for the end of your interview as well. This will aid you in making the interview more of a two-way conversation rather than an interrogation. Lastly, it will showcase your work ethic, making your answers actionable by revealing the homework you've done, setting you apart from those who didn't prepare.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Focus Your Answer On

Here is some valuable interview advice from a blog on Gartner's website: "Don't be afraid to have frank conversations with your recruiter. Just as we're evaluating your skills and background, we encourage you to evaluate us. Shy away from using the Googled list of 'best questions to ask at the end of your interview.' Ask questions at the moment, and demonstrate that curiosity and ability to readily pivot! When you sit down to prepare for an interview, a good way to start is by brushing up on information about the company, industry, competition, financials, and recent headlines."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"Thank you. I do have another question. It was used as an example on your website, and I thought it rather a good one, so I thought I would ask it. What are some aspects other members of the team find challenging about this role?"

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

Answer Example

"Here is an example of an excellent question to ask that Gartner offers on their website: "I took a look at your recent quarterly financial report and noticed that your costs have been increasing relative to revenues for the last year. Is this a concern for the company, and if so, what's your strategy to reverse the trend of declining profitability?"

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Behavioral

4. What are three ways in which would you describe yourself?

What You Need to Know

The aim here is to showcase that you are familiar with their culture and the qualities they look for and try to foster in their teams. So take into account all of their recruiting efforts, including their keywords and key phrases, and relay those which most resonate with you. The aim is to communicate how you feel you are already one of them.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

How to Prep

Take a look at the keywords and key phrases in the following Gartner statements, which describe the type of people they aim to recruit: "Our people are the reason for our sustained success. We are a team of thinkers, doers, and lifelong learners. We are innately curious, driven, disciplined, and humble. We foster an environment where individuality bolsters teamwork and diversity leads to like-mindedness of ideas, and we're looking for people who can thrive in our distinctive, growth environment. These 10 cultural elements describe the very essence of what makes us special as an organization: Impact clients' mission-critical priorities. Do the right things and great results will follow. Embody a no-limits mindset. Make fact-based decisions. Think and act objectively. Prioritize, relentlessly. Get better, faster, stronger every year. We win as a team. Embrace diversity and be inclusive. Be humble, be hungry. These aspects of our culture are authentically Gartner. If they're authentically you, please apply now."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I'd say that I am creatively analytical, humble, and hungry to grow."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"Well, I would say that I am a leader, I take action, and I have a lot of integrity."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Behavioral

5. Do you consider yourself a persuasive person?

What You Need to Know

Part of being an excellent consultant is also harnessing the power of persuasion when necessary. There is a difference between persuasion and debating - or even convincing. Persuasion is used when you want to influence someone rather than tell them that they are wrong and you are right.

The power of persuasion is essential if you are selling or pitching anything. It is also a helpful skill when you want to gain momentum with your coworkers or have your boss better understand your approach to a project. It is not a negative thing to be persuasive. Talk to the interviewer about whether or not you consider yourself to be a persuasive individual.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I can be very persuasive. In the past, while trying to be persuasive, I could often be seen as pushy. But I have adjusted my approach dramatically since pursuing my profession. I establish trust by being a reliable source of information and backing up my claims with statistics. My confidence comes naturally, however. I have always been a self-assured person."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

Answer Example

"I can be persuasive when it comes to helping my clients to understand the logic, or reason, behind recommendations that our group is making. It's important to lay out the intentions of any change and then express the importance of those changes."

Experienced Example

"Persuasion and management consulting methods go hand in hand, so, yes, I believe I am a persuasive person. My approach is not sly or combative in any way, however. I persuade others by displaying how my approach, or belief, could benefit their business and bottom line."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Capability

6. Help me understand your standards for success in your last job. Please describe what you did to attain those standards. If you fell short of expectations, what did you do to remedy the problem?

What You Need to Know

If you look at companies of all sizes, you'll find different standards for each of them. A smaller company's standards might differ from a larger one, and this could be based on processes, management, and overall operations. The hiring manager would like to hear if you value standards, and if you are involved in setting standards or following them. Ideally, you want to explain that you have involvement with both. Start with some basic facts about the standards you have set and how you have garnered support from leadership and have successfully maintained those standards over a long period of time. It's also important to talk about times you had challenges maintaining standards and how you remedied issues that came up and regained the support of your teams. This shows the interviewer your human side because everyone falls short of expectations at some point, but what you did to remedy the problem will be something they will pay close attention to.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

Entry Level Example

"Well, in my internship, I took a lot of notes for myself and others. My notes consisted of questions I had, tasks I needed to follow up on or follow through on, and any information imparted to me that I needed to track and retain. I absorb as much information as I can and hold myself accountable. Otherwise, I kept my head down and did my best to achieve my goals and worked hard to earn greater responsibilities."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

Answer Example

"There are standards that I follow which have made me successful. I start by putting together a winning team. I look for winning attitudes and quality attributes that fit our team dynamics. Each team member must possess a willingness to learn from failures and an eagerness to practice and improve even under challenging deadlines. Each person on my team has to accept ownership of their role and be accountable for their work. Lastly, every person on my team has to be respectful to each other."

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

Experienced Example

"There are many ways to measure success. For me, customer satisfaction is a very important measurable metric. It's my job to figure out what the client is looking for to ensure complete satisfaction. I admit, client satisfaction isn't always easy to measure, but once you develop a system that allows them to measure success, you will have a better idea of how to meet their needs. This is a common practice that I developed and use with all my customers. In rare cases where I fell short of my client's expectations, I always examine where things went wrong and implement a change to immediately right the ship. It could be several things, like budget, bureaucracy, unrealistic timelines, etc. I document all project cases to prevent failures in the future."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Career Goals

7. Our best consultants continually grow and learn. What have you done to expand your knowledge in the past three months?

What You Need to Know

Professional growth is vital and directly associated with the success you will see in your career. The interviewer would like to know that you understand the importance of expanding your knowledge and taking the lead in your professional development. Perhaps you have taken coursework, attended a workshop, read books, or listen to podcasts. Share with the interviewer the ways that you invest in your career knowledge.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I keep learning by continually generating and asking questions. Once I learn something new, if that generates a question, I make every effort to answer those questions myself. If I am unable to do so, I will pose those questions to my mentor. I am eager and always aching to learn more. If I don't, I worry I won't advance at the speed I desire."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

Answer Example

"To expand my professional knowledge, I have started an online course through NYU on microeconomics. It was important to me that I take the initiative to learn more on this topic and keep my knowledge current. To grow personally, I have read a couple of books on leadership. I love to read and learn from other professionals and behavioral experts."

Experienced Example

"I appreciate that you have asked about professional development. It's a topic that is important to me. I have committed to reading one new book per month on a topic related to organizational development, leadership, and strategy. I listen to The Growth podcast every day, on my commute, to hear business turnaround stories. I find them inspiring."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Career Goals

8. Why do you want to work for Gartner?

What You Need to Know

Your interviewer wants to know why you want to work for Gartner over another firm. How you answer could potentially offer them insights as to how effective their talent acquisition efforts are. They believe in the philosophy that one should love where they work: "At Gartner, work is always about more than the work. Gartner associates are collaborative, hungry, and humble. Collegiality isn't an aspiration. It's a requirement. It's also why we're consistently recognized as a great place to work by Fortune, Forbes, and other global arbiters. We win as a team."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"Work environment and culture are important to me. I know too many people who land a job, looking for security, but day to day seem generally unhappy. So I made a vow that was not going to be me. I want to love where I work, so in my search to find a company that had a work environment that would be conducive to my productivity, with a culture that was inclusive and collaborative, I stumbled upon all the positive reviews and awards Gartner has won. So upon closer look at the company's values, it seemed the clear choice to me."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"I've been a leader for some time and worked at a company that worked closely with Gartner at one point. I got along well with the team leader of the consultants who came in and helped our company. She told me if I was ever looking to expand my career beyond the borders of the company, that I should come on over to Gartner. Now that I feel I have followed my growth trajectory as far as it can go with my current company, I decided to start a dialogue, and here I am."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

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Communication

9. Listening to our clients is absolutely essential to understanding their business and technology needs. Tell me about a time your listening skills helped exceed their expectations in the delivery of the project.

What You Need to Know

It's easy for a client to overlook small details; that's why they hire IT Consultants - so they can stay in the know. IT Consultants typically take a deeper dive into a client's operation from a technology and business perspective. One of the biggest reasons clients look to IT consultants is to look at their organization from an outsider's point of view. Another pair of eyes might see things they have missed. It's important to recognize that a client relies on your expertise to give them a perspective that an internal employee would not normally see. You might ask the client how they run their operations and even have them rate their current level of expertise with all their technologies. This will reveal a few things. One of the most important is where you need to navigate and lead the interview discussion. Asking questions like, 'What do you like and dislike about your current operations?' Explain that you like the challenge of solving problems, working in different types of environments, and perfecting your craft.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"Well, I am compulsive about actively listening. Sometimes I even find my supervisors shooing me away. But I crave a deeper understanding of the big picture, whose scope is always greater than you think. Most recently, I'd been friendly and actively listening to the water cooler talk of several cliques at a firm and picked up on quite a bit of gossip. When some massive data seemed inaccurate and caused a bit of analytical work, my mentor rubbed his eyes, looked at some figures, and asked me if I could find the discrepancy. I wondered if the discrepancy came from an employee I'd heard had been going through some personal issues and potential substance abuse. I looked closer at that individual's figures and realized the discrepancy was the source of their work. Then we were able to address a greater personal concern based on more than hearsay alone."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I've worked with many clients at different levels of an organization, including executive-level management personnel. Being a good listener is an absolute requirement, and getting the opportunity to collaborate with clients and help solve their problems is very rewarding for me. I need to show clients that they are getting the highest value possible for their money. When I have conversations with clients, I sometimes find that they don't know what they don't know, and I find that this is a good base-level start because you're starting from scratch and identifying problems as you walk through their environment from top to bottom. My basic qualifiers start with technology and how they use it. Here's a basic outline of the questions I posed.

1. What platform do you run your ERP or enterprise software? Windows, UNIX, Linux, etc.? I ask these questions because after I find out what they are using, it's easier for me to suggest a software solution. After explaining the pros and cons of their current setup, I recommend a solution that will help solve their problem.
2. What database are you using to store your data? SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, BD2, etc. I ask this question to see if they are up to date with current versions, the capacity of data, and where it resides. I also ask whether their data is On-Premise or in the Cloud. Depending on the responses, I would be able to make suggestions on efficient ways to work with that data."

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

2nd Answer Example

"My prior work has taught me that asking the right questions at the right time is very important. When I do discovery with a client, there are several questions that I ask to arrive at a few core problems they are facing. Let me give you an example of what I ask and why.

1. Walk me through your current process, and highlight an area where you are experiencing pains and challenges? I ask this to build trust with the client and get them to talk extensively about their problems and how you can propose a solution.
2. Is it your belief that a software application will be able to solve these problems for you? I ask this question to see if they think they need a software solution, or is it just a process fix that can be achieved by process and productivity improvements, along with process re-engineering."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Communication

10. Tell me about a time you made a recommendation that you think would have greatly benefited your client, but they just didn't like it. What approach did you take to convince them?

What You Need to Know

It's a challenge to deal with a company with different opinions and management styles. Depending on whom you are working with and their role and responsibility, you will likely have to craft a compelling value proposition to clearly show that your recommendations will yield a return on their investment in a relatively short time. Consultants know this all too well. Pushback from the client comes from managers who either don't understand the idea, concept, or solution and how it will help the organization. This type of interview question is asked to see how you handle rejection from the client and if you recommend another solution that might work better. In addition to a compelling value proposition, provide a similar example that you recommended to a client that worked very well and had a good return on their investment.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

Entry Level Example

"I came up with an idea to fill the vacuum left by a firm that fired their CMO. I suggested outsourcing a fractional CMO, but my mentor said that even though my idea had merit, doing so would be similar to bringing in a competitor. He explained that many fractional CMOs work similarly to consultancies, and even though they would solely be helping with the marketing department, they often get kickbacks from other consultancy firms. I didn't know this and was embarrassed by having made an uninformed suggestion. Now, I approach such things with more tact and ask before I suggest them. This way, I learn the rules before offering solutions that might break them."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

Experienced Example

"When someone doesn't like my ideas or recommendations, I don't take it personally. I show empathy towards people who disagree with my ideas or recommended solutions. I understand that some people may not be clear about how the technology or solution works and how it may benefit them. It is sometimes difficult to implement change since people like the way they work and get used to a certain routine at work. One of the approaches I used to convince a client that my recommended solution would benefit the company was to highlight the areas that directly benefited them and how it would make their daily tasks easier to manage."

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

Answer Example

"I was able to convince my client that they needed my recommended solution by giving them ownership and involvement in the project very early on so they could see first-hand where they would be able to realize the benefits that directly apply to their department. I made them feel they were an important part of the process. As an outsider (consultant) telling them how I could improve their operations, I knew I had to be respectful of their concerns. I avoided confrontation and took a non-intrusive approach to learn how they worked so I could document and show them exactly where they benefited from my recommendations."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Compatibility

11. Who are our clients at Gartner Consulting?

What You Need to Know

Before your interview, it's vital that you have a full understanding of the industries and clients that Gartner Consulting serves. You will find this information on their website, press releases, social media, or even a Google search. If you have worked with similar clients in the past, you can mention this, to show the interviewer that you are already familiar with the type of accounts you may be handling, should you be the successful candidate.

1st Entry Level Example

"Gartner serves Executives and their teams across industries on a global scale. Their clients span companies, corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and even educational institutions."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I understand that Gartner Consulting works primarily with Fortune 500 companies in the medical, technology, and SaaS industries. I have a similar client portfolio, with smaller companies who have between 500-1000 employees."

2nd Answer Example

"Through my research, I saw that Gartner Consulting serves over 76% of Fortune 100 companies and more than 92% of Fortune 500 companies. I also understand that your clients span industries such as energy, financial services, Public services, and media/communications. The bulk of my experience is in the energy sector, and I look forward to making an impact in that area while learning more about your client scope."

Compatibility

12. What do you believe is the most important service we offer at Gartner Consulting?

What You Need to Know

Before your interview, take the time to comb through the Gartner Consulting website. From a client's point of view, which service seems to offer the most value? Determine if there is a particular service that is mentioned more than others when you go through the materials and marketing by Gartner Consulting. Discuss what you believe to be the most essential service, and express why it is so significant.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

Entry Level Example

"My answer is somewhat all-encompassing, but I think the most valuable service you offer is being an incredibly valuable resource of information. From your advice on managing anxiety and stress to your business insights, you are such a trusted resource, which speaks to Gartner's ability to deliver."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

Answer Example

"What stands out the most to me is your teams' expertise in strategic workforce planning. When you can optimize a client's workforce and introduce them to cutting-edge tech in their industry, you can change their profitability exponentially. I agree with the statement on your website that agile organizations use strategic workforce planning to stand out from the competition."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

Experienced Example

"From my research, I believe that a lot of your business comes from clients seeking cultural transformation and organizational development. The two go hand in hand, and it appears that Gartner Consulting believes you cannot have one without the other. I appreciate that you stand firm on your ability to help your clients define the culture that will deliver their best organizational strategy."

Compatibility

13. What are your core values?

What You Need to Know

Gartner takes pride in their values and specifically hunts for potential recruits who share their values. "Gartner takes great pride in having established an excellent culture that is built upon a set of five values. Know us by our values: Integrity. Objectivity. No-limits mindset. Collaboration. Results. Do these values sound like you?" They even posed a question-and-answer session with several of Gartner's associates, asking them which value was most important to them and why. So, to answer this question, examine which of these values best describes you. Show your interviewer that you have values of your own that uniquely qualify you to join and represent their culture.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I would say that my number one core value is integrity, followed by commitment and ownership. I believe in doing the right thing, following through on your word, and taking responsibility for my actions."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Answer Example

"I would say that I most closely identify with Gartner's core values of having a no-limits mindset and consistently delivering results."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Creative Thinking

14. We're a company of innovative thinkers; we rely upon our innovative thinking to solve client problems. Tell me about a time you came up with a breakthrough idea that was not obvious to others. Describe your idea and how you developed it.

What You Need to Know

Innovation is the cornerstone of any successful company. If you show me a highly successful company, I will show you people within that company that were innovative thinkers. Great examples are Steve Jobs from Apple, Bill Gates from Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, to name a few. The hiring manager poses this as a two-part question to see if your response is clear, concise, and related to the question. Stay on point with your response because that's what they're looking for. Think about this question for a minute to dissect what they are asking. They will be listening attentively to how you articulate your message about your breakthrough idea. Walk them through how you came up with the idea, what your thought process was, how you got approval to move forward, and how you executed the idea.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"As I was working under my mentor in my internship, he guided me through all the administrative functions every step of the way. And when I completed my training, I noticed there was a particular rhyme and reason to his approach. There was a pattern to it. But it was customized to me and my skill sets. So, I compiled all of my notes and made a customizable training template for a great portion of our work together, streamlining several administrative aspects of our time together. He loved the idea and adopted it, benefiting all those he trained after me."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I've always considered myself an Outside the Box thinker. Settling for the norm has never been my working style. I always work with the expectation that my idea will serve many purposes and bring value to our customers. One example is when I came up with an idea to train the trainer at multiple locations via remote video conferencing. This idea was well received and was implemented at over 50 locations worldwide. I came up with the idea because I was responsible for training multiple divisions and didn't have the budget to fly everyone in from multiple locations for the training sessions."

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

2nd Answer Example

"I was working on implementing a friendlier-looking graphical user interface solution for a financial services client. The inspiration came from the feedback I received from people at the client site complaining about processing transactions on a mainframe computer that wasn't much fun to work with or look at. They were used to the dreaded Green Screen on a mainframe, but my solution had a Windows look and feel, which they liked quite a lot."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

Anonymous Answer

"The company had a large number of key employees who were at the age of retirement and would be leaving the company in the next two to four years. Through metrics, I was able to show the leadership team, and the demographics of the employees and helped them to realize we needed focused efforts on knowledge management. I developed a strategy for a focus group based on function. In my plan, I recommended capturing and documenting processes, systems, and sponsors for the initiative."

Amanda's Feedback

This sounds like a great example! You can strengthen this answer further by explaining what knowledge was at risk of being lost and sharing how the leadership team reacted to your idea. Was your plan enacted? Also, share the positive outcome so that the interviewer can see that your idea was used to meet a previously unknown business need.

Critical Thinking

15. A client wants to implement a new software system recommended by a different division of the same company. How do you evaluate it to ensure it's the right choice?

What You Need to Know

It's not uncommon for many corporations with multiple locations or divisions to have different computer systems and networks that don't necessarily talk to each other. They may share a few common systems that allow them to communicate with other locations or business units to conduct business as usual. Since companies that are decentralized have systems, networks, and/or software that could differ from other locations, hiring managers will ask how you will gather information, who you will talk to, the method you will use to evaluate the new software, and how you will arrive at a decision to recommend or not recommend the software. Giving an example or short checklist of what you will cover in the evaluation process will be important.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"I would first aim to understand the client's needs and why they preferred this solution. I would then examine the software's features and functionality and determine if this was the best choice. This would be followed by research to see if this software vendor has a good reputation or if other software packages might be customizable or a better fit. I would examine forums to see the general feedback and failings or untapped potential of this software. I would then test it out, and based on my findings, I would speak to the client's pain and pleasure points and do my best to showcase I have their best interests at heart as a trusted resource for their firm."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I've been in similar situations like this before and have consulted clients on what needs to be considered before a new software implementation can take place. In a consulting engagement, proper discovery and background must be conducted on the business. This step is critical. If you don't understand why the customer is asking you to evaluate new software for their business, you'll miss the most important part of why you are evaluating the software. My experience has shown that if you find the compelling event or pain point that's prompting them to look at a new system, you'll know if it's the right choice for them."

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

2nd Answer Example

"There's a step-by-step process that I follow that yields great results when it comes to evaluating new software for a corporation or division. As mentioned earlier, a proper discovery of business operations is critical. Let me walk you through the process I use as part of the discovery:

1. Have the client explain the need for the software and the problems they expect it to solve for them.

2. Ask if they have the technical expertise internally to maintain the software, or do they plan to outsource the maintenance for the software to an IT Consultant or firm.

3. Assess their current technology infrastructure to see if they can support this new software and if they need to purchase additional hardware to run the system.

4. Find out how many people would potentially need to be trained on the new software, starting with key personnel (Administrators/Power Users) managing the system.

5. Provide a comparison of similar software with similar features and benefits, along with a breakdown of pricing for each software solution and what it will cost in the long run.

6. Ask when they want you to submit a report on your evaluation."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Customer Service

16. What have you done in the last few months to strengthen your professional network?

What You Need to Know

Management Consultants know very well that a strong professional network can mean all the difference in their business. The interviewer would like to see how you network and how active you are in your industry. Maybe you attend your local Chamber of Commerce events, or you belong to a local organization where you meet potential clients and business comrades.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"I've been very active on LinkedIn and other industry-related social media sites. I've attended conferences, introduced myself, and networked where I could. I also reached out to individuals who work at Gartner to pick their brains about what I could be doing better. I am very proactive when seeking out feedback and am open to feedback throughout this interview as well."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"I am very focused on building my professional network. For the past six months, I have enjoyed membership at the local Chamber of Commerce. I have also joined a consultants mastermind, where we meet once every quarter to share tools, resources, and client success stories."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

2nd Experienced Example

"I am active in my local and online consultants community. I recently started a LinkedIn group for Management Consultants in my city, and we will have our first meetup next month. Networking is a huge component of gaining business, and I plan to stay focused on those activities for years to come."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Diversity

17. How do you feel about working in diverse and inclusive environments?

What You Need to Know

Your interviewer is trying to assess your cultural competence and how well you would navigate communicating and working with those from different cultural, socio-economic, or diverse backgrounds than your own. How you answer will speak to your people management skills and how effectively you would build your teams. Gene Hall, Gartner's CEO, says, "We are a multicultural, global business, serving clients in more than 100 countries worldwide. Our teams include individuals from different geographies, cultures, ethnicities, religions, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and generations. United in our mission to solve problems, we operate at the highest ethical standards, with respect for all associates, clients, and communities."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I can't imagine any environment in the world that didn't reflect the population of the world. It is a strange concept, isn't it, to work in an environment that lacks diversity, equality, and inclusion? I can't imagine it, and couldn't imagine myself working in such an environment. I am perfectly at home working amidst diversity and inclusion."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"There are many researched backed findings that enforce a collaborative working environment with greater diversity, equality, and inclusion fosters greater innovation. Additionally, having this be part of a company's culture and values attracts better talent. Most talent prioritizes working for companies with shared values, making this integral to talent acquisition. So not only do I prefer to work in inclusive and diverse environments, but I encourage it."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Education

18. Are you LEAN Six Sigma certified?

What You Need to Know

Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that teaches how to eliminate waste of all kinds within an organization. The education certifies you as an expert on efficiencies in the workplace. When it comes to Six Sigma certifications, there are a variety of levels that you can obtain. You begin with white and work your way up to yellow, green, and black, with the highest option being MBB (Masters' Black Belt). Share with the interviewer if you are Six Sigma certified. If you are, discuss how far you have taken your certification. If you do not have your certification, show enthusiasm for the idea and express that you are open to expanding your professional knowledge and training.

Written by Rachelle Enns on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"I've only gotten the certification of a green belt. But I am anxious to excel and reach black belt in the near future."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I have looked into LEAN Six Sigma training and would be very interested in expanding my education to include this esteemed certification. There is a course beginning next month, and I am happy to register if you feel it would be the value-added that Gartner Consulting is looking for."

Written by Rachelle Enns on July 28th, 2023

2nd Answer Example

"I am currently earning my green belt in Six Sigma. My goal is to earn my MBB-level certification within the next five years. I have learned a great deal about business processes and streamlining. I fully believe that every person in the management consulting and implementations sector should become white belt certified, at the very least."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

19. How do you manage your stress?

What You Need to Know

This question focuses on how emotionally intelligent you are and how productive you are at staying calm under pressure. Being visibly stressed on the job will compromise others' confidence in your abilities, impair your judgment, and slow down productivity. So share the techniques you employ to objectify the situation, remain calm, and take swift action.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

How to Prep

Examine some helpful tips Gartner offers on their website to help curb anxiety and stress and restore a positive work-life balance, and ask yourself which of these techniques you apply to manage your stress:

"Manage your thoughts. Remind yourself of the emotional cost of 'worst-case scenario' thinking. Try a thought-stopping technique. Use your mind/body connection to slow things down. Move your thoughts to the present. Take a deep breath, take a little break, and try to take note of what is constant, unchanged, and what is good in our world right now. Manage your feelings. Offer support to others. Have realistic expectations. You cannot control everything. Realize you're doing the best you can. Connect with others. Other people offer different perspectives and it allows you to share your thoughts."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths and practice smiling. If you focus, you can change negative emotions into positive ones."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"I just recognize my stress at the moment and let it fuel my ambition. If a situation feels stressful, that is just a signal from your brain informing you of the situation's urgency. So being overwhelmed will accomplish nothing. Listen to what your brain is telling your body, shift into gear, and get moving. I am grateful for my stress, as it can be channeled into a very useful tool."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

20. In consulting, much of your growth will come from feedback on client projects. How do you accept and implement feedback?

What You Need to Know

Being able to accept feedback graciously is a highly valued skill, especially in the consulting space, where you are continually putting yourself in vulnerable situations where your recommendations and findings may not always be welcomed or understood. The interviewer wants to know that you accept feedback well, but they also want to see that you see the value of implementing immediate change. Show the interviewer that you:

- Ask for feedback often
- Listen to the input openly
- Take what you know to be important and leave the rest
- Do not take the feedback personally
- Can take corrective action to implement change

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"I believe in delivering feedback promptly and often, with specifics. If you wait too long, it becomes too difficult to recall specifics and leaves too much to dilution or misinterpretation. Regarding feedback, I rarely wait for it to find me. I am always seeking out feedback. And if it finds me first, I am anxiously ready to hear it and learn."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"I ask for feedback on a monthly basis from one of my toughest-to-please managers. Her feedback is accurate, and I trust it. Once she tells me what I could try doing differently, I will take the time to research and plan how I can implement the change. This practice has helped me grow in my career significantly."

2nd Experienced Example

"At the end of every project, I will give my clients and their entire team a survey focused specifically on my service, knowledge base, and if they felt they received the value from me that they expected. The feedback is blind, but I take every bit of it as though it came from the CEO of the company. I analyze the comments for common denominators as well. If the feedback is consistent, I will create a learning plan based around that common piece of feedback."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Experience

21. We approach clients by identifying client needs and recommending solutions to their needs. Tell me about a time your knowledge and expertise allowed you to make a recommendation to resolve a problem or address a pain point.

What You Need to Know

This is a classic example of the hiring manager asking you to role-play your response. The way it works is the hiring manager asks you to role play as the consultant, and they are the client who asks you to give them a pitch about why your company is a firm they need to work with. There are a few ways to make this role-play work in your favor. Here are a few examples you can use in your response. 1. Act as a problem-solving adviser that can find and recommend solutions quickly. 2. Tell the client they have accessibility to you and other team members as needed. 3. Point out the benefits that they will get when they hire your company. 4. Share some examples of successes from companies of a similar industry, size, or market.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"During my internship, I was tasked with enhancing the customer conversion and onboarding process for a company we were collaborating with. Their customers were getting frustrated and dropping out of the funnel due to the antiquated website and lengthy, complex processes. The first step was process mapping and value stream mapping to discover areas of improvement, like making a more mobile-friendly and customer-friendly website. I deleted all redundant features and added an AI chatbot to aid with queries."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I've been a firm believer that the customer is always our highest priority and that I need to be the eyes and ears of the customer. With that said, there are some examples I can share that will hopefully resonate with you. I typically ask what solutions I have proposed in the past and how they have worked. Are there metrics to track the success or failure of past efforts? Having data to review helps me understand the process and approach previously used. Knowing the team makeup and the methodology they used will also give me a deeper insight into what they were thinking. I like to conduct a voice of the customer survey, which I believe adds tremendous value to this campaign. Lastly, it's important for me to analyze the cause & effect relationships from the customer surveys because It reveals a lot of underlying issues like task failures, root cause problems, and how good or bad the data is."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

2nd Answer Example

"My recommendations would be based on what the customer wants and how well they articulated the deliverable. If, for example, the client wanted something that resembles a ketchup bottle, but the team delivered a salt shaker, that would indicate a miscommunication of what the client requested. My approach would be to closely dissect the customer requirements, then build a mock-up of what they requested, and have them review it for approval before going to the next phase of development. After this phase is approved, I would test and debug before presenting it to the customer. Mapping the customer journey is a visualization process a customer goes through and tracks each step along the way with the vendor, so everyone is on the same page."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Experience

22. Tell me about the last time you made a mistake at work.

What You Need to Know

Your interviewer is trying to evaluate your level of emotional intelligence. Gartner advertises that they embrace 'the champion mindset,' which they define as possessing a strong desire to grow and learn from one's mistakes and implementing best practices while improving their processes. "Components of the champion mindset are owning your results and persevering despite challenges that arise. Do you take accountability for the results you achieve, and do you reflect on adjustments you can make to be even better? How do you power through the ebbs and flows in your role?" So use this question as an opportunity to demonstrate how you examine your mistakes when you make them and use them to your advantage to learn from them and shore up your future success.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Entry Level Example

"The last time I made a mistake was when I blocked off the wrong morning for a scheduled meeting. Luckily, I didn't miss the meeting, but unfortunately, I sat in a conference room one week ahead of the meeting, confused as to where everyone was. I lost twenty minutes of productivity that morning and was a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. I vowed to never make that mistake again."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"The last mistake I made was not listening closely enough to the two co-founders of the last company I was assigned to. I knew what I was brought on to do and came in with various ideas and suggestions. I'd had several meetings with one of the founders, and the other was more reserved and less forthright. I missed a cue that they had different ideas about the company's priorities. So I came in with only fifty percent of what I needed to know. When I realized I had neglected the needs of the cofounder, I had to go back to the drawing board and incorporate their priorities into the project."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experience

23. Describe a time you helped implement a new technology for your client. Did you encounter any challenges, and how did you address them?

What You Need to Know

Anytime you introduce new technology to a client, you'll have your fair share of people who agree with you and an equal amount of naysayers. This is an opportunity to talk about how you were involved in the process from start to finish, where you encountered challenges, either with the software or personnel, and what you did in a problem-solver role to resolve those problems. If you look at it, the real purpose of introducing software to an organization is to improve the performance of a business. Give a couple of examples of how you were able to get a consensus from department managers and their subordinates to move forward with the implementation. As you're going through these examples, be sure to mention how exactly they will be able to achieve their goals using the new software and that you'll be able to bring value to the project immediately.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"I noticed that a client was having trouble getting everyone on their teams on the same page. They were posting newsletters, sending out emails and memos, and yet the message they were sending was not getting consistently received by all, or rather they couldn't verify the message had been received. So, I got them onboard with a simple team-based messaging application, Slack. Pretty soon, everyone was on board, and their communication dramatically improved."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I find that ultimately it's up to the client to make a final decision on whether or not they choose new software. It's up to me to provide all the necessary information needed for them to make an informed decision. There are many factors involved when evaluating new software. I'd like to provide some details about what goes into the evaluation and deployment of new software and how challenges might be overcome.

1. Strategy and Technology Alignment - What are the goals of the organization, and how is the new software able to meet their business needs?
2. Is there Buy-in from senior leadership or stakeholders - Did management request to look at new software technology, or did it come from an external source?
3. Possible challenges that might come up - Is anyone in the company against implementing new software, and why?
4. Will the new software integrate with existing technology infrastructure - Perform a system analysis to see if additional hardware is needed to support the new software.
5. Team training - How many people within all the departments will need training? My recommendation would be the train-the-trainer method.
6. Who will maintain the system once it goes live - Are there internal resources within the company with the proper expertise to maintain the system?"

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

2nd Answer Example

"I believe that, when a company is exploring the possibility of implementing new software, there needs to be alignment from executive leadership and everyone else that could be impacted by the new implementation. This includes the strategic, operational, and tactical perspectives of the company. Let me give you an example of how I was able to propose a new software and the approach I took to address challenges.

1. I showed examples of what the Risk vs Reward would look like after the software was implemented.
2. I inventoried all existing software to see if any other software packages could address current issues without having to buy new software.
3. I gave management a timeline of how long it would take to implement and how much it would cost.
4. I provided a post-implementation plan that included support and maintenance so that they knew what to expect going forward and that there wouldn't be any surprises."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Job Satisfaction

24. Gartner Consulting works with clients across many industries. Which of our clients' industries interests you the most?

What You Need to Know

Before your interview, you should have an idea of the clients that Gartner Consulting takes on. Be prepared also to list the client industries in which you have worked. Show the interviewer that you have experience in the same sectors, as this will build their confidence in your abilities to jump in with their clients right away.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"Well, not having had broad enough experience, that would be difficult to say. Coming in at such an entry-level position, I'd prefer to work across many industries to learn all aspects of the business, and once I have acquired enough experience, I might be able to better answer this question."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"When researching Gartner Consulting, I saw that most of your clients are in the energy, finance, and education sectors. Your experience in these areas is part of what prompted me to apply since the bulk of my experience is there. I have a special interest in finance clients, particularly. I majored in finance while attending university, so it's a solid area for me."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

2nd Answer Example

"My industry expertise is in healthcare. When I saw that you were hiring, particularly for your clients in the healthcare sector, I knew I had to apply. I am highly confident working in this sector and look forward to learning about the other clients you take on at Gartner Consulting, particularly those in e-commerce."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Leadership

25. Have you ever supervised or trained junior consultants?

What You Need to Know

The interviewer would like to know more about the level of leadership responsibility you bring. Discuss if you have formally or informally trained other consultants throughout your career. If you have supervised or trained junior consultants, discuss how many, what your process was, and the tools and resources you used. If you have not managed or trained other consultants, that is okay too! Discuss the ways you encourage and help your fellow employees, even if you do not have a formal leadership role.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"I have helped orient other interns who were coming on board. I enjoyed that and offering some minor coaching. I believe I have a lot of leadership potential, and I look forward to gaining more experience and training and coaching other junior consultants one day."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 22nd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"I have not been asked to train any other consultants in my career formally; however, I do make it a habit of taking our firms' newer consultants under my wing to ensure they are off to a successful start. I will share with them some tools and resources that I find helpful and remind them that my door is open whenever they have a question. I am very open to formal leadership opportunities should those arise with Gartner Consulting."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

2nd Answer Example

"Throughout my career, I have trained over 25 new consultants. In my current role, I oversee the activities of five junior consultants. Strategic leadership and effective management are strengths of mine that I look forward to bringing to Gartner Consulting."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Organizational

26. What steps do you take when researching a new market or industry?

What You Need to Know

A successful management consultant will have excellent research skills. When laying down the groundwork for a successful project, this is where the work should always begin. As you likely know, cutting corners will result in a sub-par result. Take the interviewer through your process when researching a market or industry with which you may not be overly familiar.

1st Entry Level Example

"I would start my research by trying to define the challenges facing that particular industry and market. I would gather data from all relevant sources, such as government data if it applies, regulatory data, industry publications, and market research reports. I would read up on interviews with industry experts and the results of focus groups and try to determine what existing customers want more and less of. I would then compile all that data and examine market trends to study the opportunities and challenges for a new product or service. Then I would identify all the client's existing pain points, identify the opportunities my findings could present, and compile whatever necessary reports I could present to the client."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

1st Answer Example

"When I take on a project within a new market or industry, I will find someone in my network that I know, trust, and admire, and ask for 30 minutes of their time. Essentially, I want to interview a subject matter expert. I will uncover their best resources and research thoroughly from there."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

2nd Answer Example

"I have strong research skills and a three-step process when it comes to learning about a new market or industry. First, I find what I can from reputable online resources. Next, I create a list of questions that need answering. Third, I source and subject matter expert from my network whom I can ask these questions. It's important to use a wide variety of reputable sources when conducting research and collecting findings."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Performance Based

27. How do you assess a client's current technology systems and solutions?

What You Need to Know

Walk the interviewer through your process when it comes to discovering and correctly assessing the tech systems in place when you take on a new client. Show that you have a process in place, are methodical, and use logic when making assessments.

Written by Rachelle Enns on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"I would begin by interviewing all the critical stakeholders to gain insights into the client's business objectives, the challenges they have faced, and the effectiveness of their current technology systems and solutions in meeting their needs and where they have fallen short. I'd engage with the IT team of the client, find out the workarounds they utilized, and how much energy and productivity was wasted in their makeshift solutions. Then, I'd analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and potential for growth. By having this, I could better comprehend the usage and impact of current technology systems and solutions on the business. I would analyze the software's performance metrics, user feedback, and security logs. This would help me to identify areas where the current technology systems and solutions are falling short. I would try to find alternative solutions available on the market that would better serve the client's needs and have those solutions tailored to the specific needs of the client."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"The first step I take when assessing a client's current technology is to poll the existing employees, asking them to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their existing hardware and software. I ask them if the technology currently affects their workflow and which issues they identify regularly. Next, if the conclusion shows that a new system is needed, I consider the financial resources of the client, as well as the available timeframe. Then, I consider the tech options, weighing the pros and cons of each. Is this similar to the processes in place at Gartner Consulting?"

Written by Rachelle Enns on July 28th, 2023

2nd Experienced Example

"Step one is always to assess what is working just fine. This information usually comes from polling the current employees and spending a few days in their offices to try the tech in person. Then, I tap into the support services offered by the current tech providers. If a solution is not workable from there, I will create a list of the items we need to change and start researching the best viable options."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Problem Solving

28. As a business process and operations expert, how do you approach a project that is failing to progress and is not meeting its deliverables?

What You Need to Know

The interviewer is asking this question to determine how the candidate would approach a situation when a project is failing to progress, which often happens in IT and other professional environments. When a project is not meeting its goals or benchmarks, business process staff can assist project staff by analyzing the project plan and developing interventions to get the project back on track. There are several strategies the business process and operations staff member can use to ensure a project begins meeting its benchmarks, including but not limited to redesigning the project plan or timeline, dedicating more resources to the project, introducing more efficient production strategies, such as LEAN methodologies, or reassigning project teams. The candidate can successfully answer this question by providing a specific example of how they have successfully turned a failing project around in the past.

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

Entry Level Example

"I would assess the situation and gather information from all angles to gain a better understanding of the situation. I'd then develop a plan to address the contributing issues at hand, from unrealistic deadlines, poor communication, sloppy delegation, or lack of available resources. I'd redefine expectations, recalibrate leadership, and monitor progress. Making adjustments as needed as the project progresses, I'd simply adjust as contingency demands."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"As a business process and operations manager, I have often had to intervene on projects that were not meeting their benchmarks or goals for completion. In most of these cases, I have found that the failure to progress is not due to the lack of efforts of the project team but because of misallocated or misused resources. For example, I recently had to assist a project manager on a project that was significantly behind in creating mapping logic for a data interface that we were preparing. When the project manager came to me with her concerns, I took a look at the project plan and was able to find some essential steps in the project plan that were missing. After I identified these steps, I worked with the project manager to redesign her project plan and develop more detailed process flows, which helped the project get back on track."

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

Answer Example

"I was just dealing type of situation last month. There was a software development project in my department's Project Management Office (PMO) that was supposed to have been closed out three months ago. When the PMO Director came to me for help, he said the program was being sent back to development because a significant bug was found in the beta-testing phase. The PMO Director was extremely frustrated, as this bug should have been identified in the alpha-testing phase, and this error caused an even more significant setback. Because this software program is a significant deliverable for our department and overall organization, the additional delay affected more than just the PMO itself. As the PMO Director and I looked through the project plan and resources, I decided it would be best to allocate additional testing resources to the project by hiring a technical vendor to assist. This way, it could relieve the burden from our internal team and provide the expertise needed to conduct the software testing. Once the vendor took over the testing of the software, the project was successfully tested and was able to be rolled out without further delay."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

Anonymous Answer

"The first thing I do is assess my team. I schedule one-on-one meetings with each of my team members to check in on how they are doing and ask if they have been meeting their individual goals. I will also do retrospectives with my team, where we reflect on meetings, individual work, communication, and milestones. This way, I can seek out the root problem and assess the best way to move forward."

Rachelle's Feedback

You sound highly organized, receptive, and strategic. Solid response!

Problem Solving

29. Gartner Consulting seeks to hire those with strong problem solving skills. When were you able to successfully resolve a problem in the workplace?

What You Need to Know

Problem-solving and dispute resolution are critical skills to possess. Display to the interviewer that you are capable of problem-solving within the workplace. Talk about a time when you were creative, proactive, and displayed the leadership qualities required to resolve a workplace issue.

Entry Level Example

"In my internship, I worked on trying to find ways to improve a customer's satisfaction scores. The client had a lot of complaints. It wasn't hard to identify several growth opportunities. So, I refocused on their core values and culture and created templates for retraining their teams, implementing some new customer service policies, and granting more flexibility for their employees to do right by their customers. They now offered future coupons and discounts when customers left new feedback after receiving solid service, and their scores improved significantly. The client was very happy with the results, and they were grateful for the help of my team."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"In my most recent position, we had a consistent problem with employees showing up late for their shifts or calling in sick at the very last moment. Rather than the typical documenting and reprimanding style that management usually takes, I decided to track the results of an accountability reward system. For 180 days, my employees were rewarded for coming to work 10 minutes early. Also, for every month with zero sick days, a bonus was added. In the end, we awarded those with perfect attendance a $600 bonus. The bonus' cost us less money than the cost of lowered productivity due to absent employees. The program was a success, and upper management chose to keep it implemented for another six months. We will re-assess in December, but it seems to be working very well."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

Answer Example

"I was working in a clinic where the primary population was low-income. We had a lot of concerns with patients not showing up for appointments when expected. The staff wanted to start double-booking patient time slots. Instead, I got permission to spend a day in a highly-rated clinic serving the same population. Instead of scheduling, they had these 'drop-in mornings' with a common waiting room. I took these methods and incorporated them into our setting. We did that twice a week, and it completely solved our scheduling problem."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Scenario Based

30. Our clients have high expectations. Tell me about a time you worked with challenging time constraints but were still able to exceed client expectations.

What You Need to Know

If I only had more time. I hear this all the time. It's a fact of life in the business world. Being prepared for situational questions about project planning, resource planning, expectations, delivery, and how you anticipate distractions will show the hiring manager that you have meticulously planned and know each step in the process. Your answer should reflect the steps you take to resolve a problem or minimize risk so problems don't occur. Walk the interviewer through one of the steps in the process, and detail how you address time constraints and still meet client expectations. Detail this response with how you set up a project plan, the step-by-step approach, and why everyone needs to follow the process to avoid delays and to deliver on time.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"I pride myself on my time management skills. When a client has tight deadlines, I evaluate the size of my teams right away. I evaluate any timesaving tools we have at our disposal or ones that are not available to us but would be needed to meet those deadlines. I then inform my higher-ups what I need to get the job done and what I may need should we fall behind. My aim is always to come in ahead of the deadline while always planning extra time for contingency situations. If we need to put in extra hours, so be it, but I always look at overtime as a last resort. But am ever confident in my ability to lead and inspire others to put their best effort forward."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"Almost every project will have time sensitivity challenges and deadlines that need to be met. I am very mindful of these things and take the appropriate steps to ensure projects are planned properly with the appropriate resources, technology, and approvals throughout the process. The way that I start and execute a project is always with a project plan that serves as a roadmap for success. To avoid time constraints and other challenges, I identify the deliverables and follow through on the most efficient way to produce them. To avoid distractions, I look closely at design and test times, project risk, team focus, and management involvement to minimize delays from the executive level."

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

2nd Experienced Example

"When I start a project, there are several tasks and milestones that I consider very carefully. The most important one is identifying risks upfront to avoid surprises. I take a systematic approach to each step and phase of the project. It has been my experience that setting quality expectations in advance sets the tone for a much more favorable outcome for the project. Keeping a focus and not deviating from the original plan is important for meeting milestones and expectations. I understand that changes happen, and change management needs to be addressed if this happens. If or when change happens, we refocus the project using rapid application development RAD to stay on schedule so the delivery date of the project doesn't change."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Situational

31. Your client is considering entering a new market. They have a choice of buying an existing company or developing the technology in-house. What advice would you give them about making the best business decision?

What You Need to Know

In this case, Gartner Consulting wants to assess your business consulting knowledge of mergers and acquisitions and if you're qualified to advise them on entering a market they may not be familiar with. It's best to start with your knowledge of Mergers and Acquisitions and how you advised companies in a similar situation. Highlight the risks and rewards involved in such an endeavor, and use a case study to prove your point. They may also want to pick your brains and get your opinion on whether it makes more business sense to acquire a company with a complementary product or develop a new product.

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

Entry Level Example

"Well, depending on their reasons for entering this market, I'd scrutinize their goals and needs and evaluate the gains and risks of buying an existing company versus developing the technology in-house. Consulting for a merger or acquisition is quite different from building and developing in-house, which would likely be less expensive financially but would cost more time with greater risk. So I would evaluate the goals and objectives, their budget, timeline, the costs associated with an acquisition and contrast that with developing the technology in-house, and compare the associated risks with both."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

Experienced Example

"Mergers and Acquisitions were big in the late 1990s, and that's the first time I was part of a merger/acquisition deal. It taught me a lot and made me the consulting professional I am today. I looked at the business drivers and what the company wanted to achieve financially. It was important for me to understand their plans to scale that particular product line and what the branding campaign was going be. I conducted research for both scenarios and presented my findings in the form of a report with my recommendations and how I arrived at my recommendations."

Written by Tom Dushaj on February 7th, 2019

Answer Example

"When consulting a client about entering a new market or acquiring an existing company, I look at several things to determine whether developing a new product internally or acquiring a company that compliments their existing product lineup is the right decision. I typically go through a series of questions to understand their business motives. Here's a list of questions that I would ask:

1. Current state of manufacturing capabilities - are they able to produce a similar or better product at quantities that will be competitive?
2. Is there a market for this new product?
3. Research the competition - who owns the majority of the market share
4. Is this product seasonal or sold year-round?
5. Do they have internal expertise to develop a new product?
6. Are there any laws or legislation that would restrict or prevent the manufacture of that new product outside the US?
7. What is the market plan to scale this product?"

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

Anonymous Answer

"First, I would ask: why does the company want to enter this new market? Who are the market's major market players, and is their room to move into the market? Are there any barriers to entry or exit? I would analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each option. If they are buying an existing company, what are the synergies involved? Do the companies' cultures mesh well? What are the revenues/profits of this company in the past three years, and what is its market share? What is the price of acquiring this company? For developing the technology in house, do they have the means to do this? Will they use their current suppliers and distribution channels for this new product, or will they need to build their infrastructure? How much of the market are they hoping to capture? What are the costs associated with developing this technology in house? How will competitors react?"

Rachelle's Feedback

It seems that you would have many exceptional and insightful questions for your client. Very thoughtful, well-rounded response.

Technical

32. How do you approach vendor and purchasing management in your role in business processes and operations?

What You Need to Know

Staff in business and operations roles within IT departments are often responsible for vendor and purchasing management as a part of their operations responsibilities. The interviewer is asking this question to determine how much knowledge the candidate has in vendor and purchasing management. A sufficient answer to this question could include many scenarios involving working with vendors, negotiating pricing contracts, developing purchasing strategies, and/or managing budgets. A high-level answer to this question would include an example of how the candidate developed a best-practice strategy or procedure for purchasing that was standardized within their department or company. When answering this question, the candidate should not generalize information but provide specific examples from their professional experience.

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"I'd assess how well managed the current vendor was and evaluate their effectiveness and business practices and try to determine whether they are doing best by our client. I'd look up the terms and conditions of their contracts and determine if their needs could be better served by others regarding shipping time and cost, quality of product, etcetera. Once all options are clear, I would offer the current vendor a performance review, introduce them to the stakes, and allow them to step up their game with specific goals, objectives, and timelines. I'd try to renegotiate their contracts, collect and compile information on all alternative vendors, and present all options to our client."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"In my current position, I am responsible for managing vendor relationships and developing purchasing strategies, so I have a lot of experience in this area. My approach to vendor management and purchasing is very simple: try to get the right product for the lowest price. Although this sounds a bit ambitious, with the right negotiating techniques, it is possible to get custom pricing, especially when you are ordering for your entire company. For example, I recently started a new relationship with a software vendor, as I needed to purchase licenses for several staff members. When the vendor and I first started working together, she was unwilling to offer discounts on the licenses. But after working with her a bit more and building a relationship with her, I was finally able to work out a volume discount, which saved quite a bit of money per license. I feel that building and maintaining relationships with vendors is extremely important to get the best prices, and I will be able to use these same strategies while working for Gartner Consulting."

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

2nd Experienced Example

"I have a great example for this question. When I first started my current role in business processes and operations, I analyzed the purchasing practices of the IT department and found that everyone was ordering independently. Because of this, the company was spending significantly more money than it should have been because we were not taking advantage of bulk or volume discounts offered by certain vendors. After I discovered this, I developed a group ordering strategy and best practice guidance for ordering and distributed it to the leadership in the various areas of the IT department, which resulted in significant cost savings in my company. This is only one example of how I can analyze purchasing practices and streamline them to save resources, and I will be able to use similar strategies if allowed to work for Gartner Consulting."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Technical

33. As part of the IT team, how do you approach your role in the implementation and roll out of new software and technical programs?

What You Need to Know

The interviewer asks this question to determine if the candidate is ready and willing to provide training and operational support to employees and users of new software and technical programs when they are being rolled out by the IT department. While it is the role of other individuals within the IT department to lead the development and/or selection of these programs, when it is time to roll them out to end users, these users will rely on the business process and operations staff for training, technical assistance, and best-practice information. The candidate can successfully answer this question by providing details on how they would develop and execute a training plan, and a stronger answer would include an example of how they have approached a similar situation in the past in one of their professional positions.

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"Well, assuming that we've already identified the strengths and weaknesses of the current software and the challenges they face and developed a replacement based on their goals and needs, I'd develop resources and plan for implementing training with two-way communication so we could swiftly resolve any issues that arise with software bugs or user-error. I'd then monitor the results to identify opportunities for improvement. Once certain the software is meeting the businesses' needs, I'd collect further feedback and make final adjustments."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"As a business process and operations professional, I understand it is my responsibility to assist with training staff and end users when a new software program or application is being rolled out. When faced with this type of situation at Gartner Consulting, I will do everything I can to ensure the software implementation goes smoothly, and that includes learning all the ins and outs of the software application, developing user manuals and process flows, hosting user training, and ensuring help desk staff has in-depth training so they can offer adequate support to users. I understand that effective training on new software applications is key to getting staff and users to adopt the new systems, and in my business process and operations role, I will do everything I can to ensure employees at Gartner Consulting feel supported."

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

2nd Experienced Example

"My current company recently went through a software upgrade that made a significant impact on daily staff operations, and because of the significant impact the upgrade had, I stepped in and supported the upgrade by hosting training sessions, developing user manuals, process flows, and best practice guides help sheets. By preparing these documents and offering the training sessions, I was able to help staff adjust to the upgraded software much more quickly, which prevented our overall operations from suffering. The Helpdesk staff was prepared to receive a massive influx of calls once the upgrade went live. They found that their call volumes were light compared to what they were anticipating. The ease of transition to the upgraded software has been attributed to the thorough training I provided to staff. This is only an example of when I supported a software rollout, as I have supported many in the past, and with my experience, I know I will be able to successfully support such rollouts at Gartner Consulting."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Tough

34. In your opinion, why do companies need consultants?

What You Need to Know

There are many reasons a company would hire a management consultancy:

- Identifying the misuse of resources
- Find workable solutions to situations they are too close to
- A convincing way to turn the tide when opinionated boards or C-suites are stuck in their ways
- To uncover a fresh perspective on an antiquated system

This list highlights just a few reasons a management consulting firm may be engaged. Think of your best guess why a company would want to bring an outside group in and discuss your reasoning with the interviewer.

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"If a company wants to grow and has hit their growth threshold, they are wise to bring in a consultant to help them see the growth they can't foster on their own. We can offer them new insights and perspectives, bring in specialized knowledge and expertise, perform audits and identify growth opportunities, and help them navigate tough decisions, such as restructures or leadership or departmental evaluations. We can also help with change management, rebranding, or even building a new company culture."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"I believe every company needs a consultant group at any stage in their business. Only the most invested will take that step and hire one. Some of the reasons may be pain points they remain stuck on due to differing opinions in the C-suite. Others may be that their processes are antiquated, but no internal employee is knowledgeable enough to change that. Whatever the reason, I am prepared to show my new clients how wise it was to bring on Gartner Consulting to assist."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 28th, 2023

2nd Experienced Example

"I previously worked for a company that hired a management consulting firm. Their reason was that they needed an outside perspective when it came to processes and spending. They wanted to scale but did not understand how to do so. It was a fascinating process, which sparked my interest in joining this industry."

Tough

35. How do you approach your role in business processes and operations when your department or the Project Management Office (PMO) is operating smoothly or there are no pending improvement projects in the queue?

What You Need to Know

It is important for the interviewer to know that the candidate understands that someone in the role of business processes and operations should be constantly looking for opportunities to improve their department and the PMO. Anticipating improvements and changes that can be made when operations are not in a state of flux will allow staff responsible for business processes and operations to work more effectively work project teams to make improvements to processes to eliminate waste and reduce variation. The candidate can successfully answer this question by providing examples of how they took the initiative to make changes in their department or PMO when they were not specifically assigned a task or faced with a problem that needed an immediate solution.

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

1st Entry Level Example

"Well, there is always work to be done. Just because you have cleared your workload from your desk doesn't mean you shouldn't be looking forward. Here's an excellent opportunity to be proactive in your goals rather than reactive, right? Anticipate what your upcoming challenges will be when you implement the next stage of the plan."

Written by Kevin Downey on July 23rd, 2023

1st Experienced Example

"If there are no immediate needs for improvement in my department or in the PMO that needs my attention, I look at the 'parking lot' of improvements that I maintain and determine what I can take on at the time. Throughout the year, when requests or improvement projects that are not immediately needed are received, I put them in a parking lot to be addressed later. So, when there is additional time, I can prioritize the parking lot and choose an improvement project based on needs, capacity within my team, and the capacity each department has to take on an improvement project. I find this method very effective for continuously improving the department and PMO, and I can use the same or similar method at Gartner Consulting."

Written by Kelly Burlison on July 28th, 2023

2nd Experienced Example

"When there are no improvement tasks or projects, I do not rest on my laurels. Instead, I take the opportunity to assess the various areas within the IT department, the PMO, and the company, by speaking with leadership to determine what improvement projects we can start during these downtimes. I find that it is much easier to implement new processes or streamline existing processes during downtime because staff members are not already overburdened with a project, and they are more willing to take on change. For me to be a successful Business Process and Operations Manager, I feel that I must always be finding ways to help my colleagues improve, and I will always take the initiative to get a project started when my workload is less to ensure I am contributing to my position as much as I can."

Written by Kevin Downey on February 7th, 2019

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

Anonymous Answer

"When my projects are running smoothly, I don't take it as the time to sit back and relax. Instead, I view it as an opportunity to make significant progress in my work. I often use this lull to review and update finished work, explore areas of my work that were not high priority previously, or embark on the next phase of my project. I am a big believer that there is always more work to be done, even if that means learning something new by understanding a colleague's work."

Rachelle's Feedback

Fantastic answer - very well said. Any interviewer should appreciate that you always take the opportunity to improve rather than sit back and relax.