HireVue Interview

You may have heard about the HireVue interview. But what is it? At a high-level, the HireVue interview is an on-demand video interview that is used as a screening tool by several consulting firms. Due to its on-demand nature, the HireVue interview increases the efficiency of the recruiting process.
Generally, the HireVue interview is like a behavioral / fit interview; however, there are several specific tips and tricks needed to ace the HireVue interview. Read on for more detail on what to expect through the interview, tips and tricks, and sample HireVue interview questions.

Table of Contents

1. What is a HireVue Interview?
2. What to Expect in a HireVue Interview?
3. HireVue Interview Tips
4. How to Prepare for a HireVue Interview
5. HireVue Interview Questions

What is a HireVue Interview?

HireVue is an enterprise software solution that enables companies to conduct on-demand hiring. To break it down further, HireVue interviews are like one-way Zoom calls. During a HireVue interview, you will be presented a pre-recorded question in either video or written form. You will then be expected to record your answer via the HireVue platform.

What to Expect in a HireVue Interview?

HireVue interviews are generally 20-30 minutes and typically consist of ~5-8 behavioral questions. For sample questions you may see in the interview, keep reading!

HireVue Interview Tips

There are several HireVue interview tips for acing your interview.

1. Practice behavioral questions: Given the HireVue interview will likely be all behavioral questions, it is important to ensure your stories are concise and structured. One method of organization - the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). For Management Consulted’s fit interview guide, please see here.
2. Look at your video camera angle and surrounding background: Before the interview, practice going on Zoom and framing yourself in the center of the screen. Specifically:
   Make sure you are well-lit and do not have shadows on your face
   1. Check your background to make sure it’s clean (not distracting)
   2. Check the camera angle to make sure you are at eye-level to the camera and the camera is not looking up at you
   3. For USA Today’s checklist on camera angles for Zoom, please see here.
3. Practice speaking to a camera: We get it – doing the HireVue interview can be awkward. You are speaking to a camera with no one on the other end! To confront the awkwardness head on, we recommend doing prep HireVue interviews to get used to the style before your formal interview
   HireVue also curates a list of video interview tips here.

How to Prepare for a HireVue Interview

The best way to prepare for a HireVue interview is to know your fit stories inside and out, and then practice them out-loud! Given the unique format, it is also helpful to record your answers and play them back to see how you come across in a recording. Finally, time yourself as you practice! The answer to ‘walk me through your resume’ should be 2 minutes, but answers to all other behavioral questions should be around 1 minute long.

HireVue Interview Questions

You may be asking yourself – what are common interview questions on HireVue? Well, that’s why we’re here - to give you common HireVue interview questions and a sample answer. Sample questions you can be asked include:

• Why do you think you will be a good fit for the role?
• Tell me about a situation when you handled conflict with a coworker?
• Tell me about a time when you changed the way you approached a project?

Let’s take the question about handling conflict with a co-worker. A sample answer for this HireVue question can be:

• Situation: Prior to my MBA, I worked as a consultant at Deloitte. During that time, I experienced conflict with one of my co-consultants when we were staffed on a rapid turnaround study for a struggling retail player. Specifically, we disagreed with the course of action the retailer should take. While I thought the retailer should have prioritized action items that would boost its profitability in the next 1-2 quarters, the other consultant thought the retailer should focus on actions that would set it up for long-term success.
• Tasks: At the end of the day, I knew that the other consultant and I both wanted what’s best for the client. In addition, I recognized that given the client was in such a dire situation, they may react negatively to longer-term strategy recommendations given without strong actions in the next 2 quarters, the client may not need the longer-term strategy work (e.g., if they were sold to a strategic buyer). However, I also saw where my co-worker was coming from, and realized that my recommendation may not have explicitly addressed that any actions done should hopefully bring the client closer towards achieving their long-term vision.
• Action: After reflecting on the situation, I went to talk with my co-worker around the areas of focus for the client. As such, when talking with the co-worker, I first admitted what I may have overlooked. Then, I discussed why I felt it was more important to focus on the near-term actions, bringing in specific quotes the client previously said as support. Throughout the discussion, I continued to use how our work could enable the client’s success as the “guidepost,” as I knew the co-worker and I had similar objectives.
• Results: We focused our work on near-term objectives the client should take and called out that the near-term objectives should ensure the near-term work set them up for its long-term ambitions. The client was very happy, and once it got its bearing, re-engaged Deloitte for longer-term strategy work.

At specific firms, you may be asked the following questions:

• Accenture: Why do you want to work at Accenture?
• Deloitte: Why do you want to work in the Strategy and Analytics group?

Conclusion

The HireVue interview is often used in consulting interviews as an initial screening tool. These interviews are generally five to eight behavioral questions and mimic the types of questions that you may be asked during an in-person fit interview. Given the format may be a bit awkward at first, it is helpful to practice recording yourself ahead of time.

Work with our MBB team to prepare for a HireVue interview or any consulting interview. Good luck!

Additional Resources

• What are Behavioral Interviews?
• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
• Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide