Preparing for any consulting interview is tough. If you’ve got a Capgemini case interview coming up, we want to help you make the most of this opportunity. You’ll want to understand how to ace a case interview, what behavioral/fit questions to expect, and how to prepare your answers.
But don’t worry. We can help.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
- Capgemini’s culture & values.
- The Capgemini interview process.
- The Capgemini case interview.
- The Capgemini behavioral interview.
- Our 5 tips on passing the Capgemini case interview.
Let’s get started!
Capgemini’s Culture & Values
To ace the Capgemini interview, it’s important to know the company you’re interviewing with. This is especially true for the behavioral interview.
Company background
Capgemini was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf in France to provide IT consulting services. It grew over the years and through over 40 acquisitions into a conglomerate providing a suite of consulting services across IT, organization, and strategy in more than 50 countries. It’s a diverse organization with more than 325,000 team members and revenues of €18 billion in 2021.
Capgemini offers a broad spectrum of services to help organizations leverage technology. Key services include business process outsourcing, digital transformation, technology modernization, cybersecurity, and cloud services. It works across industries, with manufacturing and energy compromising most of its clients.
It also complements its offerings with Capgemini Invent (its strategy, data science, and design arm), Capgemini Engineering (works with product manufacturers to embed technology into their products), and Sogeti (implements technology solutions that help organizations work faster and more collaboratively).
Company culture
Capgemini consultants typically come from technical backgrounds and get the opportunity to diversify their experience with exposure to business problems. It can be a great place to start a career given the size and history of the firm.
Capgemini believes in a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is committed to:
- Closing the gender gap in tech by instituting a goal of having women make up 40% of the workforce.
- Fighting racism such as by signing the Race at Work C
- Integrating people with disabilities by employing an above industry-average percentage of employees who identify as disabled.
- Building an LGBT-friendly
- Developing inclusive leaders by having managers attend unconscious bias training.
Here are some examples of what Capgemini employees say about company culture on Glassdoor.com:
- “Good work environment”
- “Love the company’s work culture”
- “Plenty of opportunity to grow”
- “Great benefits, Lots of learning opportunities, Supporting Managers”
- “Diverse and inclusive; Paid training in client management”
- “Flexible, decent pay, great people”
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The Capgemini Consulting Interview Process
What is the interview process?
Like many consulting firms, the Capgemini interview process varies but you can expect something that looks like the following:
- Screening: Submitting an application and possibly doing an online assessment test.
- First round interviews: A call with a recruiter to understand your background and cultural fit (you can expect to answer questions like, “Why Capgemini?”)
- Second round interviews: Two or more interviews with senior consultants and managers to go through a case and understand cultural fit.
What should I expect in one-on-one interviews with consultants?
- Interviews are typically 30-45 minute video calls or held in person.
- You’ll need to be prepared to explain your background and interest in Capgemini.
- You’ll need to be ready to go through the Capgemini case (technical and business case).
The Capgemini Case Interview
What the Capgemini Case Interview Looks Like
The case will typically involve a real client situation where you’ll have to answer technical and/or business questions. You’ll go through the case interview with an experienced consultant who will lead you through the situation and questions to be solved. You can expect to work through a technical and/or business framework. Depending on the role, you may be expected to code (e.g., Java).
Best Approach to Cracking the Capgemini Case Interview
My Consulting Offer recommends a 4-step approach to cracking case interview questions.
1. The Opening: Understand the question
The most important part of case interview success is having a clear understanding of the client’s situation. The problem will typically be framed as a question (e.g., how to turn around declining sales). The best approach to understanding what is required is to take notes and re-iterate the problem in your own words to the interviewer. Feel free to ask follow-up questions to solidify your understanding.
2. Structure: Plan your approach to solving the problem
Ask for time to think through key aspects of the problem. Putting in the effort to consider important aspects of the problem now will serve you as you work through the case. You can use common frameworks (e.g., 4Ps or growth/share matrix) but most importantly, you want to be comprehensive in your thinking.
For example, you can breakdown a declining sales problem into the following 4 components:
- Price (can we increase prices?)
- Volume (can we produce or distribute more?)
- Products (can we make new high-demand products?)
- Geographies (can we expand into new high-growth markets?)
For more information on business frameworks you might want to become familiar with during your case study preparation, see Case Interview Frameworks.
3. Analysis: Dig into the details and develop a hypothesis
The best interviewees are always proactive in thinking about an answer. After you share your framework with the interviewer, take the next step by articulating what should be prioritized to get closer to the answer. You may also be directed by the interviewer on what to analyze first. Then drill down on each of your buckets to better understand the client’s problem and potential solutions.
4. Conclusion: Articulate a recommendation
After collecting the facts and conducting analysis on the issue, spend the time to think through your recommendation. The best recommendations are:
- Clear and actionable
- Supported by facts while acknowledging risks
- Delivered with conviction
You can also check Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep for further details on preparing for consulting case interviews.
Check out this article for tips on acing technical interviews with consulting firms.
Capgemini Case Interview Examples
- US bank
The bank has recently acquired one of its competitors. As it integrates the operations of the 2 organizations, it has found that the combined companies have above-market technology costs. They want you to identify the causes and develop a solution.
- Automaker
The CIO of the automaker has hired you to conduct a benchmarking study on how well they are making technology investments to improve business processes. How would you go about solving the problem?
- Telecommunication company
The CEO of a telecom operator has hired you to identify the causes of and solutions for rising customer acquisition costs (20% CAGR). What is the best approach to solving the problem?
- Global chemical manufacturer
The CEO of the company is worried about a decline in profits despite an increase in the market share of its main product (preservatives). How would you go about supporting the company?
Capgemini’s Behavioral Interview
What to Expect in Capgemini Behavioral Interviews
Most candidates pay little attention to the behavioral section as they prepare for the interview. In many cases, presenting yourself in a professional way and having clarity on why you want the job will make the difference. During the Capgemini interview process, you can expect common behavioral questions to help the interviewer understand your motivations, experiences, and how well you work with others. Here are a few examples:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why are you interested in Capgemini?
- Tell me about a work conflict you had and how you resolved it.
- Tell me about a time you worked on a team and led others.
- What is your proudest achievement?
- Tell me about a failure and how you recovered from it.
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Tell me about a time you dealt with a challenging co-worker.
Make sure you check out our article on Consulting Behavioral Interview Questions for further details.
How to Prepare for the Capgemini Behavioral Interview
- Write down structured answers for common questions.
- Use the A STAR(E) (situation, tension, action, and results) structure for telling your stories.
- Rehearse your answers with someone experienced.
- Record yourself using tools such as Loom and look for ways to improve your body language.
- Research your interviewer so you have an idea of what questions to expect and can ask them specific questions about their Capgemini experience.
- Avoid memorizing your story. It will sound robotic.
- Believe that the interviewer wants you to succeed.
Our 5 Tips on Passing the Capgemini Interview Process
1. Prepare for the Case Interview
Practice makes perfect. There is no specific number of cases you need to solve to pass the interview. Focus on how comfortable you are at solving the case. Make sure you practice with someone at the same level or more experienced, so you can get the feedback you need to improve. You can check out Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep for further details on preparing for case interviews.
2. Get all the Aspects Right
Whenever you get consistent case interview feedback (e.g., you need to work on structuring the problem), make sure you focus on how to improve that aspect of the interview. You want to get to the interview day with all the required skills in good shape. The key skills that interviewers typically test for are strong problem-solving, structured communication, mental math, and chart analysis.
3. Involve the Interviewer
Remember that you are not solving the case alone. Do your best to engage the interviewer. Walk them through your thought process and verbalize your math. This way they’ll understand you better and find ways to help you.
4. Have a Clear Story for Common Behavioral Questions
Prepare your story on what interests you in a consulting career with Capgemini. For example, saying something such as: “Through my academic experience studying computer science, I realized that I thrive on solving new and diverse technical problems and learned that consulting at Capgemini can be the best place to apply my interests and skills.”
5. Enjoy Yourself
Show enthusiasm throughout the process. It will help you be at ease with yourself and others. Keep in mind that people are taking time out of their day to speak with you. They want you to succeed as much as you do.
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In this article, we’ve covered:
- Background on Capgemini.
- What to expect from Capgemini interviews.
- 5 Tips for passing the interview.
Still have questions?
If you have more questions about the Capgemini case interview, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s case coaches will answer them.
Other people prepping for the Capgemini consulting interview found the following pages helpful:
Help with Case Study Interview Prep
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