I was approached directly by Berkeley's internal recruitment team in Summer 2016. I was impressed by the fact the team had not only taken the time to understand my profile and experience but then approached me personally and directly rather than spamming a blanket email to multiple candidates. We set up an initial phone screening interview (60-90 minutes) where the team invested time and care in understanding my current circumstances, career position and motivations before then stepping through my CV to discuss my consulting experience (clients, projects, roles, stakeholder relationships). The team then explained more about Berkeley, the Consultant opportunities on offer and the recruitment process. Even at this early stage Berkeley felt significantly more genuine, friendly and personable than interactions I had previously experienced with other companies. The phone interview was followed by three separate face to face interviews, through which I met four Partners at the firm. The interview process was explained up front (and subsequently in further detail before each stage) and is also clearly set out on the website. Interview 1 (face to face with one Partner; 1-1.5 hours): Focus here was primarily to assess whether I was right for Berkeley and whether Berkeley was right for me. The emphasis here was on my personal values and motivations. Whilst there is a blend of traditional interview questions at this stage, I was struck by how natural, relaxed and engaging the conversation felt, rather than the standard “interrogation” often encountered during interviews at larger companies. Interview 2 (face to face with two Partners; 1.5-2 hours): I was asked to prepare and present for 10 minutes (each) on two projects I had led, followed by 20 minutes (each) of Q&A to allow the Partners to probe deeper into my role on each project, my competencies and experiences. Again the approach was very friendly and the Partners were keen to ensure I was as relaxed as possible. At the end of the interview I was given the opportunity to find out more about Berkeley, the Partners themselves and the culture. Prior to the final interview candidates are asked to complete two online assessments – Critical Thinking and a Personality Questionnaire. These are not “pass or fail” at this stage. Berkeley use them for supporting information to supplement what is found in the interviews. Interview 3 (face to face with one Partner; 2.5-3 hours): this final stage was a multi-disciplinary assessment focussed around a client case study. It started with 20 minutes reading time to absorb as much case study information as possible and prepare for a 30 minute client “role play” which followed (member of the People team; observed by a Partner). The focus here was on my ability to build rapport with the client and ask forensic questions regarding the case study. Following the role play I was given 20 minutes to prepare for a 30 minute presentation and Q&A with the Partner where I was asked to present my findings and thoughts from the role play, the project situation, and my recommended next steps. This really was an interactive process where the emphasis is on working with the Partner to find the right solution for the client and establish where Berkeley could offer the most help and support. Finally I was given a laptop and allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to the client to play back what I had learnt from our role play discussion and set out how Berkeley could help (recommendations and proposed plan/timeline for implementation). The challenge and intensity grew at each interview stage but the Berkeley culture and personable style of all those involved meant that it truly was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It offered a great insight into how a small consulting company operates, particularly at Berkeley where they place huge emphasis on the people, culture and ethos. The recruitment team were incredibly attentive and responsive, ensuring I was clearly briefed ahead of each interview and knew exactly what to expect and what was expected of me. Each stage of the process reaffirmed to me this really is an excellent place to work and a superb alternative to a big 4 firm. I was given ample opportunity to meet additional Partners and Consultants from Berkeley along the way to better understand the culture and working environment to ensure this was the right decision for me and my career. Overall the end to end process took two months to complete but this was largely dictated by my work and personal commitments – Berkeley were completely flexible and happy to speed up or slow down the process as appropriate. Overall my experience was exceptional.