20 Analysis Group Interview Questions and Answers

As one of the largest international economics consulting firms, Analysis Group is always looking for the best and the brightest to join their ranks. If you’re hoping to land a job at this prestigious company, you’ll need to be prepared to answer some tough questions during your interview.

In this article, we’ll give you a rundown of some of the most common questions asked during an Analysis Group interview, along with advice on how to answer them. With a little preparation, you’ll be able to ace your interview and take one step closer to landing your dream job.

Analysis Group Interview Process

The interview process at Analysis Group is generally two rounds, with the first being a screening interview of 30 minutes. The second round of interviews is a two-hour interview of 4, 30-minute interviews with senior members of the firm. Summer analysts also have the opportunity to interview with a Vice President for a phone interview.

1. Why do you want to work at Analysis Group?

This question can help the interviewer get to know you better and understand why you are a good fit for their company. Use your answer to highlight any personal or professional values that align with Analysis Group’s mission, vision or goals.

Example: “I want to work at Analysis Group because I am passionate about helping businesses make smart decisions based on data. In my last role as an analyst, I helped companies develop strategies to increase sales by 10% through cost-cutting measures. This is something I enjoy doing, and I would love to continue working in this capacity.”

2. What would you say is your greatest strength and weakness?

This question is a common one in interviews, and it’s important to be honest. Interviewers want to know what your greatest strengths are so they can see how you will fit into their company culture. They also want to know about any weaknesses so that you have an opportunity to explain how you plan to improve them.

Example: “My greatest strength is my ability to work well with others. I am always willing to help someone else out or collaborate on a project. My weakness is that sometimes I get too excited about a new idea and don’t take the time to fully research it before presenting it to clients. In the past, this has led to some mistakes, but I’ve learned to slow down and make sure I’m doing thorough research before making presentations.”

3. Would you be willing to relocate if needed?

If the company is looking to expand their operations, they may need employees who are willing to relocate. If you’re interviewing for a position with Analysis Group, it’s important that you understand if there are any plans to move locations in the near future.

If you have no interest in relocating, make sure to let them know so they can find someone who does. However, if you would be open to moving, explain why and what factors would influence your decision.

Example: “I’m happy to relocate as long as my family could come along. I’ve lived here all of my life, but I’d be willing to move anywhere if it meant getting this job.”

4. Which area of economics are you most interested in?

This question is a great way to show the interviewer your passion for economics. It also helps them understand what you hope to achieve in this role and how it fits into your career goals. When answering, try to choose an area that aligns with the job description.

Example: “I am most interested in international trade. I find it fascinating how countries can benefit from trading goods and services with one another. In my last position, I helped companies develop strategies for entering foreign markets. This led me to learn more about the different factors that influence trade between nations.”

5. Do you have experience working with clients?

This question can help the interviewer determine if you have experience working with clients and how well you communicate. Use examples from your previous work to show that you are a strong communicator who is able to collaborate with others.

Example: “I’ve worked with many different types of clients, including small businesses and large corporations. I enjoy helping my clients understand their financial data so they can make informed decisions about their business. In one instance, I was working with a client who wanted to expand their business into new markets. We analyzed their current financials and determined that it would be beneficial for them to expand into these new markets. They were very happy with our results.”

6. Give us an example of when you had to convince a client that they were wrong, how did you handle it?

This question is a great way to show your communication skills and how you can handle conflict. When answering this question, it’s important to be honest about the situation and highlight what steps you took to resolve the issue.

Example: “I once had a client who was adamant that they didn’t want to expand their business into Europe because of the risk involved. I explained to them that there were many ways to mitigate those risks and that if they expanded in the right areas, they could actually increase revenue by 20%. They decided to take my advice and are now expanding into Europe.”

7. Describe the biggest challenge you’ve faced while working on a project. How did you overcome it?

This question can help the interviewer get a better sense of your problem-solving skills. Use examples from previous work experiences to highlight how you overcame challenges and used your critical thinking skills to find solutions.

Example: “The biggest challenge I’ve faced while working on projects was when my team had to analyze data for a client who didn’t have all the information we needed to complete our analysis. In this situation, I worked with my team to create a plan that would allow us to collect as much data as possible without disrupting the client’s workflow. We then created a timeline for collecting the remaining data so we could meet our deadline.”

8. Tell me about a time you worked on a team project and there was conflict, how did you handle it?

Teamwork is an important skill for any analyst. The interviewer wants to know how you handle conflict and work with others.

Example: “In my last position, I was working on a project that required me to analyze the economic impact of a new tax law. My team leader wanted us to focus our research on one aspect of the law while another member of the team wanted to look at other aspects. We had several meetings where we discussed what data we needed to collect and how we would use it to support our findings. In the end, we were able to come to a compromise and produce a comprehensive report.”

9. Have you ever been asked to write code for a data analysis task? If so, describe the situation.

This question can help the interviewer understand your technical skills and how you apply them to your work. If you have never been asked to write code, explain that you are willing to learn if necessary.

Example: “I’ve never been asked to write code for a data analysis task, but I am confident in my ability to do so if needed. In fact, I took an introductory coding class in college where we learned several languages including Python, which is one of the most common coding languages used by analysts. I also completed a project at my previous job where I had to use Python to analyze large amounts of data.”

10. Are you familiar with any statistical software packages? Which one(s)?

The interviewer may ask this question to determine your level of expertise with specific software programs. If you have experience using a statistical program, list the one you’re most familiar with and explain how it helped you in previous roles.

Example: “I’ve used SPSS for my past three positions as an analyst. I find that SPSS is easy to use and has many useful features, such as descriptive statistics, data management and regression analysis. In my last position, I used SPSS to analyze customer satisfaction surveys and found that customers were more satisfied with our company’s products than they had been in the past.”

11. Are you comfortable working independently?

Analysis Group is a large company with many employees, but it also requires its analysts to work independently. The interviewer wants to know if you can handle working alone and how well you collaborate with others. Use examples from your past experience to show that you are comfortable working on your own and collaborating with others.

Example: “I am very comfortable working independently. In my last position, I was the only analyst in my department for six months while we were hiring new people. During this time, I had to make all of the decisions regarding our projects. I learned how to delegate tasks to other team members when they arrived so that everyone could learn their roles. I enjoy working both independently and collaboratively.”

12. Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team?

This question can help the interviewer determine how you might fit into their company culture. Your answer should reflect your ability to work independently and as part of a team, depending on what is required by your job.

Example: “I enjoy working both alone and in teams. I find that when I am working alone, I have more time to think through problems and develop solutions. However, I also like collaborating with others because it allows me to learn from other people’s perspectives and ideas. In my last position, I worked mostly alone but occasionally collaborated with other analysts.”

13. What qualities make a good leader?

This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the leadership skills necessary to succeed in this role. Use examples from your past experience or discuss qualities that you would like to develop.

Example: “A good leader is someone who has a strong work ethic and inspires others to do their best. I believe it’s important for leaders to be approachable, so they can listen to ideas from everyone on their team. In my last position as an analyst, I was promoted to lead several projects because of my ability to motivate my coworkers and communicate effectively with clients.”

14. Can you tell us about a leadership role you took on recently?

This question can help the interviewer get to know you as a person and how you interact with others. It can also show them your leadership skills, which are important for this role. When answering this question, it can be helpful to talk about a time when you were in charge of a project or group.

Example: “In my last position, I was promoted to team leader after working there for two years. This promotion came with many new responsibilities, including managing other analysts and helping them develop their skills. I also had to make sure that all projects were completed on time and within budget. However, I enjoyed taking on this challenge and learned a lot from the experience.”

15. What type of training programs do you think should be offered to new employees?

Interviewers may ask this question to see if you have any ideas for improving their training programs. They want to know that you are willing to help improve the company and its processes. In your answer, explain what type of training you would like to see offered and why it’s important.

Example: “I think new employees should be given a lot of hands-on experience with different projects. I believe that learning by doing is one of the best ways to learn complex concepts. For example, when I started my career as an analyst, I was assigned to work on several different projects at once. This helped me understand how each project worked and gave me valuable experience working in an analysis group.”

16. Tell me about a time where you were successful at getting a large gift and what your strategy was.

This question is a great way to show your leadership skills and ability to work with clients. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention the specific gift you received and how it helped the company or organization.

Example: “When I was working for my previous employer, we were trying to get a large donation from a wealthy individual. We had been in contact with them for several months, but they weren’t sure if they wanted to give us any money. I decided to meet with them one-on-one to discuss our cause further. After talking about their life story and why they started their business, they agreed to donate $100,000 to our organization.”

17. How would you respond to a customer asking for specific information on a Red Cross training course?

This question can help the interviewer understand how you would apply your analytical skills to a client’s needs. Use examples from past experiences where you used critical thinking and problem-solving skills to find answers for clients.

Example: “I have worked with several Red Cross chapters in my previous position, so I am familiar with their training courses. In this situation, I would first ask the customer what they are looking for specifically. If they want information on specific courses, I will look up each course and provide them with the details of the course, including pricing and location. If they are looking for general information about the organization, I will provide them with an overview of the Red Cross.”

18. Explain VaR to us.

VaR is a common term in the financial industry. The interviewer may ask you this question to see if you have experience using VaR and how it can be applied to their company. In your answer, explain what VaR is and why it’s important for financial analysis.

Example: “VaR stands for value at risk. It’s a measure of the maximum amount of money that could be lost on an investment portfolio over a specific period of time. I’ve used VaR many times when analyzing investments because it helps me determine whether or not a certain investment will make or lose money. For example, if I’m looking at a stock portfolio, I’ll use VaR to calculate the percentage of stocks that are expected to increase in value, decrease in value and remain unchanged.”

19. Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager, how did you handle it?

This question can help the interviewer understand how you handle conflict and whether you’re willing to challenge authority. When answering, it’s important to show that you can disagree respectfully with your manager while still maintaining a positive relationship.

Example: “When I first started working at Analysis Group, my manager asked me to complete an analysis of a specific industry. However, when I began researching the industry, I found that there was very little data available on the topic. I spoke with my manager about this issue, and he agreed to let me research another industry instead. He appreciated that I brought up the problem rather than just ignoring it.”

20. When was the last time you had to deal with a difficult customer or situation?

This question can help the interviewer get a better idea of how you handle conflict and challenging situations. Use your answer to highlight your problem-solving skills, communication skills and ability to remain calm under pressure.

Example: “I once had a customer who was upset because I told them we couldn’t complete their project within the timeline they wanted. The client was very demanding and didn’t seem willing to listen to my reasoning for why it would be impossible to meet their deadline. I remained calm and explained that our company simply couldn’t work any faster than we were already working on the project. Eventually, the client understood and agreed to give us more time.”