Heidrick & Struggles Research Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process involved an aptitude test, a quick chat with the recruiter, an HR Head round, and then a Research Test which was primary, along with a secondary part where I had to do a SWOT analysis of a firm based on a research paper provided by H&S. Finally, there was a Manager and TL round which was basically a casual conversation to get to know me better. They primarily judged my fit for the role based on the research test. The whole thing took about 5-6 hours, so I had to take a day off from my current job. HR was firm on the CTC part and didn't negotiate.

The HR and Manager rounds were pretty straightforward. They really like people with HR and research backgrounds, but if you're not from that field but show a strong interest in HR research, you'll get a chance to prove yourself in the technical round. For the technical round, you'll actually have to do some research tasks on the computer and make calls based on them. Then there's a team leader and manager round where the manager gives feedback on your technical performance, and then both the TL and manager ask about your approach during the technical round. If you have a quantitative background (maths, stats, engineering), they will definitely grill you about why you decided to leave a quantitative career for a qualitative research and HR role at H&S KMC. They won't stop asking until you give them a convincing reason. Finally, after clearing all these, you have a chat with the HR Head about company facilities like cabs and meals, shift timings, your career goals, and company culture/values/ethics. The whole hiring team and managers/TLs are really supportive and nice. They're basically looking for commitment, stability, and a willingness to learn. Most employees are young, aged between 23-35.

It was a 6 hour process with multiple elimination rounds. Started with a general aptitude test, followed by an HR round. If you have experience, there's a SWOT analysis. Then there was a telephonic round and finally the Manager round.