Over the years, PwC has developed its interview questions to assess how candidates fit within a set of core values and capabilities. These core values are applicable across all service lines. PwC defines these values and capabilities as follows:
Values:
- Enhance value (through quality)
- Invest in relationships
- Share and collaborate
- Put yourself in each other’s shoes
Capabilities:
- Manage projects and economics
- Acquire and apply commercial and technical expertise
- Build and sustain relationships
- Be passionate about client service
- Lead and contribute to team success
- Communicate with impact and empathy
- Develop self and others through coaching
PwC takes these seriously, and they will appear everywhere you look – recruiting events, training, performance reviews, etc. Below are some of the more frequently asked interview questions related to its values and capabilities:
| Value | Capability | Interview question |
| Enhance value (through quality) | Manage projects and economics | Walk me through a situation in which you asked questions of several people for the information you needed to make an effective decision. How did you know who and what to ask? |
| Acquire and apply commercial and technical expertise | Describe a project, situation, or assignment that challenged your skills as a _________. How did you manage the situation? | |
| Invest in relationships | Build and sustain relationships | Tell me about a time when you had to reach out to others with whom you were unfamiliar for assistance. |
|
Be passionate about client service
|
How do you build collaborative relationships with peers or customers? Give me details about one or two of them. | |
| Share and collaborate | Lead and contribute to team success | Describe when you had to convince a fellow student or peer to use a particular approach to an assignment. |
|
Put yourself in each other’s shoes
|
Develop self and others through coaching | Give me an example of receiving feedback or guidance and how you put the information to use. |
| Communicate with impact and empathy | Tell me about a time when you were successful in a negotiation. |
While you may see all, some, or variations of these questions in your PwC interviews, you should prepare relevant, specific, and concise examples for each question. Think about the values and capabilities and what experiences you’ve had to demonstrate your alignment with them. Reflect on previous experience and build a case for why you will add value, build relationships, collaborate, and communicate effectively.