Hogan Lovells Winter Vacation Scheme - November 2024
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Psychometric test: Watson Glaser critical thinking
3. Assessment centre
Which aspect does this report cover?
Vacation scheme assessment centre
Where did the assessment centre take place?
TopScore (online platform)
What did the assessment centre involve?
Case study preparation
I was given 1.5 pages of background information and three questions to form the basis of the discussion. I had 15 minutes to read and consider the questions.
The exercise was based on a family-owned coffee business that was looking to expand. Their daughter had recently posted a viral TikTok which had led to a rapid expansion in their customer base. They operated one store in East London and were looking to expand to operate several stores across the city.
Key discussion points:
Scenario-based interview
Structured CV-blind format. Presented with six different scenarios and asked how to handle each. Example scenarios:
1. Client meeting vs personal commitment
You’ve booked annual leave to spend with family and the rest of your team is aware. However, a partner unaware of this asks for assistance in preparing a client presentation for the same day. I said that due to the possibility of flexible working, I would be able to offer limited assistance, which I could fit in with family commitments.
2. You find confidential information
You come into possession of confidential information affecting a deal your team is working on. The information could benefit the client. Response: report to supervisor, do not use confidential information.
3. Immediate client response
You are working on a complex matter with little experience, as you have just joined the team. The client has a complex urgent query. You are the only one in the office. Response: provide information to the best of your ability, do not over-state your knowledge or lie. Immediately update once proper information is known.
4. Difficult team member
Joint task with another trainee who is unresponsive and delays deadlines. Taking on their workload results in them taking all the credit. Response: speak honestly and openly about how concerned you are about their working pattern. Focus on a team approach but escalate if necessary.
General interview and case study discussion
My interviewers had many follow up questions to the answers I gave. Be prepared to give full answers under scrutiny. They were trying to ascertain my commitment to a career in law, given that I had a previous career working in politics and government.
Competency and motivation questions
Case study discussion questions
What was the outcome?
The firm emailed me a month after the assessment to tell me I was unsuccessful.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
I was told that I had strong responses to the situational questions. My strategy was to think about the question for 30 seconds and write down all of the available options to me in the scenario. I then explained the strengths and weaknesses of the various strategies and why I decided to go with my decision. I was told in my feedback that I had sensible approaches to the scenarios and that I communicated very well.
My interviewers felt that further development is needed particularly when demonstrating my commercial awareness particularly in the case study. They encouraged me to read ‘All you need to know about Commercial Awareness’ by Chris Stoakes to develop my understanding of how businesses work. I would also highly recommend using Jake’s courses on running a business, private equity and M&A which will provide you with an understanding of the business concepts that the interviewers can reasonably ask you.
Hogan Lovells Vacation Scheme - January 2023
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Watson Glaser test
3. Assessment centre
4. Vacation scheme
Which aspect does this report cover?
Assessment Centre
Where did the assessment centre take place?
TopScore (online platform)
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. Introduction: an introduction to the day, plus an opportunity to ask questions about the day (~15 minutes with a member of the graduate recruitment team).
2. Trainee Q&A: an unassessed trainee Q&A session, followed by a 15 minute break.
3. Case study preparation: read through background materials and questions (~15 minutes).
4. General interview and case study discussion: motivation and competency interview plus case study discussion (~40 minutes with two partners).
5. Scenario-based interview: discussion centring on how I would handle six workplace-related scenarios (~40 minutes with a senior associate and a member of the graduate recruitment team).
Case study preparation
I was given 1.5 pages of background information, including three questions on which a subsequent discussion would be based. I had 15 minutes to read through the information and think about the three questions.
The case study centred on a listed UK department store chain, which had been in business for over 200 years and had operations in over 150 locations in the UK. It had brick and mortar stores which sold premium own brand products, as well as products from other luxury brands. The company had previously been sold to a Canadian PE firm.
Before the acquisition by the Canadian PE firm, the company owned all its stores, but was running into cash flow difficulties. Following the acquisition, the stores were sold, with the company then leasing them back. This helped with short-term cash-flow issues, but then the pandemic hit and rent became more expensive. The company was now struggling to meet its rental payment obligations.
The company had also planned to expand online and had hired a team of engineers and invested in IT systems. It had also renovated some of its stores. These factors led to further increased costs, which – coupled with a declining customer base – meant the company’s profits were in decline.
I was instructed to advise the company on the actions it could take to try to stay afload, and to explain how Hogan Lovells could assist. In particular, I was asked the following:
General interview and case study discussion
The interview started off with introductions, then asked me the following questions:
I was then asked questions about my experiences, including:
We then moved on to the case-study discussion, which included questions such as:
At the end, I had the opportunity to ask a few questions. I asked the partners about their journey into the firm.
Scenario-based interview
This interview was rigidly structured and felt quite formal. It is CV blind interview, and the interviewers want to keep it that way.
I was presented with six different scenarios, and asked how I would handle each if I was a trainee solicitor at the firm. To give some examples:
I said that I would tell the partner that I really appreciated the opportunity and would love to assist with making the presentation. However, I would not be able to join the client meeting tomorrow, as it's my sister's wedding.
I said I would definitely not use the information. I mentioned that I would let my supervisor know and let them decide if we should notify the client about the situation.
I said I would not react in front of my supervisor, but would confront my colleague in a private setting, in a professional manner. I then said that if they had a justifiable explanation I would let it be, but if not, I would report it to my supervisor so that the culture of the firm would not be affected.
What was the outcome?
I received a call from one of my interviewers two hours after my assessment centre to offer me a place on the vacation scheme.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
For the case study, prepare answers to all the questions contained within your brief. However, you must think beyond these questions too, as you will inevitably face additional questions during the case study discussion. Also, if possible, try to think of a real-world company that is facing the same issue, in case you are asked about this. In addition, demonstrating commercial awareness and revealing your thought process throughout is important (arguably more important than getting the right answer).
For the motivational interview, know your written application well. A lot of questions will be just contextualising your application. For the scenario-based interview, perhaps suggest various options for handling each scenario. Doing so can show adaptability and initiative.
Hogan Lovells Vacation Scheme - January 2022
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Psychometric test: critical thinking
3. Assessment centre
Which aspect does this report cover?
Vacation scheme assessment centre.
Where did the assessment centre take place?
Online platform called TopScore.
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. Introduction: introductory call with five other candidates, during which we were told about the structure of the day, had the chance to deal with any technical difficulties, and each had to very briefly introduce ourselves (~15 minutes with a member of the graduate recruitment team)
2. Trainee Q&A: unassessed opportunity to ask a panel of trainees about the recruitment process and life at the firm.
3. Case study: predominantly business-centric, and involved answering related questions in a subsequent interview (~15 minutes of reading time).
4. Motivation and case study interview: motivation questions and questions on the case study (~45-60 minute interview with a partner and an associate).
5. Scenario-based interview: focused on six situational judgment scenarios and how I would respond to each (~45-60 minute interview with a graduate recruiter and an associate).
Case study
I was given 15 minutes to read through the case study (this was only a 1 page document) and consider the content. I then went straight into an interview (covered below), where I was asked questions on the case study. There was no written or presentation element.
The case study centred on a chain of department stores that had been open for 240 years, had 166 locations across the UK, was listed on the London Stock Exchange, and had 25,000 employees. The stores sell their own branded products and other high street brands.
We were told that the company that owned the stores had used debt to open new stores and were now considering selling some of the stores and leasing them back. We were also told about declining profits/increasing costs, bad investments in the business (e.g. expensive store redesigns had flopped), outdated IT systems, declining customer goodwill and so on.
The case study brief explained that I would need to consider the key issues presented, and how these would impact the various stakeholders of the business.
Note that the case study is apparently group-based for direct training contract interviews.
Motivation and case study interview
Competency, motivation and current affairs questions
This interview involved a range of motivation and competency questions, including:
Note that I didn’t receive any questions on my extra-curriculars, skills or other elements covered on my application form.
Case study questions
I was also asked a number of questions relating to the case study, including:
In terms of structure, I started with a short clear summary of the case, then focused on the stakeholders and why each would be affected by certain issues. I then presented potential solutions and discussed which of the firm’s practice areas would likely be involved in addressing these issues. To give an example, one of the issues was the significant cost of rent, so I proposed focusing more on online sales.
Scenario-based interview
During this interview, I was presented with six scenarios and asked how I would react to each set of circumstances. Examples include:
At times, I was pushed on my answers. For example, I was asked to provide more detail about precisely how I would go about taking certain action, or why taking such action would be important (including acknowledging what might happen if I failed to act). I then had time to ask questions at the end of the interview.
What was the outcome?
I received a vacation scheme offer by phone the day after the assessment centre.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
Explain your thought processes (out loud) as you go along, and be prepared to answer follow up questions throughout. I don’t think my answers were perfect, or that I got everything correct, but I got the impression the firm cared more about how you think and react when under pressure, and how you go about reaching logical answers to questions where you didn’t necessarily know the actual answers immediately.
I recommend that you prepare a discussion around a news story that covers the facts, any related issues, the potential impact on clients, and how the firm could add value or capitalise on opportunities in connection with the story (if applicable). Also make sure you have some awareness of key prevalent current affairs, which at the time of my interview included COVID, tech and ESG. Attending webinars delivered by firms helped in this respect, as firms sometimes explained precisely how some of these trends affected them and their clients. I didn’t feel like I needed much technical business knowledge however.