Imagine you are part of a consulting team assigned to a new client. You notice a discrepancy in the financial records they provided. Walk me through your steps from the moment you spot the error.
RoleConsulting Associate
DifficultyEasy
TopicBehavioral
Asked at
Why This Is Asked
KPMG associates often work with client data that can have errors. This role-play reveals your integrity, attention to detail, problem-solving process, and communication style. They want to see that you can handle sensitive issues with methodical professionalism, not panic or blame.
General Approach
Structure your steps: verify the discrepancy, gather evidence, document findings factually, escalate to a senior team member with proposed queries, and maintain a non-accusatory tone. Emphasize that preserving the client relationship and data accuracy are both priorities.
General Answer
Start by grounding yourself in the facts before you say anything to anyone. Recheck the specific figures against the source documents, the prior period records, and any supporting schedules the client may have attached, because a simple transposition or a cutoff timing difference often explains what looks like an error. Once you have confirmed the discrepancy is real, write down exactly what you see, the account, the date, the amounts, and the potential impact on the engagement, in a neutral, factual tone. Then bring it to your senior or the engagement manager privately, not in a client meeting, and say plainly that you noticed a variance you cannot reconcile, with your evidence ready. Frame it as a question about the client's process rather than a claim of wrongdoing, for example by asking whether there were manual adjustments or a system migration that might explain it. When you do raise it with the client, keep the language collaborative, something like "we want to make sure we understand this entry correctly," and let the senior lead if the issue touches on sensitive areas. Throughout, remember that your role is to protect the integrity of the work and the relationship, so document every step you took, and never speculate about motive, because in the Philippine consulting environment, where client references and long term engagements matter deeply, a calm, evidence based approach is what separates a professional from a panicked accuser.
PH Interview Gotcha
'Ay naku, may mali dito! Baka si client nanloloko. I-report ko agad sa manager at baka ma-bash tayo.' This panicked, accusatory reaction and Taglish slang demonstrate poor professionalism and judgment, which would damage client relationships.
Sample STAR Answer▾
S
Situation
In a school project simulating a due diligence engagement for a small manufacturing company, I discovered that the inventory count in the general ledger did not match the physical count worksheet by about 50 units of a raw material worth PHP 15,000. I knew that even small discrepancies can snowball in an audit or consulting project if not addressed properly.
T
Task
I needed to verify the error, determine its cause, and raise it appropriately without jumping to conclusions or alarming the client prematurely.
A
Action
First, I double-checked my own work and recalculated the totals to ensure it wasn't my own mistake. Then I reviewed the supporting documents like purchase orders and receiving reports. When I confirmed the discrepancy was likely a data entry error on the client's side, I documented my findings in a clear, factual manner. I approached my team leader, presented only the facts and evidence, and suggested we include it in the list of queries for the client meeting. I did not accuse anyone or make assumptions.
R
Result
My team leader appreciated my thorough documentation and calm approach. During the client meeting, we raised the issue professionally, and the client admitted a cut-off error and corrected it immediately. The project continued smoothly with no trust issues because we handled it as a collaborative fact-finding, not a blame game.
Key Takeaway
When you find errors, always verify first, present facts objectively, and escalate through proper channels. Maintaining client trust is paramount, so the tone and process matter as much as the correction.
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