Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer

Last Updated: July 10, 2026

 

The Navigant Consulting interview is now the Guidehouse interview: a two to three round process built around a recruiter screen, behavioral questions, and candidate-led case interviews. This guide covers what happened to Navigant, every interview round, real case and behavioral questions, current salary data, and the exact steps to prepare.

 

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Key Takeaways

 

Navigant Consulting is now Guidehouse, and its interview process has two to three rounds: a recruiter screen, behavioral and candidate-led case interviews, and a partner conversation for senior roles.

 

• Guidehouse acquired Navigant Consulting in 2019, so every former Navigant role now runs through the Guidehouse hiring process

 

• Expect a 30-minute recruiter phone screen followed by a round of behavioral questions and candidate-led case interviews

 

• Some roles add a 48-hour take-home case or an Excel-based data exercise

 

• Glassdoor rates the interview difficulty 2.79 out of 5, with the full process averaging 41 days as of June 2026

 

• Behavioral answers land best when framed around mission, stakeholders, and compliance, not just commercial results

 

What Changed in 2026?

 

This guide was fully refreshed with June 2026 Glassdoor data covering 661 reported interviews, updated salary figures from Levels.fyi and Glassdoor, and Guidehouse's current practice areas under Bain Capital ownership. The core process has stayed stable: two to three rounds anchored by candidate-led cases and behavioral questions. Interview difficulty and timeline figures below reflect the latest reported data.

 

What Happened to Navigant Consulting?

 

Navigant Consulting no longer exists as a standalone firm because Guidehouse acquired it in October 2019 for 1.1 billion dollars and retired the Navigant brand. Navigant was a Chicago-based firm known for its health, energy, financial services, and disputes work, and it brought more than 5,000 people into Guidehouse. If you are searching for Navigant interview advice today, you will actually apply and interview through Guidehouse.

 

Guidehouse itself was created in 2018 when Veritas Capital carved out the US public sector practice of PwC. The firm then grew through acquisitions: Navigant in 2019, Dovel Technologies in 2021 with more than 1,800 people, and the public sector practice of Grant Thornton in 2022 with more than 480 people.

 

In December 2023, Bain Capital acquired Guidehouse from Veritas Capital for 5.3 billion dollars. At the time of the deal, Guidehouse reported that annual revenue had grown from 600 million dollars in 2018 to more than 3 billion dollars, with over 17,000 employees across 55-plus locations. The firm is headquartered in McLean, Virginia and continues to operate under CEO Scott McIntyre.

 

Guidehouse serves government agencies and regulated commercial industries across five main areas: defense and security, energy, infrastructure and sustainability, financial services, and health. The health and energy practices trace directly back to Navigant, so former Navigant strengths still shape a large share of the firm's client work. Guidehouse sits alongside other tier 2 consulting firms in prestige, but it is one of the largest players in public sector consulting.

 

What Is the Navigant Consulting (Guidehouse) Interview Process?

 

The Navigant Consulting interview is now run by Guidehouse and has two to three rounds. Candidates start with a 30-minute recruiter phone screen, then complete a round of behavioral and candidate-led case interviews, and senior hires finish with a partner or managing director conversation. The full process averages 41 days according to June 2026 Glassdoor data.

 

Here is what each round looks like in practice.

 

Round 1: What happens in the Guidehouse recruiter screen?

 

The first round is a 30-minute phone call with a recruiter that covers your resume, your interest in Guidehouse, and what you want in your next role. You should have a tight two-minute answer ready for tell me about yourself because it almost always opens the call. This round does not include a case.

 

Recruiters also handle logistics in this call: location preferences, start dates, compensation expectations, and clearance eligibility for certain federal roles. Answer these questions directly and save your detailed why consulting story for the interviews that follow.

 

Round 2: What happens in the Guidehouse case and behavioral round?

 

The second round is the substantive one: two to four interviews with consultants and managers from the practice you applied to, often scheduled across a single day. You will face a mix of behavioral questions and at least one live case interview. Depending on the role, you may also receive a take-home case or an Excel-based data exercise.

 

Interviewers in this round come from the specific segment you would join, such as health, energy, or defense. They are evaluating whether you can structure ambiguous problems and whether they would put you in front of their clients.

 

Round 3: What happens in the Guidehouse partner round?

 

For experienced hires and managing consultant roles, a partner or managing director runs a final conversation. This round is heavily behavioral and focuses on client management, leadership judgment, and fit with the practice. The same principles that apply to consulting final round interviews at other firms apply here: partners care most about judgment, ownership, and whether they can staff you immediately.

 

How long does the Guidehouse interview process take?

 

Based on 541 interviews reported on Glassdoor as of June 2026, the full process averages 41 days. Consulting intern candidates report the fastest turnaround at about a day, while some specialized roles take months. Positions that require security clearance sponsorship sit at the slow end because background investigations add time.

 

What Case Interview Formats Does Guidehouse Use?

 

Guidehouse uses three case formats: live candidate-led cases, take-home cases, and Excel-based data exercises. The format you get depends on the role and practice area, and some candidates face more than one. The live case interview is the highest-weighted part of the process for most consulting roles.

 

• Live case interviews: a 30 to 45 minute conversation where the interviewer presents a business or government problem and you structure it, analyze data, and give a recommendation

 

• Take-home cases: a 24 to 48 hour assignment where you build a short slide deck or Excel output that simulates a real client deliverable

 

• Excel-based exercises: a dataset you analyze, summarize, and present in a consulting-style format, most common in technical and data-heavy roles

 

Guidehouse cases are candidate-led, which means you drive the structure, decide which areas to explore, and control the pace. This is the same style Bain uses and it rewards candidates who practice pushing a case forward on their own. The take-home format works like a compressed written case interview, so clean slides and a clear storyline matter as much as the analysis.

 

Case interviews decide most Guidehouse consulting offers. If you want to learn case interviews quickly, my case interview course walks you through proven strategies in as little as 7 days.

 

How Do You Solve a Guidehouse Case Interview?

 

Solving a Guidehouse case interview takes five steps: understand the objective, ask clarifying questions, build a framework, work through the analysis, and deliver a recommendation. The math is usually lighter than at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, but the bar for structure and communication is just as real. Here is how each step works.

 

1. Understand the case background and objective: listen to the prompt, take notes, and confirm the client's goal in your own words before doing anything else
   
   
2. Ask clarifying questions: to make sure the objective is identified, the timeline is clear, and you understand any constraints like budgets or regulations
   
   
3. Structure a framework: break the problem into 3 to 4 clear, distinct buckets and walk the interviewer through your logic
   
   
4. Work through the analysis: pick a starting branch, request data, do the math out loud, and state the so-what of each finding
   
   
5. Deliver a recommendation: lead with your answer, support it with 2 to 3 reasons from your analysis, and name the next steps and risks

 

Because the case is candidate-led, you choose where to go after presenting your structure. There is rarely a single right starting point, so pick the branch most likely to move the answer and explain why. Strong candidates rely on case interview frameworks as a starting point but tailor every bucket to the specific client and situation.

 

Most cases include a quantitative component such as sizing a budget gap or calculating savings from a process change. Practice doing mental math without a calculator because interviewers expect you to handle percentages and large numbers smoothly under pressure.

 

What Are Examples of Guidehouse Case Interview Questions?

 

Guidehouse case questions mirror the firm's client base: federal agencies, hospitals and health systems, utilities, banks, and defense organizations. Here are six realistic practice cases, one for each major type you could face. Practice structuring each one out loud before reading any further.

 

• Government operations: a federal agency wants to cut administrative costs by 20% over three years without reducing services. How would you find the savings?

 

• Health: a regional hospital system is losing money in its emergency department. Diagnose the causes and recommend how to return it to profitability

 

• Energy: a utility must meet a state decarbonization mandate within 10 years. What should its plan consider?

 

• Financial services: a mid-size bank's compliance costs have doubled in two years. How would you reduce them without increasing regulatory risk?

 

• Defense and security: a defense agency's software modernization program is 18 months behind schedule. Identify the likely causes and a path to recovery

 

• Market sizing: estimate the annual number of emergency room visits in the United States

 

Notice that most of these are public sector or regulated industry problems rather than classic profit maximization cases. The public sector case interview replaces profit with mission outcomes, budgets, and stakeholders, so success metrics look different even when the analytical steps are the same.

 

If you are targeting the health segment, spend extra time on payer and provider economics because those cases dominate that practice. The dynamics tested in healthcare consulting case interviews show up constantly in the practices Guidehouse inherited from Navigant.

 

Here's an example of how the market sizing case above might start. Let's say there are about 320 million people in the US and you assume the average person visits an emergency room once every two to three years. That gives you an estimate in the range of 110 to 160 million annual visits, which you would then sanity check and refine by age group.

 

What Behavioral Questions Does Guidehouse Ask?

 

Guidehouse behavioral questions focus on teamwork, leadership, conflict, and motivation, and they carry real weight in the final decision. Several candidates on Glassdoor report rounds that were entirely behavioral, especially for federal and national security roles. Prepare specific stories using the STAR method so every answer has a clear situation, task, action, and result.

 

Here are 12 behavioral questions Guidehouse candidates commonly report:

 

• Walk me through your resume

 

• Why do you want to work in consulting?

 

• Why Guidehouse over other firms?

 

• Tell me about a time you led a team

 

• Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict

 

• Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult stakeholder

 

• Describe a time you used data to make a recommendation

 

• Tell me about a time you missed a deadline and what you did about it

 

• Describe a time you had to learn something new quickly

 

• What project are you most proud of and why?

 

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with a manager

 

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

 

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is framing every story around revenue or profit impact. Guidehouse serves agencies and regulated industries, so stories about serving a mission, coordinating stakeholders, and working within constraints resonate more with interviewers. In my experience coaching candidates for public sector firms, the ones who connect their stories to impact on people and institutions consistently outperform those who only talk numbers.

 

Behavioral answers are highly predictable, which makes them the easiest part of the process to prepare. My fit interview course helps you master 98% of consulting fit questions in just a few hours.

 

How Hard Is the Guidehouse Interview?

 

The Guidehouse interview is moderately difficult. As of June 2026, Glassdoor candidates rate the interview difficulty 2.79 out of 5, and 54.7% of 661 reviewers describe their experience as positive. That puts Guidehouse below McKinsey, BCG, and Bain in difficulty but firmly above behavioral-only hiring processes.

 

The case math is lighter and the frameworks are more forgiving than at top strategy firms, but candidates still fail on structure and communication. Compared to the Booz Allen Hamilton consulting interview, which leans heavily behavioral, Guidehouse tests genuine case skills for most consulting roles. If you are deciding where to focus prep time between the two, put your case practice hours toward Guidehouse.

 

Having coached hundreds of candidates 1-on-1, I've seen strong students treat firms like Guidehouse as a safety and get rejected for showing up unprepared. Interviewers can tell within minutes whether you've practiced cases, and no amount of raw intelligence hides a rambling structure.

 

How Much Does Guidehouse Pay Consultants?

 

Guidehouse management consultants earn between roughly $87,600 and $196,000 in total compensation depending on level, based on Levels.fyi data updated in June 2026. The median total compensation package reported for the management consultant role is about $118,000. The table below breaks down reported compensation by level.

 

Level	Total compensation	Data source
Consultant	~$87,600	Levels.fyi, June 2026
Management Consultant (median, all levels)	~$118,000	Levels.fyi, June 2026
Associate Director	~$196,000	Levels.fyi, June 2026

 

Source: Levels.fyi Guidehouse management consultant data, last updated June 2026.

 

Glassdoor data tells a similar story. Based on 1,049 salaries submitted as of June 2026, the typical pay range for a Guidehouse consultant runs from about $95,000 at the 25th percentile to about $171,000 at the 75th percentile. Pay varies significantly by practice area, location, and whether the role requires a clearance.

 

Do You Need a Security Clearance to Work at Guidehouse?

 

Most entry-level Guidehouse roles do not require an existing security clearance, and many positions will sponsor one after you join. For federal work you generally need to be a US citizen and able to pass a background investigation. Holding a prior clearance is a meaningful advantage because it makes you immediately staffable on classified engagements.

 

For clearance-required roles, expect factual questions about your citizenship, international travel, and background during the process. These are eligibility checks rather than fit questions, so answer them directly and honestly. Keep in mind that clearance sponsorship adds weeks or months to your start date even after you accept an offer.

 

How Do You Prepare for the Guidehouse Interview?

 

The best preparation targets the three things Guidehouse actually tests: candidate-led case skills, mission-focused behavioral stories, and knowledge of your specific practice area. Here are six tips that separate candidates who get offers from those who don't.

 

Tip #1: Practice candidate-led cases, not just interviewer-led ones

 

Guidehouse cases put you in the driver's seat, so you need reps proposing next steps without being prompted. After every framework, practice saying "I'd like to start with this area because..." until it feels automatic. Working through 10 to 15 full case interview examples before your interview builds this muscle faster than reading about it.

 

Tip #2: Build a story bank around mission and stakeholders

 

Prepare 5 to 6 STAR stories and frame at least half of them around serving people, coordinating stakeholders, or working within constraints. Guidehouse interviewers hear plenty of profit stories. The candidates they remember connect their work to institutions and outcomes that matter.

 

Tip #3: Research the specific segment you applied to

 

A health candidate should know payer and provider basics, an energy candidate should understand the energy transition, and a defense candidate should follow modernization priorities. Guidehouse publishes an annual trends guide on its website covering each of its industries. Reading the sections for your segment gives you concrete talking points interviewers rarely hear from other candidates.

 

Tip #4: Treat the take-home case like a client deliverable

 

If you receive the 48-hour take-home case, spend at least a third of your time on the storyline and slide clarity rather than piling on more analysis. Lead each slide with a takeaway title, keep one message per slide, and end with a clear recommendation. Reviewers grade these like real client work because that is exactly what the format simulates.

 

Tip #5: Drill case math until it's smooth

 

The math at Guidehouse is lighter than at MBB, which makes errors stand out more, not less. Practice percentages, large number multiplication, and quick sanity checks until you can do them while talking. Ten minutes of daily drills for two weeks is enough for most candidates.

 

Tip #6: Prepare sharp questions for every interviewer

 

Every Guidehouse interview ends with time for your questions, and generic ones waste a scoring opportunity. Ask about the interviewer's current projects, how the practice has changed since the Bain Capital acquisition, or what separates good consultants from great ones on their teams. The best questions to ask in a consulting interview show genuine curiosity about the work itself.

 

If you want personalized feedback on your cases and stories before the real thing, my interview coaching gives you 1-on-1 practice with a former Bain interviewer.

 

Passing the Navigant Consulting interview today means passing the Guidehouse interview: a recruiter screen, candidate-led cases, and behavioral questions built around mission and stakeholders. The single most important thing you can do is complete full practice cases out loud until your structure and communication are automatic. Start that practice today rather than the week before your interview.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is Navigant Consulting still a company?

 

No. Guidehouse acquired Navigant Consulting in October 2019 for 1.1 billion dollars and retired the Navigant brand. All former Navigant practices, including health, energy, and financial services, now operate under the Guidehouse name, so candidates apply and interview through Guidehouse.

 

How many rounds are in the Guidehouse interview process?

 

Most candidates go through two to three rounds. The process starts with a 30-minute recruiter phone screen, moves to a round of behavioral and candidate-led case interviews, and senior or experienced hires finish with a partner or managing director conversation. Based on June 2026 Glassdoor data, the full process averages 41 days.

 

Does Guidehouse use case interviews?

 

Yes. Guidehouse uses live candidate-led case interviews that run 30 to 45 minutes, and some roles add a 48-hour take-home case or an Excel-based data exercise. Cases cover government operations, health, energy, financial services, and defense topics, so practice areas matter when you prepare.

 

How hard is the Guidehouse interview?

 

It is moderately difficult. As of June 2026, Glassdoor candidates rate the Guidehouse interview 2.79 out of 5 in difficulty, with 54.7 percent reporting a positive experience across 661 reviews. The math is lighter than at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, but you still need a clear structure and strong communication to pass.

 

How long does the Guidehouse hiring process take?

 

The Guidehouse hiring process takes an average of 41 days based on 541 interviews reported on Glassdoor as of June 2026. Consulting intern roles move fastest, sometimes in about a day, while roles requiring security clearance sponsorship can stretch to several months.

 

Do you need a security clearance to work at Guidehouse?

 

Most entry-level Guidehouse roles do not require an existing security clearance, and many positions will sponsor one. For federal work you generally need to be a US citizen and able to pass a background investigation. Holding a prior clearance is a meaningful advantage in both hiring and staffing.

 

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