I applied through the college recruiting system and received a first round interview on campus. I met with one of the senior researchers. He was very personable and the entire interview felt more like a chat than an evaluative interview. It was about 70% fit, and 30% just your general understanding of the economy and stocks. If you have a particular interest in any stocks i.e. health, tech, finance, be sure to voice this early and show you are prepared/have knowledge of your industry.
The second round was in the Milwaukee office. It was a fairly intense day. I believe there were 5 back to back 30-45 minute interviews with various experts. I started the day off with an analytical test - think GRE Math which you complete in 30 minutes. Each interviewer is different, but be sure to know your stuff.
1. Have a stock pitch prepared and make sure you know it 100%.
2. be ready for a lot of brain teasers like market sizing questions consulting style or just brainteasers such as - you have two candles, each burn for 1 hour, how do you use these candles to measure 15 minutes. There were at least 2-5 per interviewer for me.
3. Be sure to know the answer to the question : why research and why Baird?
Overall, I think it was a challenging interview just due to how long the super day was. But Baird made the process very enjoyable and comfortable. I was put up in a very lovely hotel, and all of the Baird employees I interacted with were fantastic, very warm and welcoming. The firm also makes a special effort to reach out to employees and make them feel part of the family. I enjoyed the happy hour where I basically got to meet everyone from the Milwaukee office over beer and fried chicken. Something to note however, Baird does seem to be one of those firms which are a bit more traditional - about 90% of the employees I met there were white and male, and this is true for the group of 12 I was interviewing with. Not that this was at all a negative factor for me, it was just quite an interesting experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
While I was presenting my stock pitch, the interviewer immediately pulled up the data for the stock I was pitching and proceeded to grill me on the ratios of the stock and my analysis. Be sure to have the most up to date information on your stock and rehearse it a few times so that you seem prepared.
I think everyone gets a Hirevue, and then they move a couple handfuls onto a Phone call interview with an analyst that is mostly behavioral and some brain teasers, Competency test that has math and writing questions, and then a superday if you get one
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Asked about resume, experiences, and why ER? Brain teaser about how many subway sandwiches could fit in a school bus
The first round of Zoom interviews was conducted in late September, followed by an in-person Superday. The first round of interviews was very conversational, with a brain teaser that was focused around the interviewer's area of expertise.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How many Nike basketball shoes are sold in NYC every year?
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Baird (Milwaukee, WI) in Sep 2024
Interview
First an online video Hirevue, then a phone call interview with associate, Analytical and writing exam, in-person Superday in Milwaukee with 5 interviews in total, and then another analytical and writing exam
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Q: Why Milwaukee? Pitch me a stock? Sell me something not a stock?