Do referrals expire in MBB?

Hi there,

I know that for some MBB firms, the referral link you were sent to take the test or to submit your application will expire.

However, in your case you might simply reach out to the (local) recruiter. Especially since you have been confirmed to take the test / submit your application at a later point in time. 

Another possibility would be to ask the person who made the referral for you, to re-make the referral (Yes, this is indeed possible!).

In case you have further questions, feel free to reach out via private message.

Best, 
Birgit

Hi,

There is no official expiration date of a referral. If the recruiter confirms the referral, I would presume it's still valid. If that's not the case, you can reach out again to the person who referred you. 

Note that a referral is an additional bonus to receive an invite for the interviews, but not the only parameter considered.

Mattijs

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• Nobody knows for sure except the recruiter, so I would highly advise you to wait for their reply. If they said it will still be valid in the future, I would trust them.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming Bain pre-interview assessment and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hey there ?,

Referrals at MBB do not technically “expire”, but their effectiveness can weaken over time, especially if a lot has changed since the initial recommendation. Since your referral was in Nov 2023 and your test invite was in Feb 2024, it’s still relatively recent, and there’s a good chance it remains in their system.

1️⃣ Will Your Referral Still Allow You to Bypass Screening?

• If the recruiter explicitly mentioned that you would be invited directly to the test if you reapplied, that’s a great sign—it suggests that your referral is still valid in their records.
• However, internal systems and hiring needs can change, so it’s good that you reached out to confirm. If the recruiter hasn’t responded yet, give it a bit more time or try following up next week.

2️⃣ What Should You Do Now?

✅ Wait for a response from the recruiter—if they previously said you could bypass screening, they should be able to confirm this again.
✅ If no response after a week or two, apply and mention your previous referral in your application/email to HR—this might help trigger the previous record in their system.
✅ Reach out to the original referrer (if possible)—having them reinforce your application again could strengthen your case.

Final Thoughts

Since Bain Iberia already screened and pre-approved you for testing, there’s a strong chance that your referral still holds weight. You’re taking the right steps by reconnecting with HR—now it’s just about confirming their current process.

Best of luck! Let me know if you need any help structuring your outreach. Best, Alessa ?

Hello there,
If she said to you she would consider the referral, than consider this remains true. I don't think there is an official "expiration deadline", but rather common sense in terms of how long it has been. Since it was a year ago, I believe it is within a reasonable period. 
Take a look at her LinkedIn to see if she still works at Bain and if not, find who would be the new person in charge for you to share your situation.
 

Good luck!
Mari

Hey there, 

In my experience, yes - referrals do expire and don't last indefinitely, but in different ways. For example, when I was at McKinsey, I used to refer candidates, but if they took too long to respond and apply, the referral would expire and I'd either have to send another referral or they'd have to apply individually. 

However, in your case, if you've been told that the referral remains in the system and that you'd be moved to the next round - then you have reason to believe that should be the case. That said, I'd definitely reach out to them and discuss your re-application and make sure that the situation is still the same and hasn't changed

Wishing you all the best!

Hi there,

Q: Would my referral still allow me to bypass screening? 

A referral doesn’t lead to bypass screening, however it will increase the chances of passing it (in your case, you did pass the screening, as HR confirmed you could move to the test phase). 

Regarding whether the referral you received still holds, given HR confirmed they would keep it in the system and you should move to the test, that should be the case. I would wait for their reply, if you don’t hear from them within a week, you can try to call them to speed up the process.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

I would take the recruiter by the word and just re-apply. Bain is also aggressively hiring at the moment in many geographies which is a positive.

One quick sidenote since you mentioned it: A referral does not bypass screening, it just improves your chances for a positive outcome.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there, 

There is no expiry date on referral. However, given it has been a while since the previous referral, I think it would be good if you can ask the person who referred you to reach out to the recruiting team again, and share your latest resume (provided if the person is still in Bain). 

One thing to point out though - referral doesn't necessarily mean you will bypass screening. The recruiting team would still look at your document and see whether you pass the bar.

Best,

Emily

The best option here is really to reach out to the recruiter. Your goal (regardless of referral expiration) is to make sure you go directly to the test without having to go through screening again. Particularly since you already passed screening and this was recent, there's a good chance of success. But you want this to be handled "manually".

Hi there, 

I would simply reach out to her again (under the assumption that she still works at Bain :)). You passed the screening once (through the referral), even if the referral would expire, which I do not think it should, you will pass the screening again. 

All the best, 
Sebastian

Hi there,

this is best to clarify directly with the recruiter. I would say in general though that a referral can become "too old". If the referring person interacted with you several years ago but haven't been able to see your development since then, some recruiters might not really uphold it - especially if the referring person is no longer in the firm or something like that. If it's been an automated process and the "referral box" is still marked as checked, it might not matter how old the referral is. Some more general words though:

A referral is just a door opener such that the recruiting team will look through your application more thoroughly. Depending on the seniority, tenure and advocacy of the person referring you, you have a better chance of getting a first round interview. The more senior the person referring you is, the better. The longer the tenure of that person with the firm is, the better.

The reason is that such voices carry more weight than referrals coming from super junior or brand new people. They typically know the HR folks better and have been involved in recruiting activities for a while so it is usually assumed that they have a good grasp of what types of candidates with which sets of qualifications the firm needs. However, any referral is ultimately better than no referral. 

Ideally, you get a referral from someone from the same office (or same country) you are applying to. But again, a referral from someone within the same firm but different office or country organization is still better than no referral.

A direct rejection after the CV screening stage can still happen - even with a referral. In that case the recruiting team usually provides some feedback to the person having given the referral. So you should follow up with them to better understand the rationale in case that happens. On the flipside, you can still get an interview invite when you just apply online without a referral - the probability is just lower - particularly when your CV is not “stellar” on a standalone basis.

And as always, factors such as economic conditions and headcount/budget planning of the individual firm also matter significantly in these decisions - but they are not within your control.

Best