Do referrals stick to successive applications?

Question

Meaning, can HR see that so-and-so supported your application last time around, as use it as a data-point when considering interview invitations.

I’m talking about both direct referrals through the portal, and indirect referrals where a partner sends your CV to HR directly.

Also, is there any benefit in aiming to get a second referral from the same person when they already referred you last time?

Answer 1

Hi there,

It depends on the geography / office.

Some offices maintain quite good databases and they can see this kind of stuff. But most offices don't and just check whether you've applied and were rejected within the last year. They don't track much else.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 2

Hi there,

1) Do referrals stick to successive applications?

There might be differences depending on the company, but if you are planning to apply the second time I would recommend to look for a new referral.

2) Also, is there any benefit in aiming to get a second referral from the same person when they already referred you last time?

I would look for a different one and revert to the old one just in case you cannot find any other.

Best,
Francesco

Answer 3

Hello A,

It's possible that the fact that someone supported your application in a previous round could be seen by HR and but I don't think it will be considered in future applications.

As for whether there's any benefit in getting a second referral from the same person when you re-apply, I would say: yes definitely. Because as I mentioned above, the referrals you got the first time, do not play any role when you re-apply.

Best of luck!

Answer 4

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

First of all, whether this information would be stored or not, which would depend on the specific strategy consulting company, I would highly advise you to obtain a new referral whenever you reapply.
Moreover, I do not see any upside - but also no downside - in asking the same person again for a referral.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 5

Hello,

I imagine this varies by firm/office, but in general I agree with Victoria. If you are reapplying, I would reach out to whoever referred you the first time round to re-submit the referral, both directly and indirectly. Best to cover all your bases because this can really improve your chances of getting an interview!

Answer 6

Hi,

in my experience it only matters for the active recruiting cycle. So a referral is not automatically recycled because it also essentially reflects a moment in time.

Going forward, you have to showcase to someone that you have further grown and developed and you still have the potential to be a good fit for their firm.

Whether to use the same person or a different person for a second referral would also depend on how the rest of the application process went after the referral was submitted.

If you didn't even make it to the interview stage, then the referral must not have carried a lot of weight so try someone else.

In case you made it to the interviews but did not impress the interviewers enough, you would have to first convince the person who gave you the initial referral to even give you another one. There is always an internal reputational risk involved when referring candidates.

Good luck

Answer 7

Hi there,

If you apply again, please make sure you apply with a new referral. It will not be kept.