Mckinsey R1 - Middle East - associate

Question

I have completed an Associate level interview with McK ME on Feb 6, and since then, there has been radio silence, and the recruiter has not replied to any of my messages. I have heard multiple bad experiences with the region; however, I do feel that I deserve an answer. What should I do ? Keep sending follow-ups to the MEO support team and the assigned recruiter, or I can escalate to the head of Middle East HR, and ask outcome, or send an email to my referral, an AP who supported me in the process.

My performance is solid, and I firmly believe that I have a good chance to advance. Much appreciated any advice !

Answer 1

I can completely understand the level of frustration here and yes you DO deserve an answer.

You will definitely hear an answer eventually but in the mean time, I would limit follow ups to a moderate cadence. Considering the interview was Feb 6th it has only been just over a week.

Yes, following up first with the AP that referred you is a great idea, maybe they can get some insight before following up with the recruitment team directly. From there, typically, you would wait ~2 weeks between follow ups.

Don't worry, the answer will come. In the mean time, ensure you're ready for Rd 2 interviews and/or continue your application journey with other firms (always nice to have multiple offers to negotiate with :) )

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Hi,

Most importantly, you have done well and you are confident. So let's trust the process! Completely understand your frustration — and having spent 7 years at McKinsey, I can share some insider perspective on what is likely going on.

Some reassurance: a delay of ~10 days after R1 is not unusual, for a few reasons:

1. Internal alignment: If one or more of the evaluating EMs / APs etc. are travelling or on a client engagement, it could take some time

2. Batch processing: Sometimes the recruiting team groups candidates and consolidates results. Your timeline may be tied to when the next decision meeting is scheduled, not to your individual performance.

What to do as a candidate

- Do NOT escalate to Head of HR. That would likely be perceived as aggressive, even if your performance was strong.

- One polite follow-up to the recruiter is fine. Keep it short, professional, and positive. Something like: "Hi [Name], I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to check in on the status of my application following my interview on Feb 6th. Happy to provide any additional information if needed. Thank you!" If you have already sent multiple messages, pause and give it a few more days.

- The AP referral is your best lever. A gentle nudge from an internal AP carries real weight. Reach out to them, let them know you are waiting on a response, and ask if they would be willing to check in with the recruiting team on your behalf.

- Be patient but set a personal deadline. If you hear nothing after 3 weeks total from your interview date, one more follow-up to the recruiter is reasonable.

I know the silence is stressful, but it is far more likely to be an operational delay than a reflection of your performance. Hang in there!

Hope that helps. Happy to connect over a session if you would like to talk through next steps or prepare for a potential R2 (as these can be quite different) :)

All the best!