Seeking clarification on whether a referral from someone who has left McKinsey still counts for applications opening later.

Question

Hi all,

I received two referrals for McKinsey this year, both confirmed by Recruiting via email. Received a mail from Mck Referrals stating: "Should we have a role that matches your skills and experience, we will contact you regarding next steps". Before applications opened in my region, one of the referrers (EM/Partner level) left the firm to join another company (the person was a long term employee for about 7 years at the firm). Applications should open in another 2-3 months. The second referrer is still at McKinsey.

My questions are:

Will the referral from the person who has left still count in the system when applications open, or only the one from the current McKinsey employee?

How many referrals are logged into and saved in the applications system, and how long is a referral valid for?

Answer 1

Hi there,

When a McKinsey employee submits a referral, it’s logged in the internal recruiting system and stays attached to your profile, even if that person later leaves the firm. So your first referral will still count, as long as it was submitted and confirmed by recruiting (which it was, since you received the confirmation email).

Referrals don’t expire quickly, they typically remain valid for at least one recruiting cycle, and sometimes longer if your profile hasn’t materially changed. When you apply again, recruiters will still see both referrers’ names in your record.

In short: both referrals will stay in the system, but only the active employee can still vouch for you or provide updates if recruiting reaches out. The one from the former consultant will still show as part of your referral history and won’t be deleted.