Referrals - McKinsey & Co

Hi there,

1) If I have more than one referral ( with different roles ), should I include both of them in my application or use the one in with a higher position?

If you mean the online application, normally you should have a slot for just one person. If that’s the case, I would keep the one in the higher position.

The second person can still drop your name to HR and provide an “unofficial” referral.

2) Can ex-employees of the company be used as a referral?

Normally no. You need a current consultant to refer you. However I know cases where a former partner “unofficially” referred someone by forwarding the CV to HR.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there, 

I would recommend you use either the most senior one or the one from the person that knows you the best (the most personal one). 

External referrals can work depending on the company, but it's always best to get the referral from somebody who is inside the firm and at a seniority level that is at least as high as the one that you're applying for. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Ex employees cnanot referral officially (though they can get you to the recruiter and/or partner which is an unofficial referral).

The system allows for 1 referral….so, pick your highest one!

After applying, inform the second person and ask if they could maybe put in a good word with the recruiter or keep track for you (word it better than this, of course)

Hi, great question about referrals! From my experience as a recruiting lead and interviewer at McKinsey, additional referrals (>1) do not make your profile stronger; what makes your profile stronger is the quality of the referral. Unfortunately, our portal did not allow for ex-employees to make referrals (unless they have strong connections with your direct recruiter and are willing to email them, but I have yet to see this happen). 

For example, you are better off with 1 very strong referral from a partner than 5 very weak referrals from analysts. 

What makes a strong referral?

• McKinsey referrals are made through our internal referral board. Once the employee submits the referral, the applicant will be invited to apply; any referral made outside this portal runs the risk of not being considered by the recruiter because this is our “official” pathway for you to be flagged with a positive referral. 
• Employees have the option to write a few lines for why they are referring the candidate. When you are offered a referral, it is recommended that you ask the employee to include certain characteristics you'd like them to highlight for why you are a strong candidate.
• When receiving a referral, DO NOT apply to the position before you receive the invitation to apply from the official referral portal! If you do, the same risk runs that you might not receive the referral attached to your application.

Dear,

McKinsey has been using an internal platform for a while now that allows its employees to make referral submissions. Specifically, the referral enters the CV of the aspiring consultant, highlighting how she/he met her/him and what kind of relationship she/he has with this person.

The rule is one referral for one application. What I would suggest, however, in case of multiple possible referrals is investigating with them (those who have not made the referral) whether they are willing to email the Recruiters to reinforce your application, highlighting why they think you could be a good fit with the Firm. It's a no-regret move.

In general, a referral from a more senior person is more effective. So, if the choice is between a Business Analyst and a Partner, it’s a no-brainer.

From my experience, having had the opportunity to network with consultants before sending the application is a great way to understand the Firm's culture and attitude in advance. The people you interact with could easily be your team members in the future! It’s one of the most powerful ways to understand if there is a good fit with the firm and if "sparks are flying." Make sure to point this out in your cover letter!

To conclude, former employees cannot access the above-mentioned portal (but they can always email their former Recruiter colleagues if they intend to) ;)

I hope it was helpful! Feel free to contact me to talk more about it.

Only one. Ideally the one with higher ranking, unless the other one knows you much better. You can mention both on your cover letter.

Ex-employees are usually not a source of referral. But once again, can be mentioned in the cover letter.

Hello,

Congrats on getting not one, but multiple referrals! 

Typically it's one referral per application, and you should go with the more senior person. As others here have suggested, the more junior person could then provide an ‘informal’ referral by talking to HR.

Unfortunately ex-employees aren't eligible to provide referrals.