Hello, I had an interview with the McKinsey's Senior HR recruiter who was very unprofessional and now I'm repulsed!!

Question

Everyone talks about the professionalism of McKinsey and yet the senior recruiter (digital+analytics) was nothing close to that! first of all she sent me an e-mail to have a chat on monday without specifying a time, thus I ended up on my nerves all day monday till around 2:30 pm where she sends me an apology e-mail with a time for a zoom meeting set yesterday and a typo. In the zoom meeting it was like she DIDNT EVEN BOTHER READING MY CV!! she acted surprised with my background and experience and said she was looking more towards technical roles. like solution architect and entreprise architect ( which are totaly unrelated to my background and you can easily tell SPECIALY IF YOU'RE A RECRUITER). The zoom meeting (whyich I missed work for) lasted 10 minutes and she ended up telling me to apply online to find a more suitable role :) Honestly I'm not even sure I want to work there anymore.

Answer 1

Hi,

I'm sorry but are you here to vent and gain sympathy or to inform others?

For those on this site recruiting, let's use the above as an example for how not to prepare for consulting :)

1) It sounds like you view yourself as the centre of the universe, which, if you want to work in a high-stakes place like McKinsey, is an attitude you need to drop!

2) You shouldn't be judging a company based on just one person (perhaps she is really bad, I wasn't there, but this one situation should not put you off from such a reputable company). This is anectodal...you need to look at the facts/the whole

3) You are not her top priority - she will be getting dozens of emails DAILY from candidates desperate to be invited in. You accomodate her, not the other way around. As you would have to do for Partners, Clients, etc.

4) Not sure you should complain about her typos given the text above (specialy, didnt, "I ended up on my nerves", whych)

5) I think it's a problem that her simply not including a time got on your nerves - I fear for your first client interaction

6) It sounds like you didn't do the research about what roles work for you before speaking to her. She's not there to baby walk you through the process

______________________________________________________________________

In summary, to thrive during recruiting, interviewing, and on the job:

1) Count yourself lucky to be there

2) Look at a problem based on the whole, not small anecdotes

3) Put others before yourself

4) Have attention to detail (typos on final slides will kill you)

5) Brush off the little (and the big) things - always keep your cool, especially with clients

6) Drive your own case/project forward and do your own research...you own your own module

Answer 2

Hi there,

if I understood correctly, the recruiter:

Mentioned you would have talked on Monday but did not specify the exact time
Postponed the meeting to Tuesday last minute
Did not read your CV before the call

I agree the approach was not an ideal one, however, you should not judge the whole company for that.

Also, similar and worse situations may happen with both managers and clients during the job and you should be able to deal with it – if that’s not the case, you may want to reconsider if consulting is the right fit for you.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 3

While the HR might not have done a perfect job here, you need to reflect on yourself too.

She sent email to chat on Monday without specifying a time >> Why wouldn't you be more proactive and propose a time to her, and then follow up to make sure you guys agree on a timing?
Last min change in timing >> That's not uncommon request from senior people. Don't be petty about it, be more adaptive.
Mismatch of role and background >> How come you didn't know before the interview that the role might not be suitable for you? Did you do your homework right?

Take your fair share of responsibility as well.

Regards,

Emily

Answer 4

Hi!

This does not sound like a good experience, and it reflects poorly on the Firm.

That being said - please get yourself together and stop radiating this sense of entitlement! These are very chaotic times, and the kind of egocentricity that you are showing here is a very pronounced warning signal that a business where you are serving clients and will be oftentimes treated in a much more infuriating way than what you described, might not at all be the right profession for you.

Cheers, Sidi

Answer 5

Hello!

This doesn´t sound like McKinsey at all.

I would report it.

It´s not going to change the outcome most likely, but at least, you will prevent this from happening to another candidate.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 6

Hi,

I think with so many emotions it will be hard for you to work in consulting

Best

Answer 7

Dear A,

I would always recommend you to listen to your heart. If there's no go for you and McKinsey, there are lots of other companies, where you can find a job.

Good luck,

André

Answer 8

Don't use an exclamation point to convey your message. It's a sign of weakness.

Answer 9

I am seriously puzzled and baffled at the same time at the amount of negativity towards the OP.

Answer 10

Hi Anonymous,

I will try to separate emotions from the fact - about the first aspect I cannot argue, for the second I can at least give you my perception based on your summary.

Not entirely sure if I got it fully right, but it all started with a non-specified time-slot ("Monday"). Indeed strange, but you could have answered by clarifying the time (not saying it's your fault, but for mis-alignment it takes 2 persons).

Postponing it in the last minute - not professional, also in currently turbulent times. But things happen, and I'd assume you would also postpone in the last second if you are called by your CEO for an unexpected meeting.

Not understanding your CV - that's the only thing I'd say which bothers me. No excuse for that.

Summary from my outside observer role: While point1 is debatable, point 2 is sometimes unavoidable, point 3 definitely unprofessional and not expected at McKinsey like that.

It's understandable that such an encounter forms a particular picture, but I still would try to zoom out a bit and focussing on the consulting aspect (since HR is the least concern after being hired).

Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert