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Recall for the interview at MBB

Whether there any case when a candidate could not pass the 1st round but is given the second chance when the firm cannot find better candidates? 

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Top answer
Dennis
Coach
on Apr 13, 2024
Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe

Hi there,

I have not heard of that happening. 

A candidate who does not pass the first round can reapply after the 12-18 months ban period and might get invited again if they were able to add relevant new experiences to their CV.

MBB and Tier 2 have no shortage of applicants though. There is a less than 5% chance to even get an offer in terms of applications to offer ratio. So if these firms do not let someone pass at any round of the recruiting process, this means that they ultimately do not believe that this person would be someone they “currently” needed on their team. They will just give other candidates the chance to impress.

Hope that helps

Udayan
Coach
on Apr 13, 2024
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /12 years recruiting experience

I cannot ever recall that happening. It's possible that hr can make a mistake but I've only heard of the opposite where they have accidentally said someone passed when they didn't and even then the mistake was corrected almost immediately. 

At the end of the day there are so many strong candidates applying to mbb that they are spoilt for choice

on Apr 13, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

‘When the firm cannot find better candidates’ is not an actual problem that top consulting firms have :)

Bear in mind that MBBs have an acceptance rate of 1-5%, which means that there are plenty of amazing candidates to choose from. 

So, no, if you don't pass the first round, that's game over for that year. You can apply again the year after. 

Best,
Cristian

on Apr 14, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Q: Any case when a candidate could not pass the 1st round but is given the second chance when the firm cannot find better candidates? 

I never heard of this case. The only case I heard of when they recalled a candidate is after a final if they explicitly mentioned the candidate was on a waiting list. 

Additionally, in some cases they might offer an extra interview after a round if the interviewers are not aligned on whether it should be a pass or not. However, this is different from being rejected and being recalled.

Good luck!

Francesco

Pedro
Coach
on Apr 14, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Private Equity | Market Estimates | Fit Interview

No:

  1. This is a theoretical question. They always have candidates with good performances reaching the final round. So, in practice, this is not realistic. And in the current recruiting scene, even more so.
  2. Even if this was a realistic scenario… If they didn't have many candidates and your performance was above their minimum “bar level" you would have passed. Not passing means one is not performing at their expected level in that interview round.
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