Associate referral with low tenure

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, I do not think contemplating whether it is appropriate to allow consultants with such little tenure to provide referrals is meaningful at this point. Moreover, unless you have a better alternative to this referral, I would advise you to be happy to have one at all.
• Still, generally speaking, the more senior the person providing the referral, the stronger the referral. Therefore, I would highly advise you to focus on partners, associate partners, and project leaders in the first place.
• Lastly, reaching out to lower-level consultants can still be meaningful, especially to gain authentic insights into the company and the day-to-day life of your (potential) future role.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

any referral is better than a regular application because you make sure it lands in the right hands and gets the proper attention. 

If you know a more senior person that you can give you application right now, do that. Otherwise do it through your Associate contact. It will still increase your chances for an interview significantly.

/Marvin

So a referral is helpful to make sure that the recruiting team see your CV. Beyond that, unless it comes from a very senior partner who is actively routing for you, it won't help you to get through the CV screen. 

Therefore it's great to have someone who will pass your CV along, and the tenure won't matter as the recruiting team will be glad to have a CV flagged. I wouldn't waste time trying to network to get a more senior referral - it's unlikely to result in one and can annoy people who get a lot of messages from people basically trying to line themselves up to get referred. 

Hi,

in principal, any consultant who has been with the firm for a few months can refer a candidate. Many companies also have incentive programs such as “hire a friend” where employees get a monetary reward if a referral leads to hiring a candidate.

From a candidate perspective, your chances will be higher if you get a referral from some more senior (project manager and above) and with a longer tenure in the company (2+ years). Such individuals have a more established standing in the firm and their opinion carries more weight.

On the flipside, any referral is still better than no referral. So if this is the only one you can get, go for it. If you have some lead time left to try other avenues to get someone more senior, it's certainly worth trying.

Best of luck

Anyone who works in the firm can refer you - its just a referral system online. However those from more tenured people (especially partners) count for a lot more.

Hi there, 

Yes, it works, don't worry about it. 

It's a great opportunity if somebody offered you a referral so don't let it go to waste.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

You're overcomplicating this.

1) If you can get a higher tenured referral, do so.

2) If you can't, use his

It's really that simple!

A referral (any referral) is great! A higher referral is even better.

All Associates are relatively low tenure and so I wouldn't overthink it.  Beyond seniority, the consultant's trust and involvement with recruiting is often more important. For example, an EM who is an active interviewer will often have as much sway as a ‘random’ partner.

Yes, it is normal. In fact, most referrals come from recently hired associates.