First round interview no answer

Hi!

No, don't assume that.

Sometimes it just takes a while. 

The recruiters give you the typical timeline, but it doesn't apply in all cases.

The reason why you haven't heard by now is because the interviewers haven't yet gotten to connect and make a decision regarding your profile. It doesn't reflect on you. It just reflects on them being busy. 

So sit tight and wait.

If you want to keep yourself busy, start sending you applications to other firms.

Good luck!
Cristian

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Hi there,

If you were rejected, you would have already received a rejection call. Decision time delays usually come when there are challenges aligning interviewers' agendas for decision calls.

You can check how the recruiting process works from an internal McKinsey perspective here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/mbb-hiring-hacks-behind-the-curtain-secrets

Best,

Alberto

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When I interviewed at McKinsey it took an entire week for me to receive the good news! Turns out, the senior partner who interviewed me was back-to-back and they were unable to have their decision meeting until the following week. 

Good luck my friend! 

McKinsey is pretty good at letting you know if you are moving forward or not. If they have not informed it is most likely because there is no decision yet.

Howdy,

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a frustrating (and stressful) situation to be in. 

I wouldn't second guess the outcome. Its fine to call the recruiting team, given they said it would be 3 days and its been a week. Most likely its a case of whoever performed the interview is busy on a case and hasn't uploaded the outcome into the internal management system. By calling the recruiting team, that person will get a friendly prod to upload the result and things will move swiftly.

By the way, I used to run Bain's recruiting for my local office and this stuff happens all the time. Folks are busy, they have conflicting priorities so they leave it till Friday to do it then whoopsie, its the weekend. So don't stress!

Fingers cross for a positive result for you,

Brad

Hi there,

You should always “assume" that you have been rejected. Meaning, never hang all your hopes and dreams on 1 firm - keep networking and keep applying to others.

That said, you have absolutely not been rejected yet. 1 week delay is not a cause for concern and you might still be moved to the next round (I rarely see them meet their self-imposed targets).

Chin up, it's not over yet. But, hope for the best and plan for the worst (keep applying + interviewing elsewhere!)

1 or even 2 week answer timeline is ok.

It's best to give it a bit more time before assuming rejection. Delays can happen for various reasons. Stay positive and continue exploring other opportunities. Reach out to the recruiter for an update if needed. Good luck!

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your negative experience with McKinsey thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, it's important not to jump to conclusions. Delays in feedback can happen for various reasons like scheduling conflicts, and they don't necessarily imply a negative outcome.
• Moreover, I would advise you to follow up with the recruiter. A polite email reiterating your interest in the position and inquiring about the status of your application is entirely appropriate after the time frame they provided has passed.
• Lastly, while waiting, continue preparing for potential next steps or other opportunities. This way, you're not losing momentum and are ready for whatever outcome.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Q: I interviewed with Mckinsey (first round) on Thursday and till today no answer. Should I just assume that I've been rejected?

The delay doesn't necessarily mean you have been rejected. There could be multiple reasons why the interviewers have not decided yet, unrelated to your performance. I helped a few candidates who got an offer after one week.

The time to hear back also depends on the region and company. In the Middle East, for example, some companies tend to be quite slow to communicate results also in case of a positive outcome.

Having said that, if you don’t hear back after one week, usually it’s not a great sign.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi, did they eventually communicate the outcome/feedback? Did you receive a call from them?

Hi there,

there could always be scheduling conflicts between HR and the interviewers so that the final debrief gets delayed. In that case, nothing will get communicated to candidates before the internal alignment has happened.

Fingers crossed that you will get positive news.

Hi,

As they say - it's not over till it's over. The process could be delayed for various reasons, and you'll never know why.

You can only wait till you hear the actual decision!

Don't assume you were rejected. If a decision had been made, you would know by now. They're wouldn't be afraid to tell you that you were rejected if that was the case :)

Sometimes it just takes longer. They gave you the “regular time”, but very often it takes longer.

Hi,

You never know what's happening behind the scene, maybe HR are busy or on holidays so do not assume anything. Juste wait.

Cheers,