Is hiring at MBB picking up?

Question

I am currently employed at a T2 consulting firm in NY and have over a year of experience. I saw a posting today on LinkedIn for the Business Analyst position at McKinsey (the first I've seen in a while).

Is MBB starting to recruit more laterals who are 1-2 years out of school? And what is the general sentiment at BCG, McKinsey, and Bain like about what the recruiting scene will be like in 2025? Any insights?

Answer 1

Hi there,

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

First of all, based on the experience of my coachees, it seems that consulting firms are hiring more people again.
Moreover, nobody knows for certain the general sentiment for the coming year, most likely not even the consulting firms themselves.
Lastly, since you are eventually asking about your individual situation, I would highly advise you to reach out to the recruiters of your target consulting firms and inquire about exactly that, as only they know for certain.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

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

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Yes, it is picking up, except maybe in the Middle East, where it is still very slow (this is normal, it was the last region to cut significantly on hiring, and also the consulting demand only dropped more significantly this year).

But what you are asking really is about experienced hires. Capacity management works like this: first you cut freelancers, then you cut experienced hires, then new graduate hires.

When reverting the cycle, it goes the opposite way: first you pick up on new graduates, then experienced hires, then freelancers.

Of course, exceptions exist, particularly if recruiting was really slow for a few years and your hierarchical pyramid is dysfunctional. I doubt this is the case - two years ago recruiting was at an all time high.

So, to answer your question - recruiting is picking up, fut unfortunately I don't think this will lead to significant demand of experienced hires right now. I would expect shortages of consultants in 2026 (particularly dramatic at the Manager level, but also relevant and the pre-MBA experienced candidates)

Answer 3

Hi there,

It is definitely picking up across most geographies, some more than others. The Middle East is currently slower than many of the other regions.

2025 should be a good year - hoping for no black swan again…

Cheers,

Florian