Interview experienced hire

Question

Hello community:

I have a question about the HR no response after getting invited to interview. I am an experienced hire so my interviews need HR to schedule.

Background: network referred me to a generalist position, and HR sent me application for specific role under certain practice. I passed online test and got invitation for the official recruiting process. I asked one month as preparation time.

Timeline:

During Christmas time, I sent HR an email, and told her the interview could start after New Year Vacation. HR was on vacation during that time.
HR did not respond me for 3 weeks, and I sent follow up email this week. She is back to office but no response.
Same day I got rejection email for the generalist role, which has not been processed, and the role I am interviewed for under “in process”. The timing is coincident, so I sent email to HR same day afternoon for clarification. HR did not rely me.
The role I am interviewing is still on the LinkedIn and official website.

Any suggestion of dealing with the situation of not getting HR reply? Thank you.

-----------------------------

Guys, want to let you know, HR came back to me, and mentioned the backlog was quiet significant. My interview will start soon.

I did not ask my friends to check for me or call HR because

Friends have helped a lot for the interview prep
I would not like some one calling me without heads up
This is a good opportunity to learn to deal with uncertainty

Answer 1

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:

It's understandable that you are feeling frustrated with the lack of response from McKinsey HR after being invited to interview. However, it's important to keep in mind that the recruitment process can take longer than expected, particularly during busy periods like Christmas and New Year's. While it's important to be persistent in your follow-up efforts, it's also important to not flood the HR representative with too many emails. It's best to wait a couple of days for the dust to fall down before sending another follow-up email.
It's also a good idea to check the company's website or LinkedIn page, the role may still be available which means that the recruitment process is still ongoing. You can reach out to the HR representative and ask for clarification on the status of the role and the recruitment process. You can also consider reaching out to your network contact if you were referred by a network contact, they may be able to provide additional insights or assistance.
It's important to remember that McKinsey is a highly prestigious consulting firm, and the recruitment process is highly competitive. Even though you haven't received a response yet, it doesn't mean that you are not a strong candidate. Keep your head up and continue to pursue the opportunity. Be patient, and don't give up.

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

Answer 2

Hi there,

At this point, I would just recommend you to wait.

Recruiters often have to deal with an immense volume of applications and since most of them are just returning from the winter vacation, there's a backlog to work through. If what you're worried about is that your application got lost in the process, the probability of that is really small.

Practically speaking, give it another week and then try to find the contact of the recruiter and just call them. Aim to be as nice as possible on the phone - needless to say, most people don't like cold calling.

Aside from this, see the good in the time you were given. Put more effort into your preparation and at the same time apply to more firms.

Best of luck and hope you get to hear from them soon!
Cristian

Answer 3

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the delays. In terms of your question:

Q: Any suggestion for dealing with the situation of not getting HR reply? Thank you.

I think the best thing to do is to call HR directly if you don't hear back from them, hopefully this will help to fix things right away.

Given you sent already 3 emails, I would wait one week from the last one you sent to avoid being too pushy.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 4

Hi there,

Sounds unfortunate and not very professional…sorry to hear!

In the email from the HR, is there no phone number to call?

If yes, just give her a call.

If not, I would wait another week before sending the next email. Over this period, they are working on a huge backlog of applicants and pressuring them to reply will not make it go faster.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 5

Hi there,

Please don't stress yourself or McKinsey anymore at this point and refrain from any more messaging.

You were invited, you sent your follow-up emails, now you need to sit tight! HR is scheduling all interviews, not just for EH's, and that's a lot of work with a big backlog after the holiday season.

It's tough to wait, I know, but things have been set in motion internally for you to have a positive interview experience, soon. They will not forget nor change their mind!

Best of luck!

Moritz

Answer 6

Hi there,

I agree with the others. Wait 1 week and then call.

Always keep in mind in the future to not “hassle” too much. You're trying to get control of a situation in which you will never have any.

The way to get control is to network effectively before applying so that you have a touchpoint in the firm and someone going to bat for you.

Make sure to apply to dozens of other firms. Seriously. McKinsey odds are 5%. Of course, strive for the best, but also don't hang your future on it!

Fingers crossed for you!

Answer 7

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