McKinsey recruitment: everything you need to know

In the consulting world, McKinsey is considered one of the best firms in the world, along with BCG and Bain. In France, recruitment at Mckinsey concerns the Paris and Lyon offices. Here is all the useful information to get started in consulting, through the front door.

What is the advice?

Currently, the council is on the rise among students and graduates of the Grandes Ecoles. It tends to supplant audit and now appears as THE sector to include on your CV to see many doors opened during your career.

Consulting companies, also called consulting firms, are companies that sell services to businesses: consultants, employed by the firms, intervene occasionally with client companies to support them and provide them with expertise.

Missions to clients are of variable duration and geometry: a team of consultants can be made up of just one person, or of 10 employees. Likewise, consultants can only intervene for a few days, or conversely stay for a year with the client, depending on the problem encountered and its complexity.

Consultants use their knowledge and skills to provide a solution to clients, adopting a different point of view and an outside perspective. As experts, they are often specialized in a specific field, as there are several types of consulting assignments:

Strategy consulting: the queen discipline of consulting, strategy consulting, as its name indicates, aims to support the managers, or decision-makers, of a company, in their strategy to adopt. These missions are reserved for a handful of actors.
Management consulting: more restricted, these missions concern the support functions of companies. The objective is to advise the company on the appropriate management method, according to its needs and its mode of operation.
Operational consulting: these consulting missions concern fairly specific areas, such as IT, marketing or sustainable development.

The term “consulting”, in general, refers to the first two areas, and leaves aside operational consulting.

History of McKinsey

The consulting firm McKinsey was founded in Chicago in the United States in 1926 by James McKinsey, an accounting professor. The project came to him while observing certain defects in the logistics of the American army. He thus had the idea of using accounting and statistical tools to help companies and advise them in their operational and strategic approaches. The founding of McKinsey is part of a movement to professionalize business management, illustrated by the expansion of Masters in Business Administration (MBA). McKinsey was based on the following certainty: detailed analysis of quantitative data can only improve the management and strategic expansion of organizations with complex activities. This analysis is indeed clearer and closer to reality.

In 1929, McKinsey joined forces with Tom Kearney and Marvin Bower. Following this new alliance, the consulting group is opening a new office in New York. The firm is growing and forging new links with different companies that it is trying to build long-term loyalty. However, strategic disagreements arose between Kearney and Bower. The first wants to keep the Chicago office while the second is more in favor of opening new offices throughout the United States.

The year 1939 marked the separation of Kearney from the other offices. He dedicated his career to the creation of his firm AT Kearney. However, he will remain associated with his former company for many years. In 1937, McKinsey died. It was Bower who managed the company until 1967. His ambition was to make his firm an attractive firm capable of attracting the most talented profiles. He is in fact certain that the answers to the major problems facing businesses lie in a warm working atmosphere led by teams of experts from varied backgrounds but all endowed with extraordinary intelligence.

From consultant to Associate Director: progression within a McKinsey firm

McKinsey invests heavily in training to improve the skills of its employees. Various workshops are set up by the firm, to which consultants are invited, this is also taken into account in the development process within the company:

Initially consultants, employees at McKinsey begin by being integrated into a team, in charge of one or more missions. This does not mean that the employee is not in direct contact with the client: each new recruit will be required to work on behalf of large companies, NGOs, organizations, etc. having problems to analyze and resolve.

Depending on the experience acquired and the skills developed, a consultant climbs several levels before taking on the role of Project Manager. The latter works jointly with the consultant teams and supervises the mission. This position requires a minimum of 3 years of experience at McKinsey.

From 5 years of seniority at McKinsey, it is possible to become Project Director. It is also possible to be recruited by McKinsey directly to this position based on your past professional experience. The Project Director must supervise different missions in parallel. He is the client’s preferred contact to discuss new perspectives, mission results, etc. with him.

Finally, the last level at McKinsey is that of Associate Director (or Senior Associate Director), after at least 7 years spent within the company. Beyond in-depth expertise, both functional and sectoral, developed over the years, the Associate Director is able to decide on the best guidelines to adopt, to guarantee good long-term results.

What salary should you expect when applying to McKinsey?

As in all consulting firms, salaries are comfortable. At McKinsey, they are even very comfortable. This is justified first of all by the recruitment of high-level profiles, possessing highly valued qualities and knowledge, but also a sustained pace of work, on the part of all employees.

A candidate can expect to receive a fixed salary between 45,000 and 60,000 euros. The annual salary will be accompanied by a significant variable portion. Over the years, the salary evolves, as do the responsibilities of the employee. A profile with more than 8 years of experience can claim a very high salary, of more than 100,000 euros, accompanied by a significant variable.

What is the ideal recruitment profile at McKinsey?

Jobs at McKinsey

Beyond consulting, different profiles are recruited, with the aim of always providing the best services to customers.

Many positions are available on the McKinsey corporate site, in the sectors of data analysis, research, digital, design, etc. And, like any large company, McKinsey also has needs in support functions: Human Resources, Finance and Accounting, Marketing and Communication, etc.

How to find the position suited to your profile?

For those who do not yet know which position to choose, Mckinsey has set up a testto define which specialties match their profile and interests.

It is also possible to find several backgrounds of McKinsey employeesto find out more about their studies, the positions they have previously held, and their specialization.

What profile to maximize your chances of recruitment within McKinsey?

For its recruitment, McKinsey is on the lookout for graduates from Grandes Ecoles, whether in management or engineers. The firm is also sensitive to candidates who have completed a recognized MBA.

Recruiters will pay attention to past experiences, particularly if they demonstrate expertise in a key area, useful in consulting. This is how McKinsey sometimes recruits more atypical profiles, such as doctors, senior civil servants or candidates with knowledge in the legal field.

But knowledge is not everything! To be recruited within McKinsey, it is also recommended to have certain soft skills:

An ability to solve problems, which includes both in-depth analysis, but also rigor, reflection, creativity, etc.
Very good interpersonal skills, in order to be able to maintain long-term relationships of trust.
Leadership, agility, tenacity, and many other skills are also appreciated.

We have listed according to a certain methodology the schools from which McKinsey employees come:

Top 10 schools and universities to join McKinsey

Doing an internship at McKinsey: is it possible?

It is entirely possible to apply as an intern at McKinsey and join the firm before completing your studies. The selection is very rigorous but in many cases this allows you to have a permanent offer at the end of your internship.

The recruitment process at McKinsey

As a very good consulting firm, McKinsey has implemented a demanding recruitment process: three stages, all containing one or more interviews.

These interviews last approximately one hour and consist of three phases. McKinsey will first look at the motivations and background of the candidates, an essential step during recruitment. Then comes the case study, to check whether the candidate is able to analyze a situation and provide a solution, but also, more generally, to meet the requirements and expectations of the missions which will be entrusted to him. And finally, in the last part of the interview, time will be devoted to an exchange between the recruiter and the candidate, who will then be able to ask questions about McKinsey.

Depending on the position targeted, certain additional tests may be requested by the firm.

Prepare for interviews

To help candidates give their best and show themselves in the best light, McKinsey has developed a practical guide to preparing for interviews.

The five videos give an overview of what awaits candidates on the big day, while providing advice to keep in mind to please recruiters.

Case studies used during recruitment at McKinsey

On its corporate site, McKinsey provides 4 examples of case studies, with their corrections, in order to give candidates the opportunity to practice and judge their level.