HiDoes anyone know for ure if the above mentioned companies run referral schemes and if employees are compensated for referrals? Specifically, in UK / Europe?thanks very much for your advice.cheers.

anybody? please help guys!

Someone asked this question recently if you look in thread 27224

nobody seems to want to share any honest advice on this forum. It is a waste of time.

The question was answered in a previous thread. Having worked at none of the companies mentioned, I can still say with a fair degree of confidence that:1. All 3 will run referral schemes (as do almost all medium and large consultancies)2. The referral scheme will only apply to experienced hires, not to graduates3. You stand a marginally better chance of getting a first interview if you've been referred - but generally only if there is an open position matching your skills.

Thank you for your feedback. I was referred to banks in London as a campus candidate, and was wondering why such a similar scheme would not exist for consults? Any recruiters or insiders who can clarify? thanks very much

Probably because consultancies do not recruit heavily at graduate level, because they are oversubscribed, and because it is not expensive to recruit graduates.Consultancies pay referral fees to save on headhunter fees. Since consultancies generally do not use headhunters at graduate level, there is little incentive to pay for what they're essentially getting for free from the open market.

The nature of banks is also such that they have to pay nominal "rewards" for everything, from hiring recommendations to washing your hands after you go to the toilet, before anyone will do them. The value of a recommendation in banking is no more than that in consulting.You can always recommend hires at the graduate level, but they'll have to go through the same process as any other candidate so there's not much incentive.

thanks to all those that answered. But, I am still unsure as to whether I should go all out and ASK for a referral? I mean, I've done the networking and schmoozing in a particular company, asked people for their feedback on my CV and my chances at their firm; and they said my accomplishments were notheworthy and that I should stand a good chance. However, given the fact that at a particular firm, only 1% CVs pass the HR screening; should I bite the bullet and politely ask the person I find to be most responsive if the company operates a referral scheme and if they would be willing to refer me? Even if theres no referral scheme, could I ask them to recommend me based on the fact that they said my credentials were good (although they have met me only once)? Or should I wait and pray that they do recommend me on their own (what I found at banks was that even for grad programs, the HR does ask the team to name a few candidates they were impressed by and a few they didnot like at all). Thus, even without a formal referral; a reco from an insider could mean the difference between being invited for interview or not. I know ofcourse, that I will have to go through the tests and the 4-5 rounds of interviews, but atleast this way I would have a shot at it. What do you say? Should I ask or should I wait and pray and hope that they take the hint? Have any one of you actually gone and ASKED someone you met at a networking event or someone you don't know too well, for a referral??Please help. Must decide soon.

Ditto to my response in thread 27224.It would be better etiquette to confine your discussion to one thread rather than double-posting across threads.