Do Bain Drug Test? Revealed!

Got a job or interview coming up at Bain, and are worried if they drug test!? The wise choice would be to stop taking whatever you are doing now and flush it out of your system. But does Bain drug test?

According to numerous Bain employees and ex-employees, Bain does not drug test as part of their pre-employment screening. However, the clients they work with may occasionally ask for employees to be drug tested before embarking on a project.

It makes sense to stop taking any recreational drugs before you begin work as a consultant for a myriad of reasons.

The slight chance of a drug test at Bain should be more than enough to get you to stop.

In this post, I’ll take a look at:

• Bain’s normal procedure with drug-testing employees
• How Bain’s pre-employment screening works
• The times you may possibly be required to take a drugs test while working at Bain

Do Bain Drug Test Their Employees

There seems to be no evidence that Bain would ever drug-test their employees. This certainly does not happen in either the United States or the United Kingdom.

There is significant evidence from Bain employees and ex-employees from online forums and the like that drug testing is not a part of Bain’s pre-employment screening, or has any other function in their operations.

However, it should be said that Bain has 65 offices in around 39 countries around the globe. (Source) It is impossible to rule out the possibility that any of those branches drug test (though there is no evidence that they do that I can find).

What Bain Consultants Say?

I’m a huge consultancy forum geek, and I’ve seen lots of threads regularly about drug testing in management consultancy firms over the last few years.

Both Bain and ex-Bain employees say similar things:

Namely, that drug testing is not part of the pre-employment screening, but they have heard of employees being drug tested in the past at the request of a client.

For example, a user on Reddit states ‘Friends of mine who work at Bain/Boston/McKinsey all have said that it depends on the clients you are working with. Some clients will require testing. As a firm, they do not.’

But what kind of client might require drug testing? Let’s take a look…

Drug Testing May Be Required At Bain On Occasion

So, you’re unlucky enough to be asked for a drug test. Why would this happen?

The reason seems to be when an employee is about to start a project with a specific company that requires it as part of their policies.

These would often be one of the following types of organization:

• A scientific organization
• A medical organization, where the employee was going to be on location in medical environments
• Some government agencies and institutions

A request for a drug test would likely come at short notice, so once again – there are ample reasons not to even consider taking recreational drugs when working as a consultant!

5 Reasons Not To Take Drugs As A Consultant

Let me just go into Captain Obvious mode now for a few moments.

Why ever would you not take drugs while working as a consultant? Well, as you can imagine, there are lots of reasons, and here are five of the most obvious ones:

1. Professional Reputation

If an employee is caught taking drugs, that could do considerable damage to the organization, the branch, and the employee. Finding jobs after such an incident could then be challenging.

2. Legal Issues

Captain Obvious time again. Drugs are illegal! If you are found taking them you could face criminal charges and legal penalties, including incarceration. Don’t do it!

3. Job Performance

Being a consultant is hard enough at the best of times. You don’t really want to be taking recreational drugs, and impairing your judgment and cognitive abilities at all.

4. Physical and Mental Health

There is significant research about the health impacts of drugs both from a physical and mental health angle. (Source)

5. Ethical Considerations

Drug-taking is immoral and against professional standards. They are viewed as unethical by clients and consultancy firms.

What Does Bain Include In Their Pre-Employment Screening?

Bain is one of the most prestigious consultancy companies that exist. Despite being much smaller than the ‘Big 4’, Bain is a much more focused and specialized consultancy organization, held in esteem within the industry.

Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to be as scrupulous as possible in their pre-employment screening and checks.

I’ve shown how they don’t do drug tests, but what checks does Bain carry out? The normal checks and reasons are the following:

5 Reasons Bain Carries Out A Pre-Employment Screening?

As an organization at the very top of the consultancy industry, Bain conducts scrupulous background checks for the following five reasons:

1. Protect Their Reputation

Bain wants to be sure they are hiring the best of the best, and that employees will go forward to adhere to their culture and working practices.

2. Compliance With The Laws In Their Country

They want everything to be fully legal and legit.

3. To Verify Information

This is the biggie! They want to know that everything you have told them is true! (and not a pack of porkies).

4. To Ensure The Safety Of Current Employees

It is important for existing employees that they’re not bringing in new people that could be putting them at risk (in whatever way).

5. To Assess An Applicant’s Character

Although there is only so much you can verify from background checks, Bain will at least want to verify that any factual information you have asserted about your character during the interview process is true.

Looking To Apply For Bain?

There are many appeals to working for Bain.

They include:

1. A competitive compensation and benefits package
2. Opportunities for rapid professional growth. You will develop professional skills when working with such a diverse range of clients
3. The chance to work on a global scale
4. Work within a prestigious and market-leading organization

Applying to Bain is a competitive undertaking. They are looking for high standards of talent, professionalism, and character.