Getting a job at LEK is tough! Their acceptance rate, like that of most consulting firms, shows the level of competition, and the high standard that they require.
But what is the LEK acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at L.E.K consulting is not publicly available. However, I did some research and found that the rate is estimated at around 11-12.6% per year. This means the competition for positions within the firm is notably fierce, like other consulting firms.
In this article, I’ll reveal:
- The L.E.K acceptance rate stats
- The factors that contribute to the acceptance rate
- An insight into how their recruiting team works
Table of Contents
About L.E.K Consulting
L.E.K is a global management consulting firm founded in 1983 by three partners from Bain & Company based in London and Boston. (Source)
It provides different services to its clients, including:
- Education consulting
- Energy and Environment
- Health Care Services consulting
- Life Science consulting
- Business and financial services
- Media and Entertainment consulting
- Travel, transport, and logistics
- MedTech and other technology services (Source)
Here’s the table that shows revenue, ranking, and other details about L.E.K consulting.
| Revenue | USD 800 Million |
| Global Ranking | Ranked among the top 10 best companies to work for |
| Total Offices | 21 countries and territories |
(Source)
L.E.K Consulting Acceptance Rate
The L.E.K acceptance rate is not publicly available – but many professionals generally consider it a challenging and selective process.
As one of the leading firms, it maintains a reputation for attracting only top-tier talent and has exceptionally high standards for recruiting new talent.
Although I could not find any information online, in speaking with fellow professionals, (and having done some of my calculations) I estimate that the acceptance rate stats at L.E.K might be around 11- 12.6%.
To figure this out, I used the percentage formula given below:
Acceptance Rate %: Number of New Hires x 100/Total Employees
I calculated the acceptance rate for 2021, 2022, and 2023 and then used the average formula to get the final result. Here’s how I did this:
Acceptance rate % for 2021: 200 x 100 / 1,600 = 12.5 %
Acceptance rate % for 2022: 200 x 100 / 1,800 = 11.11 %
Rate for 2023: 300 x 100 / 2,100 = 14.285 %
Average Acceptance Rate: 12.5 + 11.11 + 14.286 / 3 = 12.6%
These stats show the average L.E.K acceptance rate, suggesting it might fall within the 11% to 12.6% range.
Factors Affecting The Acceptance Rate At L.E.K Consulting
The acceptance rate at L.E.K Consulting is affected by many factors determining the competitiveness of securing a job there.
Understanding these factors can give you insights into why the firm’s selection process is considered tough and rigorous.
1. High Demand
The demand for hiring new candidates at L.E.K Consulting stands as a defining factor in shaping its acceptance rate.
I have observed that if the firm needs more professionals for specific roles, it recruits more applicants. This is evident in 2023 when it hired 300 new candidates.
This is probably not rocket science – if they have vacancies in a particular department, they fill them up.
2. Qualification of the Candidates
L.E.K Consulting values candidates who have exceptional academic performance throughout their educational journey. (Source)
Professionals with consistently high grades, academic honors, and achievements stand out in the hiring process, which increases the chances of getting their name on the list of accepted candidates.
Apart from that, the firm prefers those candidates who have an MBA degree for consultant-level posts and a Ph.D. for the Ph.D. Analyst or Life Science Analysts, etc. (Source)
Interestingly, in the UK, the company usually hires graduates from Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial College, LSE, Warwick, Cambridge, Oxford, and King’s. (Source)
3. Skills and Expertise
The firm expects the prospective applicants to possess a combination of competencies that aligns with its demanding standards.
Here are the essential skills and expertise L.E.K look for in any individual that can potentially affect its acceptance rate:
- 4-6+ years of relevant work experience.
- Familiarity with the Private Equity industry or other corporate experience.
- Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative analytical analysis to solve challenging business problems.
- Proven expertise in strategy consulting.
- Experience in mentoring and coaching individuals across various dimensions.
- Teamwork, leadership, and strong communication skills.
- Excel skills and numerical literacy.
- Proficiency in project management
- English language fluency, along with European languages.
(Source)
4. Performance During Interview
The interview stage at L.E.K Consulting assesses the suitability of the candidates and can significantly affect the acceptance rate.
This stage serves as a comprehensive evaluation of:
- Cognitive abilities
- Interpersonal skills
- Adaptability to challenging situations.
The firm places a premium on how candidates approach problems over specific conclusions they draw.
Thus, if you have the ability to reason logically, construct sound arguments, and articulate your viewpoints effectively, it adds weight to your profile.
The interviews at L.E.K Consulting can be intense, mirroring the pressure consultants face daily. Therefore, to increase your chances of acceptance in the firm, manage your body language, and maintain eye contact in stressful scenarios to reflect your composure and adaptability.
Besides that, the case interview is a centerpiece of the recruitment process at any of the company offices. The firm hires more candidates who demonstrate:
- Structured approach toward solving a problem.
- Break down complex problems into manageable components.
- Articulate hypotheses (Source)
Here’s what a candidate has to say about the interview process at L.E.K Consulting, “The interview process is the following: Forst two online interviews with consultants. Then one mathematical test, better be prepared to solve fast. Then two offline interviews with managers and partners. At all interviews the candidate is given Life Sciences cases to solve, better to practice before.” (Source)
Wrapping Up!
All in all, then, the key factors which can affect LEK’s acceptance rate include:
- High demand for a specific job post.
- Qualification of the candidates in the respective area.
- Skill and expertise of the candidates required for the service line.
- Performance of the candidate during the interview process.
With these insights, good luck!
I hope you can better prepare yourself for applying and getting a job post at L.E.K Consulting and joining its ranks to shift its acceptance rate.
If you’re looking for further info about what working at LEK might be like, I found the following video reasonably useful (though be warned it is made by LEK themselves):
