Diversity in On-Cycle PE Recruiting
I was wondering if PE firms considered first-generation college students to be diversity candidates. If so, which ones are confirmed to do this for on-cycle recruiting?
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From what I seen there is no formal diversity pipeline for on cycle PE. If anything HH's might've pushed my resume seeing diverse type clubs from undergrad - but not once did I feel like I got any special treatment in interviews / received easier case studies or anything. No HHs or interviewers asked me any super easy diversity type questions about culture yadda yadda either.
I got the general impression that because PE is so competitive, you're not going to get a spot if you don't impress, period. It's not as easy as banking where there is a stock list of questions and answers, each firm I interviewed for had like 4+ rounds where they test your market knowledge, ability to think on your feet and not just build a model correctly, but be able to defend it and talk through the logic high level. You need to prepare thoroughly like anyone else (and no first Gen is likely not considered diversity)
Source: Diverse (race) 1st year in a top group who secured UMM in second on cycle wave
Well you somehow missed the diversity pipeline because seo works with funds on this. We internally also have targets. Disagree with all these responses. I ran point on recruiting with partner making call and he all but forced my hand
What size fund are you at? I think the key takeaway is that sure maybe a few larger UMM & MFs have the resources, but the large majority of PE firms (~97%) don’t have any pipeline or preference.
Diversity does not give you easier super days for PE, but it provides a leg up on getting the interviews in the first place. Less important for smaller PE firms, but it’s definitely a thing for most UMM and especially the MF firms. First generation college student is not seen as diversity for purposes of recruiting in PE.
As others have said, unless it’s a massive firm with an entire structured recruiting team, there really isn’t any special pipeline like in banking. Some firms that lack diversity may try and make an effort to include diverse candidates in their initial interviews but they really can’t afford to bring someone on for the sake of bringing them on. Once you get to the superday, it’s almost always entirely up to personality, intelligence, and drive. Having interviewed candidates at a firm with a longer / multi-stage process, I’ve seen that it really is hard to fake it all the way through if you don’t have the technical chops and the ability to think through deals like an investor at least at a basic level. It’s pretty easy to spot the people that are actually prepared and those that don’t belong, whoever they may be.
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