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A month since the final interview..

Experienced Hire for Middle East - had my final interview last week of November, no decision communicated yet. I followed up twice in December and both times the recruiter apologised for the delay and said they'd get back to me within the week, but didn't happen. Should I send a last follow up in the new year or just give up?

Thanks! 

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Fady
Coach
on Dec 30, 2024
Working in consulting, Non-target school hire. Expert in Consulting Hiring in the Middle-East - Free case interview

Hi There,

Really sorry to hear the situation, 

I would wait a little bit and send a follow up in the second week of January, as recruiting around year end is always relatively slow due to leaders, HR and recruiters taking time off, which delays decisions and communications alike.

Hope this answers your questions and best of luck!

Fady

on Dec 30, 2024
Ex-BCG Project Leader | Experienced Interviewer | Free 20min Intro Call

I would follow up around the 8th or 9th to give the team a full work week before bugging them again. It's frustrating to wait that long -- hang in there! 

Thabang
Coach
on Dec 31, 2024
Ex-McKinsey Consultant | McKinsey Top Coach & Interviewer | Special Offer: Buy 1 Session Get 1 Free (Limited time!)

Hey there, 

I'd send a follow up after a week where the office re-opens to give recruiting time to get come back from holidays. 

You'll definitely get your feedback (whether you give up or not) - but the ideal scenario is to get the feedback as soon as possible. 

All the best!

Hagen
Coach
edited on Dec 31, 2024
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | most experience in consulting, interviewing, and coaching

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the going through the whole application process!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

  • First of all, it's understandable to feel anxious if the response is delayed, especially after the final interview round. I would advise you to follow up with an email or better still a phone call early in the new year when the office is open again. But rest assured that you will get a response.
  • Moreover, I would highly advise you to apply to other consulting firms if you have not already done so.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting company.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Dennis
Coach
on Dec 31, 2024
Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe

Hi there,

before offer decisions are communicated, they have to be aligned between HR and the interviewers in the process. This can sometimes take time (up to several weeks) for various reasons. A few common ones are listed below for a general overview:

  • internal scheduling conflicts between HR and the interviewers, especially when partners need to be involved
  • the firm is still conducting more final round interviews with other candidates and they might want to wait for that to play out to look at the full candidate picture before extending final offers
  • offers have been extended to “first choice” candidates and the firm is trying to keep “backup” candidates on hold until they know who accepted and who declined their first batch of offers
  • holidays or year-end shutdown delay the decision-making and communication process
  • there is uncertainty internally around budget and the exact headcount they can actually hire so they are trying to buy time

I know that this is unsettling and every candidate wants to have clarity on the status sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, you'll always have to wait for the official word. At this point, after three weeks, it is reasonable for you to follow up though.

However, it is best to just assume a rejection and continue with the recruiting efforts with other firms until you have a written offer in your hands. That way you at least won't lose time.

Best

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