BCG ME - Firm cancelling the offer?

Hi there,

Q: My start date is in 2-3 months and I was wondering whether there is a chance that BCG suddenly withdraws their offer due to the slow down. Also, is it possible that I get laid off after couple of months due to recession? 

Many companies – BCG included – are now reducing hiring, so there is definitely a slowdown in recruitment. 

However, even during COVID I never heard of MBB or Tier 2 (Strategy&, RB, OW, Kearney) withdrawing a verbal offer (I heard that instead for other companies).

In any case, I would recommend to sign as soon as possible the contract as this would make it extremely unlikely that they withdraw the offer:

• Rescinding a signed offer would create a major reputational issue. It could also have legal consequences for the firm, depending on the country.
• If they have staffing issues, it makes more sense to ask to join later rather than canceling the offer as eventually they will need consultants. If that happens, it would be up to you to accept the later starting date or withdraw.
• In the extreme case of structural issues (ie the company doesn’t expect to grow for a while) and inability to postpone the starting date (which is very unlikely for a top consulting firm), they would most likely hire and layoff people after the probation period, to avoid the reputation and possible legal issue.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offer!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• While I understand your concerns, I would advise you not to worry about them, as they are rather improbable and you cannot do anything about them except having a fallback option at hand.
• The Middle East is still a region with tremendous growth in strategy consulting, and as such, I would assume the chances of either of the two scenarios happening are very low.

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

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Both are unlikely, however, not unheard of.

In the crisis of 08/09, all firms did exactly that.

The situation is not that dire and the Middle East is still one of the few regions that are doing relatively well. I would not worry about it but you could have some alternatives at least figured out should it not work out.

All the best,

Florian

Hello,

Congratulations on receiving the offer!

1) I would say it is highly unlikely that they would revoke the offer because of the reputation costs. 

2) Project pipeline in the middle east is still very strong, so firms are continuing to hire

3) However, if there is something that you have lied about in your application / falsified information - and if that comes to light, then of course they can withdraw the offer.

4) If you're happy with the offer, go ahead and sign it! 

All the best,

Rushabh 

Hello A,

I would suggest you sign the contract, just to be sure.

I really don't believe there is a chance they will withdraw the offer, but you would be more secure if you had already accepted the offer.

Best,

Victoria 

Hi there, 

first of all, congrats. 

I can assure you, there's nothing to worry about:

1. BCG doing well in ME, even now and are still actively hiring
2. They don't rescind offers for no reason
3. Noone gets fired just like that - even in difficult macroeconomic periods, they do not lay off for reasons other than below-par parformance or misconudct. 

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi

Business is still going well in the Middle East. But even if that was not the case, any of the suggestions would be highly unlikely. 

Basically there's a reputation cost to be paid if they do it, and that cost is much, much higher than your salary (there's also the chance that they would be laying off real talent, which is another reason to give you a fair chance to prove yourself).

Hi there,

Congrats on the offer.

If you are happy with it, please sign it! That locks you in.

You should not be worried about them completely pulling the offer (once both parties have signed!).

What we have seen in the past is they have delayed start dates before. This might happen or it might not.

If BCG was forced to do that to you, then no consulting firm (or any other firm with a high reputation) would be a safe choice anymore. 

It is not impossible that this happens though, but it is unlikely and it would be a last resort type of situation. Before they rescind an offer, they might ask you to start later if the project pipeline wasn't looking too good during your initial start date.

That said, if you like the offer and the company, then you should go with it.

Good luck

Hi there,

Would you mind sharing how long have you heard back after the final round?  I have already waited for a week :(

Thank you so much!

Hi there, 

Congrats!

This is highly unlikely and I haven't yet heard of any such situations (from verifiable sources). 

Of course you're going to be hearing random people saying this and that, but it doesn't mean it's true. I have a current candidate who is planning on applying in the ME and he had heard that Bain had frozen recruiting for the coming year - I checked with one of my former candidates now in Bain ME and of course it turned out to be bogus. Just focus on what you can control. 

Best,

Cristian

They are unlikely to cancel the offer. The most extreme thing I've seen is that they delay the start date by a few months to a year depending on current and predicted demand.