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BCG Response Time

Hi everyone,

Three weeks ago, I started my interview process with BCG. The first interview went well and I passed to the second one (the recruiter told me that each interview was like a knockout phase). In this second interview, I had a good feeling with the interviewer and I think that my case performance was good (it was not stellar as I needed to brainstorm a few ideas to come up with the solution). 

I did this second interview two weeks ago and I haven't heard since. Last Friday, as 10 days had passed without news, I wrote an email to HR to ask for more information. However, I had no response.

Is this a silent rejection? What should I do? I have the phone number of the recruiter but I think it is not a good idea to call him directly.

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Top answer
Udayan
Coach
on Mar 05, 2024
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /12 years recruiting experience

Hi, sorry to hear about the long wait time. In my opinion that is one of the hardest parts of the interview process.

In general I would say only a rejection is a rejection. There are many moving parts to an interview process and things take time. The most common reasons for them to get back to you later than expected include

  1. Logistical challenges in getting the interviewers to make a decision and communicate it to the recruitment team
  2. They are evaluating multiple candidates and need more time to decide between you and others

Hang in there - I would say also prepare for opportunities with other firms so you are not spending all your time just waiting for BCG to respond.

Best,

Udayan

Dennis
Coach
on Mar 05, 2024
Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe

Hi there,

while this is a frustrating situation to be in, you are not the first one this is happening to. The firm will communicate their decision to you eventually. Silent rejections are not a strategy any consulting firm is pursuing.

Decisions are communicated once all the interviewers have aligned on the set of candidates that were interviewed in a given round. Scheduling conflicts for such alignment discussions are a common driver for delays. It could also be the case that some candidates still need to be interviewed before the firm makes the holistic decision on who out of that cohort gets to advance in the process.

You have already followed up via e-mail. All you can do now is wait for them - but more importantly, continue to apply at other firms as well.

Best of luck

Pedro
Coach
on Mar 05, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Private Equity | Market Estimates | Fit Interview

Consulting firms don't do silent rejections. They decide, and then communicate the results to candidates.

Taking 2 weeks without news is perfectly normal. You reached out to HR, so wait for their response. In any case, having to wait 4 weeks until one gets a response is not unheard of.

on Mar 06, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

1) Is this a silent rejection?

It is not necessarily a rejection, there might be other reasons for the delay.

2) What should I do? I have the phone number of the recruiter but I think it is not a good idea to call him directly.

I would wait one week from when you sent the follow-up email and then call the office (not the personal number of HR) to ask for feedback.

Good luck!

Francesco

Ian
Coach
on Mar 06, 2024
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

What you should do is network with and apply to many more firms.

Never stay waiting while 1 firm determines your fate. There are dozens and dozens of great companies out there that you should be aiming for.

10 days isn't good news but it's not bad news either yet. They'll let you know if they want you. If they don't, they'll either let you know or not. It's that “simple” (doesn't mean easy).

Get applying elsewhere.

on Mar 06, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Sorry to hear. The good news is that they don't do silent rejections.

When it does happen, it's more of a system failure rather than an intention. 

Most likely they are either having trouble getting all the interviewer on one call

OR

having trouble deciding on how many people they need / can hire

I would give it another couple of days and then follow-up with them. Hope you hear back soon!

BTW, I also waited for 10 days and it was painful. 

Best,
Cristian

Florian
Coach
on Mar 06, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

BCG is not silently rejecting people. It's probably related to the hiring slowdown/freeze we are seeing across many offices/firms these days.

They are re-evaluating the hiring goals and as long as there are some uncertainties, they will not reach out.

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome,

Florian

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