Close to 2 Months of not hearing back since Final Interview at Tier 2 Firm in SEA

Question

Hi there,

I've completed my interviews at a Tier 2 firm in SEA early last December for an entry level role - with the process being just 2 case interview rounds after passing an initial online assessment.

Next week will be 2 full months since I have not heard back from the firm on whether I was rejected or would be extended an offer.

I've followed up twice since the last interview - got a response on my second follow up by the recruiter 2 weeks ago indicating that they were “having an internal alignment and will get back to me on next steps by the end of the week”.

Well, that week went, and I still hadn't got any updates yet and so I sent a third follow-up which is now 1 week ago since I did it without any update as of yet.

I do plan on following up another time next week if I still don't hear back but would you think my effort would be futile and that it is highly unlikely I'll receive an offer?

Additional context on my performance in the interviews, first round with the manager started off shaky with a wrong approach, but I recovered as the case progressed and I managed to finish it. Was really surprised to see I made it to the next round with the partner, which the case was much more simple and generic than the first one, slight focus on calculations and the fit part of the interview.

Edit:

Answer 1

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the stressful situation.

2 months must be some sort of record.

To me it sounds like they don't know if they'll have additional capacity to hire considering the present economic situation. It's not fair to leave you waiting, but unfortunately you don't have many options now.

My suggestion then would be to start creating additional options for yourself, i.e., continue applying. There's nothing to lose from that.

Best,

Cristian

Answer 2

Hi there,

This could be related to the fact that there is a lot of uncertainty in the market right now and many firms have scaled down or even frozen hiring for Q1 of this year.

I had several candidates now, who had their interview invitations withdrawn (different firms, different continents).

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 3

Hi there,

I would tend to agree with the other comments. This smells like uncertainty regarding their hiring funnel due to the economic situation. As a candidate, this of course reflects poorly on the firm to leave you hanging like this. But there is nothing you can do other than continuing to apply to other firms. Once you have another offer, you can approach them with some sort of ultimatum but before that, you have no leverage.

Answer 4

One thing I've learned is that good firms have good processes. Bad firms don't. If they are not responding that tells you something about their process.

I would move on and just forget about it.

Answer 5

Hi there,

I completely agree with the others. This feels like them trying to sort out their pipeline (i.e. I'd lean towards them actually liking you and wanting to hire you).

Ultiamtely, you need to submit applications to other firms. Don't let yourself be dependent on just this one firm/offer and you won't be disappointed if they don't make an offer.

Fingers crossed for you!

Answer 6

Hi there,

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

It's not uncommon for the recruitment process to take longer than expected. The fact that you have not heard back from the firm for two months can be frustrating, but it's important to keep in mind that the firm may have internal processes that they need to follow before making a decision. Additionally, in the current uncertain economic market, firms may be reevaluating their recruiting strategy altogether and this may be causing delays in the process.
It's a good idea to follow up one more time next week as you have indicated, but it's also important to keep in mind that the process might take longer than you expect and that you may not get the outcome you hope for. However, it's worth noting that you performed well in the interviews, especially given that you recovered from a shaky start in the first round.
It's important to keep in mind that the recruitment process is a numbers game, and even if you don't receive an offer from this firm, it doesn't mean you won't be successful in the future. Keep your options open and continue to apply for other opportunities in the industry.

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

Answer 7

Hi there,

This is terrible and I really feel with you. However, I would almost consider this as good news, since it's easy to say no these days but hard to say yes.

From what I observe, rejections are still coming in time, but positive response are really slow these days, based on what the others pointed out about slowdown and managing the recruitment pipeline.

Would give it a couple more weeks and follow up again, but with a light touch and not pushy. They're well aware that everyone is waiting and are probably feeling awful, too.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Answer 8

Hello,

Back then when I interviewed with a T2, it took me ~1 month to hear back from them (interviewed finished end Nov, heard back almost near end Jan).

In addition to what other coaches have mentioned about pipeline uncertainty, not sure which office you applied to, but given that CNY came early this year, that would have definitely slowed down processes as well.

No harm continuing to follow-up, as a candidate it is within your right to be notified of the outcome in a timely manner, and it is the duty of the firm to also inform you in a timely manner.

Answer 9

UPDATE:

The offer ultimately came through after awhile (89 days in fact) and I've just accepted it. Extremely thankful for everyone's opinions where it made the wait less agonizing.