Is this like being on waitlist?

In my experience, there are a couple of things to consider here:

1. For senior roles, headcount is usually much more limited and the process works a bit differently than for junior positions. It is possible that they are still progressing with other candidates. At the same time, if they really like more than one profile, firms can sometimes try to hire multiple people, but this usually requires additional internal approvals since those roles may not have been originally planned or approved.
2. At the senior level, you are typically interviewed by very senior people (APs/Principals/Partners). Their schedules tend to be extremely busy, and coordinating a joint debrief can sometimes be difficult. This is especially true if there are different views on candidates and they need to align internally. For senior hiring, these debrief discussions are quite common.

In my personal experience, I have seen debriefs take more than three weeks simply because it was difficult to align calendars, particularly when partners are travelling frequently for client work. In any case, recruiting usually pushes internally to make sure those conversations happen.

My advice would be to stay in touch with recruiting, but without being overly persistent. A follow-up every two to three weeks is perfectly reasonable.

Best of luck!

Hi,

I can imagine the frustration caused by the delay, it can be nerve-wracking and throwing your plans into jeopardy. 

Having said that, MBB firms will almost always come back to you with the decision. Most often, the delay is because Partners are travelling or they just got caught up with other urgent priorities etc.

Regarding MBB recruiting in general, the idea is that it is usually always an absolute bar (at least in theory), not a relative bar. That means if 3 candidates all cross the absolute bar, then all three would be made an offer (at least on the generalist tracks etc.). Now of course, one needs to factor for human biases, market conditions etc., but at least on paper that is the recruiting philosophy at MBB.

Hope that gives some perspective. It is perfectly acceptable for you to follow-up with HR, don't feel awkward about it. 

Fingers crossed and wishing you the best!

Best,
Jimmy
 

I hear you; it can be very frustrating, especially at that stage

Given your seniority,the dynamic is quite different from more junior roles. For SM positions, they’re usually hiring for one or a very limited number of spots.So instead of having a fixed bar where everyone above it gets an offer,they are actively comparing candidates and selecting the best overall fit.

The fact that they haven’t rejected you yet is definitely a positive signal In most cases, if it were a clear “no,” you would have heard back already. So something is still moving on their side.

My guess is that they have a pool of candidates they want to evaluate before making a final decision, and some of those processes might be slightly delayed for example, interviews being rescheduled or pushed. It’s less likely, but it could also be internal alignment taking longer than expected.

Overall, I don’t think you’re on a waitlist in a negative sense; you’re still actively in the running.If I were you, I’d give it a bit more time and try not to overthink it. You’ve done your part; now the decision is in the hands of the partners, and they will get back to you once they’ve aligned internally

Good luck and keep us posted!
Franco

Hi there,

Yeah, this is basically a waitlist. When this happens it tends to be that they've made an offer to their top choice and you're their backup. It's better than a rejection, but it's not great.

To be honest, the odds are quite low.

My view for all recruiting is to hope for the best and plan for the worst. The only thing you can do... the most productive thing you can do... is forget about it and act as if you did not get the offer. Network with other firms and apply to tons of other roles. Please don't wait 3+ weeks just for a "maybe".

My 360 Degree Course covers the full recruiting journey end to end... applications, networking, cases, and fit. Worth going through while you wait rather than sitting still.

For the application and networking side specifically: Applications Course.

And for the mindset to carry you through this kind of situation, search The Consulting Offer Blueprint on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Fingers crossed for you!

That uncertainty after final rounds, especially at the Senior Manager level, is incredibly tough, and you're absolutely not alone in navigating it. It's easy to overthink every signal when you're this far along.

Here's the reality of what those delays often indicate: you're clearly one of their top candidates. If it were a clear 'no,' you would almost certainly have heard back much faster. The repeated 'we're still aligning internally' and 'evaluating a few more candidates' messages are classic for situations where they have a pool of strong talent (including you) and are trying to finalize specific roles, secure budget, or even awaiting a project start date that aligns perfectly. For senior roles, it's often less about a general headcount slot and more about fitting you into a specific partner's book of business or an upcoming client engagement, which requires more internal coordination. Your 'average' case round might have made it a close call, but your overall profile clearly put you in contention, and they're genuinely working through where best to place their top choices.

My advice is to absolutely continue maintaining a professional, polite follow-up cadence with HR – perhaps once a week or every 10 days until you hear something definitive. But crucially, keep pursuing other opportunities with full intensity. Don't pause your job search based on this. If another offer comes through, that gives you a strong position to prompt a clearer answer from MBB.

Hope that perspective helps you manage the situation. All the best!

Your read is probably right. Rejections at this stage come faster, not slower. Being asked twice to wait while they wrap up suggests you are genuinely in the running.

This sounds less like a waitlist and more like they are comparing a small number of final candidates before deciding. The decision is not made yet.

Send one more polite follow-up this week asking for a timeline update. After that, put your energy elsewhere. You cannot influence the outcome now and waiting actively is exhausting.

If it comes through, great. If not, getting through three Partner rounds at SM level tells you that you are operating at the right level.

hey there :)

this is very typical for senior roles at MBB and your read is directionally right, it often means you are in a “hold” or soft waitlist while they calibrate across candidates and hiring needs rather than a clear no, especially since partners are involved and alignment takes time; if it were a strong reject you would almost always know faster, so overall it’s still a positive signal but I would mentally move on and keep momentum elsewhere while staying politely engaged with HR, that’s the best balance here and you’re definitely still in the game

best,
Alessa :)

Rather, the latter. 

It's impossible to know. 

They might just genuinely be taking a while to make a decision. It doesn't mean that you're waitlisted or that they've rejected you already.

So try to make progress on your other applications while waiting on this one. I know the wait is frustrating - I also waited for ten days after my final round with McK. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

You could either be waitlisted or they really need more time to sync up and align on whether they could have you on board. It's hard to say. Practically, you should distract yourself while waiting for an official response - they will always give you one.