What happens to MBB Middle East BAs/Associates if case demand drops?

Question

I’m considering applying to MBB in the Middle East and wanted to understand how firms handle utilisation during periods of geopolitical uncertainty.

Given the current environment, some private-sector and government clients may delay projects or cut discretionary spending. If that leads to fewer cases, how are BAs and Associates typically assessed?

If there simply aren’t enough projects, is low utilisation still treated as a performance issue? Does a smaller pool of cases increase the risk of being counselled out, or do firms generally adjust expectations when the slowdown is clearly market-driven rather than performance-related?

I’m also curious about mobility. If a slowdown lasted, how realistic would it be to transfer temporarily or permanently to another office or region with stronger demand, including one’s home country?

I’d be particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has worked in MBB Middle East during a period of weaker demand or broader regional uncertainty.

Answer 1

Hi,

I spent around 10 years in consulting, so I experienced several ups and downs in demand.

When demand falls in one office, the first lever firms use is international staffing. Consultants are temporarily staffed on projects led by offices where demand is stronger (this is more realistic than a permanent transfer).

The second lever is to slow down or freeze hiring. If the slowdown continues, firms may also reduce the pace of promotions or apply stricter promotion standards, but this is already a very hard decision that they may take in an extremely tough time.

Counselling people out or reducing headcount is the last lever firms pull because 1) it creates a tense and difficult working environment, and 2) it disrupts the firm’s hierarchical pyramid and leaves gaps that take years to rebuild. However, it cannot be ruled out if the downturn is particularly severe or prolonged.

Hope this helps.
Franco