What is the process of interviews and offer decision

Question

I am interviewing with few Tier-2 firms in the Middle East. Typically they’re having 3-4 rounds of interviews with increasing level of seniority of interviewers as the rounds progress. So far Recruiters have been giving objective feedback after each interview saying “you got positive feedback “ or “you have cleared this round” etc before scheduling the next round.

I am at final round (Partner) with a couple of firms. What is the normal process these days at Dubai offices? If I clear the final round I will automatically get an offer or the panel sits together to discuss? The reason I am asking is at least in one round at each company I felt I was not able to give my best performance but still managed to get positive feedback as per HR. So wanted to know whether these rounds get re-discussed or they don’t matter because feedback was positive.

Finally, what would be the tips for final round interview for lateral hires? What would differentiate the performance between Manager and Sr. Consultant level interview performance?

Answer 1

Hi there,

Congrats on getting this far, especially across a couple of firms - a testament to your great prep and efforts! To answer your questions:

1. Interview process

Typically, as you go through the rounds, your next-round interviewers will have access to your previous round's feedback, and they are meant to test you on specific weaknesses raised previously. If you show you addressed your weaknesses in the following rounds, and you have positive final round interview experiences, then you should very likely receive offers.

Hence, it's very important you always ask for specific feedback from HR, i.e., make sure to probe in more detail and ask about specific areas for development raised that you can address in the following rounds.

2. Lateral hires

The same feedback applies to lateral hires as to any other candidate. Consultancies hire people with experiences across the board (i.e., varying tenure, different industries, etc.), so they tend to expect all candidates to portray the typical core consulting skills, regardless of experience.

Having said that, if you have more experience than others and if you demonstrate strong leadership signs (i.e., composure, maturity, critical thinking, communication, people management experience, etc.), you could negotiate a higher entry-level at the offer stage. Usually, your starting offer will be based on the role you initially applied to and discussed throughout the interviews; however, there is always room for negotiation especially if they very much liked your profile and skills - which you can assess based on feedback received.

Hope this helps,

Rami

Answer 2

Hi there,

The process is the same after each round, which is an assessment of your entire performance of that round. The last round is no different.

As for preparation:

Make sure to prepare specifically for any gaps they may have pointed out in the feedback (eg if your quant was lacking a little bit in the previous round, expect plenty of quant)
Expect the unexpected - Partners have a tendency to completely abandon script and make questions/interview format up as they go along. Generally speaking, they tend to be a lot more conversational and less transactional. Best you can do is roll with it, display personality with confidence and a bit of humor (in addition to competence, obviously) and you’ll be unstoppable.
Don’t worry about what differentiates level x from level y -it’s completely irrelevant for your preparation and you’ll just have to bring your A-game no matter what!

Let me know if there’s anything specific I can help with. For now, I hope this provides a bit of guidance.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

Hi there,

First, I hear you and understand why you are asking this - but you need to stop! Figuring out what they do behind closed doors literally doesn't change a thing about what you do. You can't control them and you can do is control you - do your best!

All that said, for the most part, each stage is its own. The final round interviewers will decide if you move forward (i.e. get an offer).

There are no tips for a lateral hire / manager that are different! No matter the level/role/channel you need to demonstrate structured, objective-driven thinking, clear + concise communication, business judgement/insights/acumen, etc.

It sounds like you're doing well! You've passed a lot of rounds with good feedback. It sounds like you should keep doing what you're doing. If you're truly concerned and want to optimize your odds, spend a few hundred $ on a coach - it's not much considering the potential ROI!

Here's some case reading: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

And some fit reading: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Answer 4

They will discuss together, at least the most senior people that interviewed you, i.e., all of your interviews will be taken in consideration. Meaning specifically that if you consistently show the same weak spot you may have an issue - otherwise you will probably be fine as long as you pass the partner interview.

Answer 5

Hello,

Here are my thoughts:

1) Typically, yes, after the final round - you receive the offer

2) When the final round interviewers are on the fence with your performance, then yes it is possible that they discuss with your first round interviewers. E.g. if you were particularly weak on quant in your final round, then they can check how was your quant in the first round. This can help them understand your candidacy better.

All the best!

Rushabh

Answer 6

Hello!

It´s a funnel, so you progress from one stage to another. If you made it to Stage 3, it´s because you cleared Stage 2, even if you had a bittersweet flavor in your mouth.

Hence yes, if you pass the partner interview, you will get the offer. Best of luck!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 7

AI and ChatGPT are definitely game-changers for consulting prep! They’re great for structuring case frameworks, gener... (read entire answer)

AI and ChatGPT are definitely game-changers for consulting prep! They’re great for structuring case frameworks, generating potential interview questions, and even simulating cas... (read entire answer)