Hi there,

1. This is a common problem at the moment and quite frustrating for many candidates.

The simple answer is that all firms are quite uncertain about the future. The demand for consultants is not there and many are sitting on the bench, yet at the same time they want to be ready when demand picks up again and have consultants ready to be sent to clients. 

This can happen very quickly and in the past (post-financial crisis), some firms were not prepared for the uptick in client requests.

If they interview you now and you get an offer, they will have you ready-to-go as soon as needed.

2. As regards the partner round:

95% of partner rounds are just as standardized as the first round. The reason why you read about freestyle partner experiences is that they deviate from what people expect, hence they post about it more frequently online, hence giving others the impression it is much more common.

Additionally, partner rounds are often perceived as more challenging, just because it's a partner sitting across the table rather than a more junior colleague. It is purely based on the impression and not on the content. :-)

If there are any deviations from the standard interviewer guidelines, expect them to be in the following realm:

• Focus on one or two areas where you were perceived as not as strong in round one, which can be specific case questions or fit stories
• Only doing a case, only doing fit instead of both
• Doing two shorter cases in quick succession
• Challenging your answers more
• Not providing any time for you to think about the answer, making it more conversational

Since you are going for a senior position, also prepare for two things specifically:

• Alignment with your values and the values of the firm
• Highlighting how your current expertise and network can help your firm grow (what do you bring to the table, how can you contribute to practice XYZ, how can you leverage your network for biz dev)

As for the rest, prepare in the same way as for the first round!

All the best,

Florian

Hi there!

Sorry to hear about the situation. 

The reality is that hiring freezes are not absolute hiring freezes. There are always exceptions. And the exceptions tend to happen at more senior levels.

So, HR is most likely right that, formally, they cannot hire you within the next 6 months. But if you are successful, they could give you a start date in 6 months from now (which is by no means uncommon). 

Do ask the Partner as well about the hiring freeze. Aim to ask it as a means of clarifying the situation rather than as a challenge (though I understand it must be frustrating for you). 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

1) Now, why would a partner waste his time if he has to hire or onboard me after 180 days?

It’s not really wasted time for them if you then join the company in 6 months when they will need you.

2) Is it possible that HR is not telling me honestly and may be pushing me away?

Very unlikely – I don’t see the reason for it.

3) She suggested I check with Partner about hiring freeze and what should be the best way forward! what does this mean now? Is Partner calling the shots or HR? Who can revoke this hiring freeze between the two? 

From what you shared, this doesn’t seem like a hiring freeze (which means they would not hire you at all), but a postponed starting date. I guess HR wanted to clarify that the partner will have more visibility on the exact period you might join.

4) What should be my preparation to crack that partner round (in brief - basics)?

For general prep tips, I would recommend the following:

▶ Differences Between First and Final Rounds

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi,

1. Probably because they want to get through with the active pipeline and see if they can incentivize candidates they are interested in to wait for them through providing them with an offer prospect
   
   1. If they wanted to reject you, they would tell you that. It's part of their daily business to reject people and they are not afraid to do that
   2. Check with the partner about hiring freeze once you actually have an offer. Before that it won't matter. If you do get an offer, you can ask the partner why you should be waiting for 6 months and how they could make that more appealing for you
2. Familiarize yourself with the areas the partner works in (i.e. industry trends, recent publications). Since this partner has referred you, as you stated, I assume that you already had a previous interview with her/him. Be prepared to highlight as to why you think you qualify for Director level and how your previous experience ensures that you can hit the ground running.

Since even in the successful scenario of an offer, you might be facing a months-long hiring freeze, you should definitely apply to other companies as well.

Good luck

The explanation may be simple: there are exceptions to hiring freezes when we are talking about experienced candidates with very specific competences. The hiring freeze applies to general consulting delivery capacity, not to value-add expertise.