L.E.K's London office recruiting timeline starts a year in advance, is this normal?

Hi there,

Q: Reached out to LEK recruiters and they say they will be opening up applications for their LSS role in Sept for a Sept 2024/March 2025 (!) start. Is this normal? 

Not normal but many companies are decreasing recruiting now due to excessive hiring in the past or uncertainty in the future. 

Please note that companies are aware of the implications of background checks with current employers, so they should take measures to avoid any negative effects.

If you want to start earlier possible options are:

1. Target different companies
2. Target a different country

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi! 

Indeed, most firms are postponing their start dates as a means of hedging against the current trends in the economy. 

But in practice, the problem might be smaller than it seems. 

Few if any firms actually ask for references from the current employer. They are also aware that they would put you in an awkward situation if they had to ask for this a year in advance. So you shouldn't be concerned about this part.

What you should be concerned about instead is how to develop an application strategy that maximizes the likelihood of you getting at least an offer. I develop a step by step guide on how to do exactly that which you can access below:

• Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Hope this helps and let me know if you have follow-up questions.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Not “normal” but this has happened in the past as well when the pipeline was softer.

For reference, when you recruit out of your MBA in the US, you interview in September for a full time role starting in June/July/August!

You don't necessarily have to tell you employer (in terms of an official letter). You can simpyl grab a former boss/colleague or a current one that you trust. You can also let them know the opportunity came up but you're not sure if you'll take it or not (and reassure them it's far away).

You realize that's not a bad thing necessarily right? Offers often lead to counteroffers from your current firm…

By the way, once you interview with these firms you can also negotiate things!

Hello!

I completely understand your reaction to such a long gap between anticipated offer dates and hire dates in consulting right now. However, I'll let you in on a dirty little secret: that “hire date” they are quoting you is most likely a “hire by date."

What does that mean? It means that if and when they have a need for the offered candidates skillsets/manpower before that date, then they'll likely reach out to move the actual start date earlier. However, if a year goes by and no call has come, that “hire by date” will be the latest the offeree would start.

Like the macroeconomic environment, consulting hiring is very cyclical. Given the uncertainty that rising central bank interest rates, humanitarian crisis in Europe, and political chaos in the US are posing at the moment, long windows between offers and start dates are likely to remain for a few more quarters.

Remember, consulting firms will want their strongest candidates to start as quickly as possible (provided there is a nice skills|opportunity match), so focus your time on presenting your authentic self and all you have to offer and I have no doubt you can find yourself at a great firm in less time than you might think.

Cheers!

-Parris

I don't think you need to tell your current employer 12 months in advance, or that you will need references from them to get this job.

Of course, it can be very off-putting to be in this situation. No one wants to be in a permanent job having to wait 12 or 18 months for another job they already secured. This is a risk to both LEK and the candidate. 

I just wonder if the answer you got was for candidates that are finishing their degrees, instead of experienced professionals.