I submitted my application to the two firms back in Jan 3. I have completed the BCG Pymetrics test, but never received an invitation to the McK assessment. Both companies’ applicant portals show my application as under review. Is the 5-week wait time normal? I tried reaching out to their HR using the “contact us” forms on their websites, but no response from there either.
Any advice?
Hi,
It's been pretty common to see response time averaging 6 - 8 weeks across many MBB offices for the past few months, due the hiring slowdown as HR departments frequently re-evaluate their hiring depending on context (employees churn + demand for projects)
2 ways you could potentially speed up the process:
1) contact HR and politely ask for an update on your application (which is what you have been doing)
2) try to leverage the interview process where you are the most advanced to speed up the others (e.g., ‘I am already at final round at X, is there a way to schedule the next interview relatively shortly with you?’)
Hi there,
Unfortunately, the Middle Eastern offices of most firms are now experiencing quite the hiring slowdown; they are lagging a bit behind what the rest of the consulting world was going through last year.
It is quite normal to have longer wait times or even rejections at the moment for these applications as they seem to figure out the hiring goals for the year.
Hence, the process moves very slowly for many candidates and they sometimes get delayed between the stages (even between interview rounds).
All the best and hoping for a quick resolution for you!
Cheers,
Florian
Hi there,
longer wait times are not unusual at the moment. You also submitted your application right after year-end shutdowns so it was likely not processed right away anyway.
You will get a response eventually but other than politely following up, there is not much you can do at this point. Therefore, definitely keep applying to other firms (you might face long response times across the board) and focus on your interview preparation. Because once you do get an invite, the first round usually happens pretty quickly. And then it would be unfortunate if you had to request an extension to delay everything even further.
Fingers crossed that the feedback is positive.
5 weeks is by no means extreme, but indeed, on the longer end of waiting times.
My advice would be to follow-up with the recruiters from the respective offices.
And in parallel, to continue applying to other roles. Especially at the start of the application funnel, it's critical that you diversify. Sharing with you a guide you might find helpful:
Good luck!
Cristian
This is normal!
Responses can take just a few days….or a few months. The longer timeframe is especially true over the winter holidays.
The “contact us” forms are generally going to be a waste of time (they get spammed), but make sure you keep:
Fingers crossed for you!
Hi there,
Q: Is the 5-week wait time normal?
That timeline seems on the long side. On the other hand, it could simply be that your office had a slowdown with the recruitment pipeline. If you would like an update, I would recommend calling the office directly.
Good luck!
Francesco
In some instances it is taking longer. But after 6 weeks it is perfectly fine to send HR an e-mail to check what is going on.
