Hi there,

What a stupid situation to be in. Sorry to hear that!

Regarding your questions:

1) What does this all flip flop signify?

First of all, that whatever firm/office you are talking about is unprofessional and not even showing you a minimum level of appreciation right now. If this is how the recruiting process works out, imagine the time you would have once you join. I would start looking for alternatives.

2) Does this mean I shouldn't now waste time and consider this a closed chapter since I now have no sight of slots in her diary?

I don't think so. You will probably get a 3rd slot soon and the partner might show up or maybe not. Partners who should interview you do not decide to freeze or not. The firm would only ‘officially’ freeze you if HR stops reacting and sending out new slots.

3) today when I spoke with HR, she didn't say anything about ‘hiring freeze’ … so does that mean there is none?

Probably not a full hiring freeze but definitely a big slowdown across all firms in the Middle East. You can look around the forum over the last month to get a feel for it.

All the best with this situation!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

Sorry for the run-around. Not fun.

Also, something to get used to.

1) What does this all flip flop signify?

It signifies that you are less important than a multi-million dollar paying client who had a problem at needed addressing. As it should be.

You take the backseat and you just need to accept that :)
2) Does this mean I shouldn't now waste time and consider this a closed chapter since I now have no sight of slots in her diary?

Not at all! They just need to get time with the Partner, who has 100 other priorities. Just be flexible to them.

3) today when I spoke with HR, she didn't say anything about ‘hiring freeze’ … so does that mean there is none?

Well, given they're interviewing, doesn't sound like it hey :)

(Jokes aside, no, there is no hiring freeze for this company)

4) Extra

Please keep applying to other firms. Interview with other firms. Get offers with other firms. Never rest all hopes on one company!

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation
 

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
 

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

Hi there,

1) What does this all flip flop signify?

Mainly that the company is disorganized and not very professional.

2) Does this mean I shouldn't now waste time and consider this a closed chapter since I now have no sight of slots in her diary?

I would look for alternatives in any case. Even if they schedule the interview, there is no guarantee you will receive an offer. It would not be a good strategy to rely only on that company.

3) Today when I spoke with HR, she didn't say anything about ‘hiring freeze’ … so does that mean there is none?

If you have been invited for interviews, there should not be hiring freeze for your role as otherwise they would have postponed the interviews. However, they might delay the starting date in case of an offer.

In any case, I don’t think this matters for your strategy. I would look for additional companies in any case, if you then get the Big4 offer, you can compare it with the alternatives.

Good luck!

Francesco

Auch, this sounds unpleasant. I'm sorry to hear. 

So whether there is a hiring freeze or they're telling you there is one, practically makes no difference since you can't do much about it. (Even though, I agree, it's unfair and annoying). 

It's also annoying that they've taken so long with rescheduling. HR has been struggling a bit to stay on top of stuff. 

Don't drop the application, though. Just keep in touch with them and I'm sure that the interview is going to happen eventually. 

My strong recommendation however is to apply to other roles with other firms. You need to diversify so you don't depend on a flaky application. 

Sharing a guide here on how to build an application strategy that make diversification a priority:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Good luck!
Cristian

Hi,

Sorry to hear about this frustrating situation.

Unfortunately nobody here can give you the real answer, because we are not the firm/HR. You could also assume that HR may not necessarily be telling you the full picture, but you would never know. 

Given that they haven't definitively closed this opportunity off for you, I would assume that it is still a possibility, albeit with the low chance.

In the meantime, I would suggest you expand your applications to other firms.

All the best!

This is plain simple.

• They are recruiting;
• But recruiting is not the #1 priority in the partner's agenda (current clients and getting new clients is); 
• Recruiting is “cold” right now but going on, so even less of a priority; 
• Nothing of this is personal (not usual); 
• Keep recruiting until you have secured an offer.

Hey,

Unfortunately, this means you are not a priority to them. Continue interviewing with other firms and don't get hung-up on this particular one.

Good luck!
Nick