Bain Decision Round Timeline

Hello!

This is a bit random, to be honest. Did you have the same interviewers? If not, then maybe yours have not yet had the time to meet. As you might already know, the interviewers of the final round need to have a meeting to discuss your performance before they make a decision.

It is true though that in some cases, they do try to give positive answers before the weekend, and the negative ones on Monday or later but this has to do with how HR chooses to operate.

In any case, as I mentioned, it is random. So please try to relax and let's see what is going to happen.

And even if Bain doesn't work out, the whole process has prepared you well to try again with another firm.

I can understand how stressful it is for you to wait though and I hope for the best!

Good luck and let us know what happened if you want!

Hi there,

1) Is there any correlation between the time to communicate the decision and the decision itself?

Usually if you hear back early on it’s a good sign. However, you could still get an offer after a few days in some cases. So there is no definitive answer.

2) Should I reach out to HR soon?

If you want to follow up I would wait one week from the day of the interview and then reach out.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on passing all interview rounds with Bain!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• It is not uncommon for strategy consulting companies not to have a synchronized timeline for communicating decisions to candidates, and as such, there is very little correlation between the timing of the decision and the outcome of the interview. Some candidates may receive an offer soon after their interview, while others may have to wait a couple of days for a decision.
• In general, it is best to reach out to the recruiting team if you have not received a decision within the timeframe that was communicated to you during the interview process. However, please bear in mind that the people interviewing you have busy schedules and may simply not have had the time to align their thoughts on your performance in the interviews yet.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

Many congratulations on making it so far. It is a huge achievement to get to the final round especially in a year where hiring has slowed down considerably.

In terms of when decisions are communicated - yes it is true that people that got the offers are told first. That being said, since interviews have gone virtual it has been difficult to get everyone's opinion on whether to give an offer or not on the same day so many people are being informed of their outcomes 1-2 weeks from the final round.

This waiting part is the most frustrating, try not to let it get to you too much.

Best,

Udayan

Hi there,

Well done on making it to the final round.

No, there shouldn't be a direct correlation between the communication timeline and the decision, but there can be many other factors influencing the timelines.

I will wait for a few more todays and contact the recruiter once it has been 1week+ after you final round interviews.

Good luck,

Lilit

Hi there, 

It really depends on the office and sometimes it's really a case by case basis.

What can happen sometimes is that they call their preferred candidates first and extend them the offer. If the candidate doesn't take it, then they give the offer to the second best choice. I've seen this happen mostly in the US. 

However, in most other situations, the interviewers just didn't yet get to connect and share the feedback and take a decision. 

So it's best to not interpret too much into it. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

Please relax! I know it's easier said than done but not much time has passed yet.

Generally speaking, there is a correlation, yes. However, it's not as strong as you might think, and outliers are more rule than exception.

I have seen rejections within hours and offers after a few weeks. Anything can happen and you just need to manage the hardest part of the recruiting process - waiting for the call.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Moritz

Hi there,

Maybe. Maybe not.

You don't have control over this situation. I know you want to “know” or find out or influence things here. But…you can't.

Network with other firms. Apply to other roles. Go out and keep living your life.

They'll let you know when they have decided.

Hi there,

You can check how the recruiting process works from an internal MBB perspective here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/mbb-hiring-hacks-behind-the-curtain-secrets

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Hello,

Here are my thoughts:

1) This is highly dependent on the firm and the geography. Some firms (typically MBB) do call the offerees pretty soon (0-2 days after the final interview). And then they get back to the others a couple of days later.

2) However, there is a particular case that I've seen last year (non-MBB) that somebody got an offer even 10 days after the final interview and there was no correlation there between time and offer/rejection.

3) Finally, I would say - keep the hope alive, but at the same time start thinking about backup options.

Hope this helps!

Rushabh

Correlation is very low. If there are no doubts for both interviewers (and they are very excited about the candidate) and they happen to pass by each other right after the interview, that are able to decide in seconds and make sure the answer is given immediately. 

But this would be an exception. For all other situations, there's really no correlation.