EY Parthenon US- Weird Recruiting Experience

Question

So, I went through 4 rounds of Interview at EY-P

Pre-Screen Call - 30 mins call, I passed the same. Got invited to the next round.

R1- 30-45 mins fit Manager - Went really well- Got invited for R2

R2-45 Mins Fit + Case Interview ( Had 5 Strong Exhibits) focused on Consumer PE sector. Went okay, but surprisingly got called for R3.

R3- Final Behavioral Fit with the Partner - Partner said “ Did we reach out to you or did you apply to Parthenon” . I said I did. He said ok, asked a bunch of other questions and we concluded.

Got a message today stating that I got rejected because I didn't have analytical skills. BfkingS - They didn't ask me any analytical questions, I am highly analytical and have received feedback from 14 case partners that my maths is good.

What do you guys think? Seemed BS to me. Why would they pass me to R4 if they didn't like me in R3.

Answer 1

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that. I don’t think anyone can provide real insights but the interviewers. Possibly the main reason is related to fit and they chose to focus on minor quant improvements as it was easier to use as justification.

I would recommend to follow-up with HR and ask if they have any additional feedback to help you to improve.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 2

Hi there,

I'm really sorry to hear about this! Not a great experience at all and it must be quite disappointing.

There are some potential reasons here. It could be that they didn't view your background as analytical enough (resume) or that your performance in the analytics wasn't as good as you thought. Another possibility is that there was another reason they didn't pass you (they felt you didn't fit with the firm, or just generally didn't like you) and needed to give another reason than “we don't like you”. It could be that a game of telephone was played and HR mis-communicated. Or, there's a chance they got your file mixed up.

Answer 3

Very frustrating!

Hard to say what could have happened in the backend. I feel its mostly likely that someone else performed much better than you or that they didn't feel you were the best “fit”.

The feedback these companies give is hardly ever on point. So, take it with a pinch of salt. If there is a way for you to request more specific feedback via HR or the recruiter, worth giving that a shot.

All the best for future moves.

Answer 4

Hi there,

Well, did you tell them that you didn't have any analytical questions? In these situations it's always good to ask to speak directly with someone who interviewed you and get the feedback directly from them. Otherwise, it's a bit confusing and frustrating for you - which I totally understand.

IF you didn't do that already, go ahead and find out what they say. At this point, the best you can get out of this is feedback that can help you grow.