Hi there,

1) Is waitlist actually a thing?

You might be on a waiting list (I helped candidates who were told they were with MBB). Alternatively, they might still have to finish the recruiting for that cycle, or the partners might still have to meet for a decision. It is difficult to know for sure.

2) How long does a candidate have to accept an offer?

Usually they give 1-2 weeks to accept.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi,

this is a frustrating situation - absolutely. There could be a few reasons for something like this that I could think of:

• the final round interviewers and HR haven't been able to meet yet and align on who they want to extend offers to (partners often have scheduling conflicts)
• there is uncertainty about the exact hiring budget and headcount goal for 2024 so they are trying to buy some time
• they already extended offers to their preferred candidates and leave a batch of “next best candidates” on hold in case the top choices don't accept

Not sure which one applies. It might also be a totally different reason. 

Fingers crossed that you will receive positive news!

Auch. Yes, I know that feeling. I also had to wait for about 10 days after my final interview. 

It doesn't necessarily mean that you're on a waitlist. 

In fact, most of the time you're waiting because your interviewers didn't yet get to connect on a call and take a decision on your situation. Usually, it's some client situation that exploded, and they are tending to and prioritising while you are waiting. 

Hope you'll hear back from them soon. Don't read too much into it for now. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

In my personal experience at McKinsey, waitlist are quite rare for experienced hires. This might mean nothing in your case but it looks like recruiters / interviewers can be under the water in this time of the year.

Keep following up every week until you get an answer.

You can check how the recruiting process works from an internal MBB perspective here:

MBB Hiring Hacks - Behind the Curtain Secrets

Best,

Alberto

—

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

Hi,

Up to two weeks to wait for a decision is ok. You should follow up if they have not made the decision by then.

Good luck!
Nick