Signed offer: No response from recruiters on start date after 4 attempts.

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your poor experience 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's not uncommon for the recruitment process to take longer than expected, especially in the current global situation. The lack of communication from the recruiter regarding your start date can be frustrating and concerning. It's possible that the firm is still in the process of finalizing details regarding your start date, and they may not have all the information to share with you yet. Additionally, in the current uncertain economic market, firms may be reevaluating their recruiting strategy altogether and this may be causing delays in the process.
• It's understandable that you are nervous, but I suggest you reach out again to the recruiter by calling him/ her directly, until he/ she picks up and speaks with you. Let him/ her know that you have other options and you would like to have a final decision as soon as possible. You can also inquire about the status of your start date, and ask if there have been any delays or changes to the original plan.
• It's also important to keep in mind that the recruitment process is a numbers game, and even if you don't eventually receive an offer from this firm, it doesn't mean you won't be successful in the future. Keep your options open – especially given you already have another offer – and continue to apply for other opportunities in the industry.

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 there, 

I can understand that this makes you nervous. 

They're most likely not responding because they don't yet know what starting date to give you or because they are swamped in work. Either way, it's not ok to not respond. 

My suggestion would be to wait at this point. They will surely get back to you when they can. Don't contact them again. 3 times is plenty already.

Firms are navigating some difficult times now and some are pushing their starting dates. Worst case scenario they're going to ask you to start later. Try and enjoy life in the meantime. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

While they're certainly being unresponsive, please be careful in the future to not email so often! (I would have opted to call a few times, without leaving a message, waiting until they picked up).

This next piece of advice is to be taken with a grain of salt, and please don't jump in and do it because I've said this (you have not paid me to be your coach so I do not know your whole scenario), but, if it were me, I would:

Send an email titled “Response needed ASAP - Accepting Alternate Offer”, and then in the body short and sweet say there's another expiring offer this week and that you will need to accept it given you have not heard from them and have to assume they are not honoring your contract. Say that If they can respond before x date and provide a start date before the other deadline, you might reconsider.

I would also cc the Partners I interviewed with.

^This is what I would do but it is not saying what you should do.

Hi there,

Super unprofessional from Bain…

Unfortunately, the hiring situation is quite bad and all firms have scaled down their hiring goals or even froze hiring all together, so it could be that they are figuring out what to do.

In any case, they should keep you in the loop.

If I were in your shoes I would call HR and tell them or the assistant that you have this cross-offer (+follow up with an email in capital letters in the title like Ian mentioned) and if they do not react within the week, accept the other offer.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

congrats on your offers but sorry to hear that you are in such a stressful situation. If you already have a signed contract and you received your signing bonus, then you can assume that you will start at the firm. 

The fact that you have not heard back from the recruiter is odd. Maybe the person is out of office for some reason? I would definitely try to call and speak to someone from HR for guidance - since other things like your lease termination on moving date depend on this. I think it is warranted for you to follow up via phone and even speak to other HR folks if your recruiting contact is not available/reachable.

Good luck

If you have another offer and they are responding to your emails then it might be a safer bet. It is very strange for a company to not reply even if it is to say they do not know when you will start.

Hi there,

This is very odd, and I've never heard about this level of unprofessionalism at this stage i.e., contract signed, bonus handed out, etc.

Do you have other contacts in the firm, such as consultants that you interviewed with? It's important not to go behind HR's back but you should reach out with your concerns and ask for some guidance. Usually, you're considered part of the firm the moment the offer is signed, so you should take advantage of the internal support network outside of HR.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Moritz

Go the old way: grab the phone and call them.