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Anyone got recruited for Pune location recently? My interview process has been completed and asked for documents on 23rd Dec, but till now I haven’t got any update after that. Today i called HR and they said manager has not provided any update on my application. Should i wait for the offer letter or look opportunity in another organisation? Deloitte Deloitte India
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Jesus christ. It's only Wednesday
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A partner should have a substantial reason for choosing your firm, not the bs associates say about new opportunities. Especially if the partner has a book, your firm should offer some tangible positive that the person should be able to articulate. Ask what synergies the partner expects with existing firm clients. Ask what opposing counsel would say about them if asked.
Since this is your first lateral partner interview, I am assuming you are a relatively young partner. Be very attentive to how this candidate treats you. If the candidate treats you like you are unnecessary/irrelevant to their chances of getting an offer, like you are beneath them, hopefully your senior partners will appreciate your giving that feedback. In other words, and to be blunt, if the person is an asshole, report it. The candidate may put on a great act for the senior partners and the real person comes out with someone more junior.
Great answer
So, I think Partner 1 has some good / subtle advice on digging up information.
But, if his assumption is correct that you are a junior partner - and frankly even if you are not - Don’t Be an Asshat.
I will periodically take a request for a discussion with another firm, even though I am not particularly inclined to move. It’s always worth having a conversation if, for instance, a chairman at a big firm has focused his or her sights on me. But, you have that initial conversation and go in to a first round get to know you meeting…and there is so often someone on the firm’s end who doesn’t understand the dynamic (i.e., that they are trying to convince me to take the conversation further and I am listening for why I should do that).
It’s for the very senior partners to do the hard, numbers digging and analysis on strategic fits.
Also when you are talking about the thesis for moving: Jesus. Christ. Do not shit talk the candidate’s firm at all. That is not part of the thesis. I have had this happen 3x in my career (2 of which occurred when I was at different firms, so it is not because I am actually at a bad firm — people are just this dumb). Shit-talking a candidate’s firm is not a good sales pitch. It makes them want to end the call and beat the shit out of the interviewing firm in the marketplace.
I have - in the past - shut down discussions with a firm (with good metrics) after a single one of these get to know you conversations gone wrong. It reflects remarkably poor judgment to put someone who behaves this way in front of me as part of the first round (or any round).
Another example how a firm can send the wrong message would be where I have several different calls that display disorganization due to repeated questioning along the same lines. Similarly, if all they are asking me about is portability on a get to know you call…I have a very negative reaction to that conversation. Get to know you calls isn’t about that stuff…it’s about assessing whether there is a cultural and practice fit. When I see that kind of chaos and arrogance (failure to realize they are selling me and I’m not going to tell them too much about my book until later), well…that’s often all I need to know to stop the discussions.
So, basically, seek guidance from the firm on what your role is in the process and how you can best help them. The firm will be more than happy to help you hone your approach if you ask. Frankly, it’s stunning to me that on this high value stuff, firms are as consistently disorganized as they often are…partners should be going in with an informational discovery or selling mission that is clearly defined, but it is usually total unorganized chaos at best and a waste of the candidate’s time / insulting at worst.
To a big extent, you should be in “sell” mode on your firm. Collect your own impressions but stay in the mode of selling him or her on why to come to your firm. Even if you have an unfavorable impression. You can and should give that candid assessment AFTER the interview within your firm. Your goal is to maximize your own firm’s ability to hire or not hire the candidate.
Regarding the substance, pay attention to what they say about their team and whether they want to bring anyone over. If they claim to have a big book of portable business yet don’t want to bring anyone with them, then chances are either the portable business claims are BS or something else is wrong.