McKinsey to hire Liberal Arts candidates! Consulting giant looks for creativity potential amid growing AI adoption
Consulting giant McKinsey aims to hire liberal arts candidates it had not previously prioritized in order to increase creativity as it incorporates artificial intelligence into its operations.
Bob Sternfels, global managing partner of McKinsey & Company, said in an interview with Harvard Business Review: “Beyond the next logical step, we’re starting to understand which backgrounds tend to produce the most creative solutions. We’re looking more at the liberal arts majors that we’ve deprioritized as potential sources of creativity.”
According to Fortune, with Sternfels’ statement, McKinsey joins the list of companies looking to hire liberal arts graduates; among them is Ravi Kumar S, CEO of IT firm Cognizant Technology Solutions, which says it is actively recruiting candidates with liberal arts degrees.
Adoption of artificial intelligence is increasing
The company’s latest approach comes as McKinsey embraces artificial intelligence in its operations. About a year and a half ago, the management consulting firm had only 3,000 AI representatives, though its 40,000 employees far outnumbered them. However, in just 18 months, the number of AI agents is expected to increase by over 500%.
“When people ask me how many people McKinsey employs, my answer is 60,000: 40,000 people and 20,000 agents. A year and a half ago we had the same number of people but only 3,000 agents. I think in the next 18 months every employee will be supported by one or more agents. We will have a workforce of people and agents and we will need to manage that,” Sternfels said. as if saying.
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of the hiring process
McKinsey is currently evaluating how well job candidates work with an AI tool during the interview process. The company requires candidates to complete a test using its internal AI tool, Lilli, as part of the hiring process, according to a report by Fortune citing CaseBasix, a consulting interview preparation company.
CaseBasix noted that internal sources have indicated that some candidates may need to use the company’s AI tool during the final round AI interview. McKinsey is targeting business school students with Lilli, the Financial Times reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the Fortune report, McKinsey is actively supporting artificial intelligence in recruiting. The company’s careers page advises candidates to use AI to refine their resumes and practice interview questions. However, it warns against irresponsible use during evaluations, such as creating responses.
Referring to the company’s career page, the report said, “We welcome those who share our curiosity about artificial intelligence and its potential.”
