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McKinsey is asking graduate applicants to “collaborate” with an artificial intelligence tool as part of its recruitment process, as competence with the technology becomes a requirement in competing for top-level jobs.
The blue-chip consultancy is incorporating an “AI interview” into some final-round interviews, according to CaseBasix, a US company that helps candidates apply for posts at leading strategic consulting companies.
In an online post, CaseBasix said candidates in “select final rounds” in the US have been asked to complete tests using McKinsey’s internal AI tool, Lilli. They are required to carry out practical consulting tasks with the help of Lilli.
“In the McKinsey AI interview, you are expected to prompt the AI, review its output, and apply judgment to produce a clear and structured response. The focus is on collaboration and reasoning rather than technical AI expertise,” CaseBasix said.
“In practice, candidates are typically given a business question or scenario similar to real consulting work. Instead of relying only on their own analysis, they use the AI as a support tool to explore information, structure thinking, and refine insights.”
CaseBasix said candidates are not expected to know advanced techniques for prompting – the term for asking AI to carry tasks or answer queries. However, applicants should show they can use AI as a “productive thinking partner” and communicate their reasoning clearly, in a manner akin to how consultants interact with junior team members.
“Based on early reporting and candidate feedback, the McKinsey AI interview appears to assess how candidates think, judge and collaborate with an AI tool rather than their technical AI knowledge,” CaseBasix said.
The use of Lilli in the interview process for business school graduates was first reported by the Financial Times. McKinsey declined to comment.
CaseBasix said the AI interview would take place with two other assessments: problem solving and structured thinking; and personal impact, leadership and values.
Microsoft announced in 2024 that McKinsey would be an early adopter of its Copilot Studio project that can handle autonomous AI agents, or virtual employees, which can perform tasks such as handling client queries and identifying sales leads. Other companies taking part as initial users included the law firm Clifford Chance and the retailer Pets at Home.
The McKinsey chief executive, Bob Sternfels, told the Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast that the company had a “workforce” of 20,000 agents operating alongside its 40,000 staff.
Last year UK recruitment specialists told the Guardian that an affinity and competence with AI was becoming a crucial part of the selection process.
