McKinsey to hire more liberal arts grads as AI takes over routine work
McKinsey & Company is shaking up its hiring by prioritizing liberal arts graduates, hoping their creative thinking will help solve problems in a world where AI is everywhere.
"We're starting to figure out which backgrounds tend to produce the most-creative solutions, beyond just the next logical step," said global managing partner Bob Sternfels.
Why this matters
The firm now has 20,000 AI agents—up from just 3,000 a year and a half ago—working alongside 40,000 human employees.
To keep up with this shift, McKinsey is even piloting AI-powered interviews that test candidates' judgment and soft skills.
But while they're betting big on creativity and tech-savvy hires, about 10% of non-client-facing jobs are set to be cut over the next 18 months.
Not just McKinsey
Cognizant's CEO Ravi Kumar S says he's recruiting candidates with liberal arts degrees.
The move signals that companies are seeing real value in diverse backgrounds—even as AI reshapes what work looks like.