McKinsey wants freshers to convince AI clients to land jobs
What's the story
McKinsey & Company, the global consulting giant, is adding a unique twist to its hiring process. The firm is testing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in interviews by asking some entry-level candidates to interact with an AI-generated avatar representing a client. The 10-minute exercise is designed to see how well applicants can think on their feet and deal with difficult client conversations.
Evaluation criteria
What happens in an AI interview?
During this AI interview, candidates will have a 10-minute conversation with the AI-generated client avatar on a laptop in McKinsey's offices.
Human interviewers will be present, observing how well applicants listen, respond to the client's concerns, and adapt when new information comes up.
The aim is to see how candidates react when a conversation takes an unexpected turn.
AI training
AI tool simulates different client personalities
The AI tool used in this process has been programmed to simulate different client personalities.
This includes a "professorial" client who wants to understand the reasoning behind McKinsey's recommendations.
Saleem Zafar, a McKinsey partner in Dallas who helped design the pilot, said that the avatar is not meant to act like an unreasonable client or ask trick questions.
Realism in training
AI avatar exercise to replicate real-world consulting scenarios
The exercise with the AI avatar is intended to replicate around 80% of the situations consultants might face in their day-to-day work.
Interviewers will look at whether candidates pick up on important details and address a client's concerns or simply push ahead with their own agenda.
This new approach is part of a broader trend, with companies experimenting with AI-powered recruitment tools like automated screening systems and software that detects cheating during interviews.
Fairness in hiring
Making interviews fairer with AI
McKinsey believes that the use of an AI avatar could make these exercises fairer, as human interviewers may differ in how much they challenge candidates.
The company has made it clear that the AI will not decide who gets the job. Human interviewers will remain responsible for assessing applicants.
This move comes amid concerns over bias and changing regulations in AI-powered recruitment tools.