McKinsey adds AI client simulation to entry-level interviews
McKinsey will include a 10-minute conversation with an AI-simulated client in interviews for some entry-level candidates, according to The Wall Street Journal. The exercise is meant to represent many situations consultants encounter, and human evaluators, not the AI, will judge how candidates respond. The test is rolling out this fall for undergraduate business-analyst applicants in select North American offices and may involve hundreds of people.
McKinsey & Company plans to test the exercise with undergraduate business-analyst hopefuls in certain North American offices this autumn. The Wall Street Journal reports that hundreds of applicants could take part. The simulated client conversation is intended to reflect about 80 percent of situations consultants encounter regularly, though it is not meant to act like an erratic client.
The AI does not grade responses. Instead, human assessors observe and evaluate how candidates handle the scenario. The article also notes that other employers are developing AI-avatar interview tools, and a Verge colleague tested some of those systems earlier this year.
This shift could affect entry-level applicants, recruiters, and consulting clients. Candidates may need to demonstrate composure and communication with simulated stakeholders, potentially changing how they prepare for interviews. Firms could gain more consistent scenario-based assessments, but reliance on AI simulations may raise questions about fairness, access, and whether such tools capture interpersonal nuance. Human evaluators remaining involved may mitigate some concerns, though the experiment’s broader effects on hiring norms remain uncertain.