Is McKinsey’s AI Skills Assessment the Future of HR?

McKinsey is asking job candidates to work with Lilli, its internal AI tool, as part of its recruitment process, according to consulting firm CaseBasix. 

CaseBasix says it learned from internal sources that some candidates are being asked to ‘collaborate’ with the tool in final round interviews, so recruiters can assess candidates’ ability to use AI productively in their workflow. 

According to the company, McKinsey is looking for candidates who can think, judge and collaborate with an AI tool, maintaining ownership of the final product by making sound decisions when an AI response is not quite right. 

AI acceleration transforming hiring

The decision for McKinsey to implement AI in its hiring process comes at a time of rapid change for the company, as AI continues to play a significant role in consultancy work. 

Bob Sternfels, CEO of McKinsey, told Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast that in mid-2024, the company had only 3,000 AI agents. 

“I originally thought it was going to take us to 2030 to get to one agent per human,” He explained to IdeaCast. “I think we’re going to be there in 18 months, and we’ll have every employee enabled by at least one or more agents.”

At the 2026 Consumer Electronics show, Bob revealed that the number of AI agents McKinsey is using is close to 25,000, with a company spokesperson confirming to Business Insider that this is the company’s most up-to-date figure. 

Bob told IdeaCast that, while the development of AI will fundamentally change consultancy work, it was nothing the company hadn’t seen before. 

He says: “The stuff I did when I joined as an associate 32 years ago, we wouldn’t consider even doing right now. Why? Because clients do that stuff themselves, and we are solving much more complicated questions with our clients. 

“I think what this is going to then mean is that this is just going to be the next evolution.”

The role of AI in the workforce 

As companies across industries continue to develop their AI capabilities, organisations are reframing the type of candidate they are looking for. 

A 2024 Work Trend Index report by Microsoft and LinkedIn found that 66% of business leaders would not hire someone without AI skills, with 71% preferring candidates with AI knowledge over someone with traditional experience. 

Hiring employees with an acute understanding of AI is crucial for companies looking to scale the technology, with NVIDIA as a key example. 

According to a November 2025 all-hands meeting reported on by Business Insider, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is encouraging employees to use AI as much as they can, saying: “My understanding is that Nvidia has some managers who are telling their people to use less AI.

“I want every task that is possible to be automated with AI to be automated with AI. I promise you, you will have work to do.”

Consultancy and talent firm Robert Half has also reported a rise in AI skills as a priority for employers. 

Considering what the Work Trend Index report means for businesses, Thomas Vick, Senior Regional Director for Technology at Robert Half, says: “Every organisation is – no matter what the skill set might be – looking to see if they can find someone that potentially has some experience with AI, and specifically generative AI, and now you’ve got agentic AI on the horizon, so they’re definitely looking for people who have experience in those areas.”