McKinsey is making job applicants spar with a fake AI client

What happened

McKinsey & Company is adding a 10-minute conversation with an AI simulation of a client into its interview process for some entry-level candidates. The AI simulation presents typical client scenarios McKinsey consultants face, covering about 80% of the day-to-day interactions. Unlike a live interview, the AI is not scoring candidates. Instead, human interviewers observe the candidate’s ability to navigate the simulated client’s concerns and communication style.

Why it matters

This move forces candidates to prove their consulting communication skills in real time against a dynamic AI, rather than simply answering standard questions. It pressures applicants to demonstrate adaptability to unexpected issues, client management, and problem framing, skills critical to consulting work. For McKinsey, it enhances the interview process by making candidate assessment more interactive and standardized across a broad set of real-world consulting situations. For recruiters and similar firms, it signals a growing role for AI in behavioral and situational interviews, potentially raising the bar on candidate preparedness and evaluation efficiency.

What to watch next

Operators should watch if other consulting or client-facing firms adopt simulated AI clients in interviews or training to screen or sharpen interpersonal and problem-solving skills at scale. Also note how AI-driven assessments evolve: whether they become more autonomous in scoring or remain tools for human evaluators to extract richer candidate insights. Finally, this sets a precedent for training simulations powered by AI that not only test but also build real client engagement skills before new hires join the workforce.

AI Quick Briefs Editorial Desk