# McKinsey ditches the MBA playbook for AI talent

> The consulting giant is recruiting mathematicians, startup founders, and engineers instead of business school graduates to build technology for clients.
- Title: McKinsey ditches the MBA playbook for AI talent | Shortify
- Summary: The consulting giant is recruiting mathematicians, startup founders, and engineers instead of business school graduates to build technology for clients. Top…
- Keywords: mckinsey, consulting, recruiting, artificial intelligence, talent acquisition, mba, quantumblack, deloitte, pwc, kpmg, bcg, ditches
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/mckinsey-recruiting-embracing-wider-pool-talent-ai-age-2026-9
- Author: Lakshmi Varanasi
- Published: 2026-09-17T19:03:11.249+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mckinsey, consulting, recruiting, artificial intelligence, talent acquisition, mba, quantumblack, deloitte, pwc, ey, kpmg, bcg
## McKinsey's MBA era is ending
For decades, an MBA was the clearest path into elite consulting. Now the firm is recruiting mathematicians, computer-science PhDs, startup founders, and tech company veterans instead.

> Our recruiting changed dramatically in the last few years. We recruit from places we haven't recruited before.
## AI is reshaping consulting work
As artificial intelligence changes what consulting firms do for clients, they need people who can build technology and devise strategy around it, not just strategy alone.

> Today many, many of our colleagues are coming from non-MBA backgrounds, and then technology too is kind of the next wave.
## The industry is hiring fewer consultants overall
Job postings from the seven largest consulting firms fell 24% year-over-year through May 2026, but AI roles grew from 1.4% to 5% of their total openings.
## Forward-deployed engineers are the new role
Consulting firms created 1,404 forward-deployed-engineer openings in one year, up from zero. These roles require engineers to deploy AI systems inside client organizations and do client-facing consulting work.
## McKinsey is recruiting outside traditional schools
The firm is hiring through coding bootcamps, non-degree pathways, and different geographies. It seeks curious people with deep technical skills who want to solve client problems through technology.
## QuantumBlack grew from 47 to over 5,000 people
McKinsey's AI arm expanded dramatically over a decade, now employing data scientists, engineers, designers, product managers, and product owners across multiple disciplines.
## Key takeaway

Top consulting firms are abandoning their traditional MBA-focused hiring to compete for technical talent who can build and deploy AI systems.