McKinsey & Company, one of the most globally recognized consulting powerhouses, has made it explicitly clear that the widespread anxiety surrounding artificial intelligence and its supposed capacity to eliminate entry-level careers may be misplaced. Contrary to the view that automation will decimate opportunities for early-career professionals, the firm is not only retaining its commitment to junior hiring but in fact expanding it in measurable ways.
Eric Kutcher, a senior partner and chair of McKinsey North America, addressed journalists during the company’s media day in New York, underscoring that the organization currently employs somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 non-partner professionals in the region. Kutcher went further, projecting that over the next five years this population of employees could increase by a substantial margin—potentially 15% to 20%. Such expansion, he noted, represents a tangible investment in cultivating the next generation of consultants and problem solvers. As part of this trajectory, for 2026 alone, McKinsey anticipates hiring 12% more new employees in North America than it expects to bring onboard in 2025. This forward-looking approach reveals the company’s confidence in both market demand and the indispensable role of talented human beings.
In explaining this approach, Kutcher emphasized that while artificial intelligence has become a transformative tool across industries, not all intellectual challenges can be automated. The firm’s engagements, he explained, will continue to demand the same degree of analytical sharpness, intellectual rigor, and quick adaptability that have defined consulting work for decades. Such responsibilities, he stressed, lie firmly within the capacities of human professionals, operating in ways beyond what machines alone can replicate.
This statement runs against the prevailing cultural conversation that automation will drastically curtail opportunities for those launching careers. McKinsey instead emphasizes a different narrative: that growth and innovation will still depend heavily on human contributions and creativity. Kutcher further confirmed that the firm remains active on university campuses, seeking young graduates with strong potential. These recruits often bring distinctive strengths, particularly when it comes to comfort and fluency with emerging technologies such as AI itself. To illustrate this, Kutcher observed that a 20-year-old economics student who has grown up surrounded by advanced digital tools may very well exhibit greater agility and familiarity in applying such technologies than a mid-career professional accustomed to older modes of problem-solving.
This embrace of fresh recruits is welcome news at a time when the broader job market shows signs of fragility. Many office-based professionals are currently struggling to find jobs, as employers exercise caution in the face of economic uncertainty. McKinsey’s announcement provides reassurance that opportunities for talented newcomers are not evaporating everywhere, and in some cases are even expanding.
Looking beyond his own firm, Kutcher offered a broader perspective on how artificial intelligence might reshape labor markets. Rather than heralding a catastrophic mass shedding of jobs, he suggested that AI-assisted efficiencies could actually give corporations the flexibility to reinvest savings into areas that fuel expansion and innovation. For example, an enterprise might become significantly more efficient in one operational segment through AI deployment, thereby freeing financial resources that can be redirected toward new growth initiatives—and crucially, toward creating or preserving employment.
Interestingly, Kutcher observed that few chief executives he converses with are genuinely enthusiastic about cost reductions for their own sake. While some trimming of expenses may be necessary in response to market conditions, most leaders are motivated not by contraction but by growth opportunities. He highlighted one instance of a CEO who remarked that his company had likely reached the peak of hiring for the moment. However, rather than cutting staff, the executive planned to reassign employees into new roles better aligned with evolving strategic priorities. Such redeployments underscore an alternative path in which companies adapt their human capital to meet emerging needs, rather than simply eliminating positions.
Ultimately, Kutcher concluded on an optimistic note, expressing his belief that the integration of sophisticated technologies such as artificial intelligence could usher in a new level of productivity and economic vitality, one that has not yet been fully experienced. Instead of diminishing the role of people, McKinsey’s outlook suggests that technology will work in tandem with human ingenuity, enabling companies to unlock value in ways that create—not destroy—opportunities for workers at every stage of their careers.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/mckinsey-growing-entry-level-hires-ai-era-partner-says-2025-9
