👥 How McKinsey is trialing AI-led job interviews

Hey HR Pros!

Companies are making bold moves to integrate AI across key functions. From hiring and operations to learning and frontline enablement. In this edition, we take a closer look at how 4 organizations are redesigning the way work gets done by pairing AI adoption with thoughtful people strategies.

Upcoming In This Issue:

• 👥 How McKinsey is trialing AI-led job interviews

• 🤖 How Dell is restructuring for speed, intelligence, and AI-ready teams

• 🧠 How PwC is building critical thinkers in the age of AI

• 🎮 How Sprouts is using gamification to reinvent frontline training

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 📰 Latest in HR News

• Last year saw the most layoff announcements since 2020

• Google is hiring ‘tons’ of employees without college degrees, says Co-Founder Sergey Brin

• Gender pay gap in healthcare still exists, analysis shows

• HR leaders brace for ‘age of competition’ as WEF flags decade of workplace volatility

👥 How McKinsey is trialing AI-led job interviews

McKinsey is piloting a new AI-led interview stage that asks candidates to interact directly with its internal AI assistant, Lilli, as part of the final evaluation process.

This is a shift toward assessing not just problem-solving, but AI fluency — and it’s just one part of a broader transformation that now includes 20,000 AI agents embedded across the firm.

Key Insights so far:

• What’s driving the change?
  To ensure new hires are prepared to work in AI-integrated environments, where structured reasoning and tool collaboration are essential.

• Which AI tools are being used?
  Lilli, McKinsey’s proprietary AI assistant, plus a fast-scaling network of 20,000 AI agents embedded into project workflows.

  What business areas are affected?

  • Recruiting: AI interview stage tests decision-making, iteration, and information synthesis under pressure

  • Delivery Teams: Consultants expected to co-work with AI in client engagements

  • Workforce Strategy: Human-AI collaboration is now a core competency across roles

• How is it being implemented?
  The AI interview is live in North America for now, positioned as a final assessment round — with broader rollout likely ahead.

read the full 460-word article here

🤖 How Dell is restructuring for speed, intelligence, and AI-ready teams

When legacy tech companies revamp their core operations, it’s a culture shift that ripples through every org chart. That’s exactly what’s underway at Dell Technologies, where a sweeping transformation called One Dell Way is replacing siloed systems with one unified enterprise platform by May 2026.

Key Insights on One Dell Way

• What’s driving the change for Dell?

  To eliminate inefficiencies from years of acquisitions and position itself as an AI-first enterprise.

• What kind of AI is being used?
  AI tools for decision-making, a new “knowledge layer” trained on company data, and edge AI infrastructure.

• Which functions are impacted?

  • IT & Ops: Moving to one unified platform

  • Customer Service: AI-personalized support

  • Product Development: Faster cycles via AI insights

  • HR: Company-wide training, change management, and upskilling

• How will it roll out?
  By May 2026, all employees will work on one integrated system with AI-powered tools and real-time data access.

read the full 1,413-word article here

🧠 How PwC is building critical thinkers in the age of AI

As AI takes over routine tasks and accelerates decision-making, it’s reshaping how core human skills develop at work.

At PwC, this has prompted a deliberate strategy: embedding curiosity, judgment, and critical thinking into the fabric of employee development, starting from day one.

Key Insights on AI practices at PwC

• What challenge is PwC addressing?
  The risk that automation is eroding skill-building opportunities by removing complexity and mistakes from day-to-day work.

• Which AI-related practices are in focus?

  • The Pause: A micro-habit that encourages employees to stop, question, and validate AI outputs before acting

  • AI + Human Skills sessions: Hands-on, AI-integrated onboarding built around real client work

  • AI learning pathways: Curated upskilling tracks available across all levels and service lines

• What processes or functions are being transformed?

  • Onboarding & L&D: Immersive sessions blend AI with human decision-making from the start

  • Performance Enablement: Real-time coaching and reflection built into team culture

  • Talent Strategy: Apprenticeship mindset encourages long-term, work-embedded skill growth

• How is the strategy being implemented?
  Through cultural modeling, line-specific training, and everyday coaching — ensuring human capabilities grow alongside AI use, not despite it.

read the full 770-word article here

🎮 How Sprouts is using gamification to reinvent frontline training

At Sprouts Farmers Market, daily microlearning has become the new normal, with employees spending just 3–5 minutes per shift engaging in gamified training sessions.

The goal is building confidence on the floor, where product knowledge and customer engagement make a measurable difference.

Key Insights on AI Training

• What challenge is Sprouts addressing?
  Improving learning retention and employee confidence in a fast-paced, customer-facing environment — without taking team members off the floor for long periods.

• What learning tech is being used?

  • Axonify platform: Delivers bite-sized, game-based learning daily

  • Confidence scoring: Employees rate their certainty on answers to help managers identify hidden gaps or reinforce strengths

• What functions are being impacted?

  • Training & Development: Personalized by job role and delivered via multiple devices (including personal phones)

  • Store Management: Managers use learning insights to coach and boost frontline confidence

  • Employee Engagement: Gamification drives 93–94% platform utilization across stores

• How is it being implemented?
  Training is embedded into every shift; employees log in on store devices, handhelds, or their phones to complete daily sessions that reinforce knowledge through repetition and play.

read the full 650-word article here