In Fall 2020, I was a few months into my McKinsey career. My onboarding and first months were virtual. While I was starting my career online, Americans across the country were weathering COVID and facing job losses.
I got an opportunity to make a big difference: helping increase student enrolment at a non-profit that prepares under-resourced people for lasting careers in tech and healthcare.
Our work included three areas: recruiting and enrolment, curriculum, and partnerships. Recruiting and enrolment were important to ensure the non-profit got the right types of students: under-resourced people who needed help the most. Curriculum was also top-of-mind. The non-profit aimed to give people who were jobless or transitioning, such as frontline workers, the knowledge to compete in competitive job markets, such as healthcare and IT. Finally, partnerships were crucial for outreach and direct-to-employment programs.
My favorite part of the project was working with our clients to brainstorm how to make the application process more equitable. As our team broke down parts of the recruiting and enrolment funnel, we noticed drop-offs in some steps more than others. For example, those with only a high school education didn’t perform as well in the initial assessments as other groups. As a result, we developed ways to provide more support during this part of testing to make a passing score more attainable for all demographics.
Our recruiting funnel analysis gave our clients a fresh view of how to make their application process more inclusive. As a result, the team is considering and adopting new measures – such as a new user interface and improved application questions – to bring their services to those who need it most. This is just one sliver of the great impact our team had with these clients.
My time with the non-profit underscored how my McKinsey problem solving kit isn’t limited to business – it’s ubiquitous and can be a force for good.