The graduate’s guide to a new world of work

A curated multimedia collection of our insights to help you hit the ground running in your new job or internship during a period of continuing—and profound—change.

Get ready for a new world

Report - McKinsey Global Institute

The future of work after COVID-19

– The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation, with up to 25 percent more workers than previously estimated potentially needing to switch occupations.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The most fundamental skill: Intentional learning and the career advantage
– Learning itself is a skill. Unlocking the mindsets and skills to develop it can boost personal and professional lives and deliver... a competitive edge.
Article - McKinsey Global Institute

What’s next for remote work: An analysis of 2,000 tasks, 800 jobs, and nine countries
– Hybrid models of remote work are likely to persist in the wake of the pandemic, mostly for a highly educated, well-paid minority... of the workforce.
Article - McKinsey Global Institute

What 800 executives envision for the postpandemic workforce
– Responses to a McKinsey global survey of 800 executives suggest a disruptive period of workplace changes lies ahead due to acceleration... of automation, digitization, and other trends.

Interviews/podcasts

An interview with McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski
– Soon after Chris Kempczinski became CEO, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the restaurant chain suffered the worst quarter in its... history. But under his leadership, recovery—and growth—are once again on the horizon.

An interview with Unilever CHRO Leena Nair
– As chief human resources officer, responsible for 150,000 Unilever employees, Leena Nair prepares for the future of work by focusing... on both the care of people and the competitiveness of the business.

An interview with Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson
– Jeff Lawson talks about software’s growing digital supply chain, the future of flexible work, and the origins of both his... communications-platform company and his new book, Ask Your Developer.

An interview with Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman
– How has the global market exchange remained relevant to its stakeholders after 50 years? By embracing changes in technology, society,... and the economy and by meeting customers’ needs with innovation.

An interview with Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud
– When a marketing executive discovered an unexpected market opportunity, she disrupted the company’s original business—and... became CEO in the process.

An interview with Boston Logan Airport CEO Lisa Wieland
– Massachusetts Port Authority CEO Lisa Wieland discusses why the contactless passenger journey is here to stay and how she’s... building agility and flexibility for her organization.

An interview with Mark Thompson, former CEO of The New York Times
– Thompson looks back on an eight-year tenure that has transformed a 170-year-old news brand into a global, digital-subscription-first... powerhouse—and at what lies ahead for its new leadership.

An interview with Hubert Joly, former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy
– Best Buy’s former chairman and CEO reflects on a business’s reason for being by defining it around purpose and humanity,... the link to competitive advantage, and managing shareholders and stakeholders during a crisis and beyond.

An interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
– CEO Satya Nadella talks about innovation, disruption, and organizational change.

An interview with Eric Schmidt, former Chairman of Alphabet
– As we enter a new golden age of technological innovation, nurturing talent will become more critical, according to the former... chairman of Alphabet.

An interview with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg
– Coming to terms with that reality is invaluable for women trying to find fulfillment as both great leaders and great parents.

An interview with Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks
– The company once grew fast. Now CEO Howard Schultz wants it to grow with discipline—in emerging and developed markets alike.

An interview with BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink
– The physical impact of climate change will lead to a major capital reallocation, says the head of BlackRock, the world’s largest... asset manager.

An interview with the Cofounders of Water.org, actor Matt Damon and Gary White
– What does it take to get clean water to those who need it? According to the cofounders of Water.org, actor Matt Damon and Gary... White, less than you may think—and the payback is tremendous.

An interview with Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani
– The founder of Girls Who Code discusses the need for gender diversity in technical fields and ways companies can begin to achieve... it.

An interview with Nobel laureate Richard Thaler
– The University of Chicago professor explains how executives can battle back against biases that can affect their decision making.

Careers at McKinsey

Learn about careers at McKinsey by reading profiles, launching a job search, or exploring the firm.

Diversity

Report

Diversity wins: How inclusion matters

– The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is stronger than ever. Taking a closer look at diversity winners reveals what can drive real progress.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation
– Concerted and creative new solutions are needed to enable women to seize new opportunities in the automation age; without them,... women may fall further behind in the world of work.
Report

Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector
– Advancing racial equity in the workplace is a system-level challenge—ranging from the structural inequities of geography to underrepresentation... in industries and jobs that could create additional opportunity to the behaviors of the workplace itself.
Article

Black representation in film and TV: The challenges and impact of increasing diversity
– New research reveals the barriers that Black talent in the film and TV industry faces, the economic fallout, and solutions for... creating a more inclusive, equitable workplace.
Report

Reinventing the workplace for greater gender diversity
– Three efforts could kick-start progress to get more women in leadership positions.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Centered leadership: How talented women thrive
– A new approach to leadership can help women become more self-confident and effective business leaders.
Commentary - McKinsey Quarterly

Addressing unconscious bias
– Does lopsided male representation in media skew our perceptions? Geena Davis believes it does and corporations have a critical... role in driving change.

Corporate social responsibility

Article

Help your employees find purpose—or watch them leave

– Employees expect their jobs to bring a significant sense of purpose to their lives. Employers need to help meet this need, or be prepared to lose talent to companies that will.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Taking ownership of a sustainable future
– Three CEOs offer lessons on their pursuit of sustainability.
Article

The case for stakeholder capitalism
– Consumers and society at large are expecting more from business. Embracing these responsibilities can help shareholders, too.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

The social contract in the 21st century
– Economic outcomes and the relationship between individuals and institutions have shifted for workers, consumers, and savers in... advanced economies.

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Income inequality

Report

The case for inclusive growth

– US leaders across sectors have an opportunity to improve economic performance—and bolster individual and community well-being—through investments that embed equity into the development process.

Future of work

Podcast

Grabbing hold of the new future of work

– The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped existing workforce trends and catalyzed new ones. Here’s the latest on what’s next—and what to do about it.
Article

What executives are saying about the future of hybrid work
– Organizations are clear that postpandemic working will be hybrid. After that, the details get hazy.
Video - McKinsey Global Institute

The digital future of work: What skills will be needed?
– Robots have long carried out routine physical activities, but increasingly machines can also take on more sophisticated tasks.... Experts provide advice on the skills people will need going forward.
Executive Briefing - McKinsey Global Institute

AI, automation, and the future of work: Ten things to solve for
– As machines increasingly complement human labor in the workplace, we will all need to adjust to reap the benefits.

Work life

Interview - McKinsey Quarterly

How wellbeing improves performance: An interview with Annastiina Hintsa

– The CEO of Hintsa Performance argues that wellbeing is the foundation of sustainable high performance—not a reward for it.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Making work meaningful: A leader’s guide
– People who find meaning at work are happier, more productive, and more engaged. Four practical interventions can help make the... search more likely to succeed.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

How to turn everyday stress into ‘optimal stress’
– Managed well, stress can be an ally rather than an enemy. Here’s how to use it to your advantage.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Want a better decision? Plan a better meeting
– Effective meetings produce better business decisions. Yet too many decision meetings are doomed from the get-go. You can do better.
Podcast

How to master the seven-step problem-solving process
– Structured problem solving can be used to address almost any complex challenge in business or public policy.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Seven steps to better brainstorming
– Most attempts at brainstorming are doomed. To generate better ideas—and boost the odds that your organization will act on them—start... by asking better questions.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The organizational cost of insufficient sleep
– Sleep-awareness programs can produce better leaders.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The overlooked essentials of employee well-being
– If you really want to increase employees’ health and well-being, focus on job control and social support.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Three keys to faster, better decisions
– Decision makers fed up with slow or subpar results take heart. Three practices can help improve decision making and convince ... skeptical business leaders that there is life after death by committee.

Leadership

Podcast

The vanishing middle manager
– Flatter. Faster. Leaner. The COVID-19 crisis has once again trained a spotlight on the value of middle management. What happens... after the pandemic ends?
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Getting beyond the BS of leadership literature
– Management books and commentaries often oversimplify, seldom providing useful guidance about the skills and behavior needed to... get things done. Here’s a better reading list for leaders.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Want to be a better leader? Observe more and react less
– Overloaded executives need coping mechanisms. This personal reflection shows how meditation can help.
Interview - McKinsey Quarterly

Leadership and behavior: Mastering the mechanics of reason and emotion
– A Nobel Prize winner and a leading behavioral economist offer common sense and counterintuitive insights on performance, collaboration,... and innovation.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Decoding leadership: What really matters
– New research suggests that the secret to developing effective leaders is to encourage four types of behavior.
Article

Leadership in a crisis: Responding to the coronavirus outbreak and future challenges
– For many executives, the coronavirus pandemic is a crisis unlike any other in recent times. Five leadership practices can help... you respond effectively.
Article

The mindsets and practices of excellent CEOs
– The CEO’s job is as difficult as it is important. Here is a guide to how the best CEOs think and act.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Leading with inner agility
– Disruptive times call for transformational leaders with a knack for addressing complex problems. To navigate effectively, we must... learn to let go—and become more complex ourselves.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

What’s missing in leadership development?
– Only a few actions matter, and they require the CEO’s attention.

Innovation

Article

Innovation: Your launchpad out of the COVID-19 crisis

– To innovate your way out of this downturn, you need to change behaviors and mindsets—starting at the very top.
Podcast

The power of design thinking
– Infusing your organization with a design-driven culture that puts the customer first may provide not only real, measurable results... but also a distinct competitive advantage.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The eight essentials of innovation
– Strategic and organizational factors are what separate successful big-company innovators from the rest of the field.