In the early 1990s, as nonstop crises and fierce competition put pressure on the consulting industry to scale fast, firms faced a talent drought. The demand for strategic guidance skyrocketed, but the supply of top-tier MBA graduates simply couldn’t keep pace . Suddenly, consulting powerhouses had to look beyond the traditional pipeline.
McKinsey, for instance, famously questioned whether to hire large numbers of non-MBA recruits—not because they didn’t want MBAs, but because they’d reached the limits of the talent pool . European offices leaned into hiring Ph.D.s, rising managers from national corporations, and Rhodes and Marshall scholars . Other firms followed suit, embracing science and engineering graduates, students, and even career-changers who lacked the usual credentials.
Fast-forward a few years, and a surprising pattern emerged: service quality held steady. The so-called “ordinary people,” when trained and trusted, performed just as well as prestigious MBAs. This wasn’t just anecdotal—consulting bills didn’t dip, clients remained satisfied, and deliverables stayed high caliber. While figures are sparse, this phenomenon embodies one of the few times cutting hiring standards didn’t cut service quality, and it even earned a place in The War for Talent (2001), McKinsey’s seminal work on talent obsession .
Why did this work? Multiple dynamics played a role:
Talent Mindset Over Credentials: McKinsey’s War for Talent championed the idea that exceptional outcomes depend more on mindset and intrinsic ability than school pedigree .
Analytical Excellence and Growth: Strategy firms had sharpened their brand of analysis—tools from BCG’s growth matrix to learning curves—making bright but unconventional hires effective quickly .
Necessity Breeds Innovation: With huge growth strains, consulting firms fast-tracked nontraditional candidates through targeted on-the-job development, rather than prolonged classroom training .
This episode offers a counter-narrative to the credential-obsessed “war for talent.” It shows that, under pressure, firms can expand their aperture, diversify hiring, and still deliver top performance. The lesson? Skill, adaptability, and quality training may matter more than pedigree—and crises can force a rethink of hiring orthodoxy.