If you want to work at BlackRock, make sure they use AI. However, be careful not to use too much.
Nigel Williams, global head of talent acquisition at BlackRock, said AI is changing hiring priorities and mastering the technology is now the key to powerful applications. However, we caution against relying on it during the interview process.
“We want to hire people who understand that AI is out there and are curious,” he told Business Insider. Especially since AI is being integrated into the entire function of the world's largest asset management company.
The best applicants will be able to demonstrate that they are digital natives, comfortable with various AI tools, and interested in future capabilities. Williams said younger talent is “upskilling for this moment” because applicants without a computer science background often demonstrate proficiency in AI. He added that everyone will need a basic understanding of prompt engineering and its methods. Question the output of the AI.
“In this age of AI, the people skills we need more than ever are people who are curious, who ask questions, and who are willing to not only trust what the models are presenting, but to continually pressure test it,” he said. Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills are also becoming more important, he said.
Williams said his team has come up with a way to assess applicants' AI abilities, making sure that people without a technical background are not intimidated. He is interested in how people use this technology in their personal, academic or work lives, and said his team is still fine-tuning how to assess that in the interview process.
Despite the new focus on how applicants interact with AI, Williams isn't using it to screen candidates. Now he uses AI to schedule interviews.
However, there is such a thing as too much AI in the application process.
Williams said recruiters and hiring managers tell people not to use AI tools before interviews, but they sometimes have little use.
“It's very common. Sometimes we see people looking left or right. Our interview team can sense that if you're in the middle of that and say, 'We want to make sure you're staying focused,'” Williams said.
BlackRock employs about 24,600 people in more than 30 countries, according to a Nov. 5 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company employed about 21,100 people at the end of 2024, according to that year's annual report.
BlackRock has launched Asimov, an agent AI platform for equity businesses. Speaking at the annual New York Times Dealbook Summit this week, CEO Larry Fink said there are “big winners and big failures” with the technology.
