Implement skills-first hiring
Employers and workers both win when skills are prioritized.
Skills-first hiring
When evaluating candidates and making hiring decisions, skills-first practices place primary emphasis on skills as the determinant of qualification for a role. In other words, “if you can do the job, you should get the job.”
The labor market is broken for both employers and STARs
Employers consistently say they can’t find the skilled, diverse workers they need to fill open roles and meet business goals. 77% of employers reported difficulty finding skilled talent in a 2023 survey, a trend that has spiked since 2020.
Not that long ago, STARs – workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes instead of a bachelor’s degree – provided employers with a reliable pipeline of skilled talent.
Over the past 30 years, skills-building paths outside of a bachelor’s degree have been overlooked and undervalued and a variety of barriers, collectively known as the “paper ceiling” now prevent STARs and employers from finding each other.
Today, the majority of managers with a bachelor’s degree overestimate the number of workers who have degrees. In many sectors, more than half of employers acknowledge filtering out qualified candidates simply because they did not have a bachelor’s degree.
What these managers may not realize is that the skills STARs build through their alternative routes are no less valuable than skills developed through a bachelor’s degree. Opportunity@Work’s research shows that STARs build skills in many lower-wage jobs that overlap with those required for higher-wage jobs.
By screening STARs out, employers are overlooking half of the workforce – diminishing their talent pipeline and ultimately hurting their bottom line.
The benefits of skills-first hiring
Ready to implement skills-first hiring? Here are six key steps:
To build a labor market that works for everyone, hiring managers and HR managers must embrace a mindset shift.
The skills-first movement is based on a simple principle: that the skills you have matter more than where you got them.
HR and talent professionals who value both college and non-college paths equally can open opportunities and advance economic mobility for STARs while also filling critical roles and strengthening their overall talent pipeline.
Our Solutions
STARs Research and Data
Our analytical and research capabilities inform the nation’s understanding of STARs' potential and uncover insights that show how to make positive economic change within regions and industries.
STARs Talent Category Narrative
We reverse misperceptions and correct the narrative about STARs and their skills through public advocacy, including our national advertising campaign, “Tear the Paper Ceiling.”
STAR-Inclusive Tech Tools
We scale skills-first solutions with our talent tech partners by delivering STARs data and insights – enhanced by generative AI – through our “STARSight” tools and APIs.
STAR-Centered Networks
Opportunity@Work activates multi-sector networks – such as our Tear the Paper Ceiling Coalition and our STARs Public Sector Hub – across public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations to pilot and mainstream skills-first practices.
