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Many organizations report an increasing focus on skills-based hiring, prioritizing candidates’ skills over traditional credentials such as academic degrees. However, as I’ve shared previously, recent studies on the impact of removing degree requirements from job descriptions show mixed results. One reason for these outcomes is that simply removing degree requirements is insufficient by itself to bridge the gap between the intent and impact of skills-based hiring. Stated differently, without proper support, managers are likely to rely on degrees as a proxy for skills. This new 22-page paper examines Cisco’s efforts to adopt a skills-first hiring approach, highlighting how the organization equips managers to make more effective skills-based hiring decisions. Some of these tactics include: 1) centralizing the budget for the first 100 hires in the skills-based hiring initiative to reduce the risk for managers and build robust evidence of the program’s success (see page 7); 2) socializing the program internally through a communication roadshow to engage key stakeholders and identify roles within their units that could be a good fit for skills-based hiring (refer to exhibits 1 and 2 in the appendix); and 3) equipping hiring managers with the necessary resources and mindsets to succeed, such as skills-based job descriptions and interview guidelines (exhibit 3 includes a communication to managers outlining various resources). Other ideas are discussed.
