Competing in the New Talent Market | Harvard Business Review

This article outlines six shifts for organizations to consider as they realign their talent practices to a new world of work. One change is to shift from “pedigree” to “potential,” which underscores how organizations should focus selection criteria more on skills rather than less relevant criteria, such as an academic degree or specific years of experience. As noted in the 30-page research report, The Emerging Degree Reset Report by the Burning Glass Institute, findings from an analysis of over 51 million job postings in the US show organizations are moving away from degree requirements and toward skills-based hiring, especially in middle-skill jobs. This shift can open up 1.4 million jobs for Americans without a college education over the next five years. However, 37 percent of middle-skilled jobs do not show a reduction in requiring a college degree, effectively stripping 15.7 million people out of firms’ candidate pool. Whether it be academic degrees, years of experience, or any other selection criteria, managers should reevaluate selection criteria and determine what should be eliminated—if it is not relevant to effective performance. In looking at your organization’s open jobs or work opportunities, what are the less relevant selection criteria that could be eliminated to deepen your candidate pool?