The QA Commons is mindful of the dramatic and transformational impact COVID-19 is having on all institutions of higher education. As an organization, we are adapting our services to support preparing graduates for the workplace that is now changing more precipitously than ever.
Across sectors, employers are rethinking how talent is identified and developed, shifting from degrees and job titles toward demonstrable skills. Research highlights both the urgency of this transition, as work evolves rapidly, and the implementation gap: while many organizations have removed degree requirements, meaningful progress requires better assessment methods, clearer skill validation, stronger coaching and development systems, and alignment between hiring, advancement, and workforce planning.
Research from the Burning Glass Institute and OneTen, published in March 2026, shows that validated credentials can increase wages and expand opportunity for workers without degrees. Yet many employers struggle to interpret credential signals in hiring, underscoring the importance of clear evidence of job-relevant skills and capabilities.
In a February 2026 interview with McKinsey & Co, Standard Chartered Chief Strategy and Talent Officer Tanuj Kapilashrami argues that both education and hiring have long overemphasized technical skills—even as the “half-life” of those skills shrinks and many become commoditized. As human–AI collaboration becomes the dominant work pattern, she suggests that the most valuable capabilities will be distinctly human ones: judgment, navigating ambiguity, and adapting to change.
This August 2025 article from Workday explores the rise of skills-based hiring and the untapped talent pool known as STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes)—workers who have built valuable employability skills outside traditional degree pathways. Recognizing and assessing these skills can expand opportunity while helping employers better identify capable candidates.
This March 2025 World Economic Forum article argues that skills-based hiring is essential in an era where nearly 40% of current skills are expected to change by 2030. Rather than hiring for job titles or past experience, organizations should prioritize durable, human skills — such as adaptability, relationship-building, cognitive agility, and the ability to learn new tools — that enable workers to transition into roles that do not yet exist. The piece reinforces a core employability insight: technical skills may evolve rapidly, but foundational, transferable skills drive long-term career mobility and organizational agility
This February 2024 report from the Burning Glass Institute and Harvard Business School examines whether employers’ commitments to skills-based hiring have translated into real changes in who gets hired. Analyzing job postings and actual hiring outcomes, the authors find that while degree requirements are increasingly removed, meaningful increases in hiring non-degreed workers remain limited without deeper changes to hiring practices.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor introduced this resource, aimed at helping employers adopt skills-based hiring practices to build a more qualified and inclusive workforce. Announced at the White House’s “Classroom to Career” Summit, this guide was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce and other public and private stakeholders.
This 2024 report discusses the challenges in assessing and verifying soft skills, which are often difficult to measure through traditional assessments. Ultimately, the report suggests that organizations should prioritize soft/employability skills through better coaching, mentorship, personalized development plans, and more frequent skills assessments to improve workforce agility and retention.
LinkedIn’s 2023 Skills-First Report is centered on reimagining the labor force and breaking down barriers – done by shifting mindsets so that we hire based on skills and learning and not solely on degree or job title.
This report presents the fastest-growing digital and human skills on Coursera entering 2023. An interesting find is that while the top ten digital skills vary significantly from last year, the human skills in demand remain steadier – suggesting an evergreen demand for skills like change management and communication.
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