The Society for Human Resource Management Foundation is partnering with the Charles Koch Foundation to launch a toolkit that promotes a skill-based mindset in the workplace, according to a June 5 announcement from SHRM.
The initiative is focused on solving talent recruitment and retention challenges, particularly through skills-based hiring and retention strategies. The toolkit, as well as a panel focused on skills-based hiring best practices, will launch at the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo on June 13.
“Businesses looking to succeed going forward must continue to evolve their hiring practices,” Wendi Safstrom, president of the SHRM Foundation, said in the announcement.
“The U.S. has entered a skills-based economy,” she said. “And to fit this new environment, employers will need to adopt skills-based hiring practices in their HR Departments.”
The toolkit features 12 action items that employers can take to improve hiring practices and prioritize diverse hiring. The best practices fall into three categories: technology-enabled steps, job promotion communications and organization changes.
Last year, the SHRM Foundation launched the Skilled Credentials at Work campaign to engage employers around skills-based hiring changes and help them adjust their attitudes and processes toward workers who are pursuing credentials and certifications instead of traditional two- or four-year degrees.
In a research report released last year, the SHRM Foundation found that more workers are turning to alternative credentials, and more resources need to be invested in the hiring field to discuss how skilled credentials work and prepare for this shift in the talent acquisition process.
Several employers are paving the way for this change to unfold. Indeed recently launched a platform for skills-based hiring, and Cleveland Clinic was recently a case study for adopting a skills-first approach to hiring. States and local governments have also taken part, with Virginia becoming the latest state to eliminate degree requirements for most government jobs.
At the same time, many companies aren’t adopting a skills-based viewpoint quickly enough to meet labor market demands, according to a recent report, particularly for tech roles. Other options, such as in-house training, apprenticeships, and boot camps, may help fill the gap.
