Staying updated on the latest workforce trends is crucial for TA leaders and HR professionals. This week, we delve into three significant developments shaping the talent landscape and get SocialTalent CEO, Johnny Campbell’s first-hand takes on these pieces.
- Bloomberg reports on a pending law that prioritizes skills-based hiring over degree requirements in federal roles. Advocates say this move could modernize hiring practices, boost diversity, and address labor shortages.
- FMJ spotlights Sodexo’s Starting Fresh program, which guarantees job interviews for ex-offenders who meet job criteria. This initiative aims to reduce reoffending and foster inclusive workplaces.
- Inc shares how Inc. 5000 founders find top talent by embedding culture-fit assessments, leveraging AI, and ensuring fair, transparent hiring practices to build aligned teams.
Join us as we explore these pivotal insights and their implications for the future of work.
1. Hiring Focused on Skills Over Degrees Gets Boost in Pending Law
Source: Bloomberg
Pending federal legislation is set to prioritize skills-based hiring over degree requirements in public sector roles, boosting diversity and inclusivity in the workforce. The Chance to Compete Act, expected to be signed by President Biden, requires agencies to assess candidates on skills, not education credentials. This aligns with trends in private companies like Google and IBM, which are reducing reliance on degrees. Advocates argue this approach addresses labor shortages, taps diverse talent, and modernizes hiring practices.
Johnny Campbell’s take on this:
“This is a really welcome move and hopefully signals to private employers that this is the way forward. To be clear, skills based hiring isn’t for every role but the removal of degree credentials when they are blatantly unnecessary for many roles, is a huge step forward to open up new talent pools and reduce barriers for under-represented candidates.“
2. Sodexo Offers Guaranteed Job Interviews to Ex-Offenders
Source: FMJ
Sodexo has introduced guaranteed job interviews for ex-offenders through its Starting Fresh programme, advancing its commitment to social mobility. Applicants with disclosed criminal convictions who meet job criteria are assured interviews, providing vital opportunities to rebuild their lives. Sodexo has already employed 96 individuals with convictions this year, with a third hired directly from its prisons within six weeks of release. This initiative aims to reduce reoffending while fostering inclusive workplaces and supporting community reintegration.
Johnny Campbell’s take on this:
“The hiring of formally incarcerated talent does not get enough of a light shone on it so we applaud this initiative from Sodexo who also offer a toolkit on how to do likewise, linked to this article. The data shows that this untapped pool of talent is loyal, hard working and has lower attrition rates. If your organization still won’t consider talent with disclosed convictions, think again.“
3. How Inc. 5000 Founders Find Great Hires
Source: Inc
Finding top talent in today’s competitive market requires smart strategies. Inc. 5000 founders emphasize embedding culture-fit assessments throughout the hiring process, avoiding biases like pedigree or likability, and leveraging AI for efficiency. They also recommend transparency in salary discussions to build trust and streamline hiring timelines to keep candidates engaged. Fractional hires can provide flexibility for specialized roles, while consistent evaluation processes ensure fairness and credibility for all candidates, fostering stronger, aligned teams.
Johnny Campbell’s take on this:
“Ah, founders! They’re so well meaning but please, please, please don’t let them dictate your hiring process. “Culture Fit”? Are we all the way back in 2010?? The advice here is all good, if you ignore the culture stuff and think about values and behaviours instead. The entire recruiting industry already gets this (just like they get every other piece of advice in this article) but we’ve all sat in front of “that” exec who just learned about hiring from an article in Inc or Fortune and who now thinks they are a hiring genius. Leave it to the experts!!“
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The post Talent News Round-Up: Skills Focused Hiring, Ex-Offenders, and Great Talent appeared first on SocialTalent.