The Future. The job-networking platform is wagering that employers will one day focus less on applicants’ degrees and previous job titles and more on their skills. Because LinkedIn is already a trailblazer, having revolutionized what’s “acceptable behavior” in the job market, it could break new ground by expanding economic opportunity for people who didn’t go to college.
The new currency
While 80% of employers believe they should hire based on skills, 50% say they’re still hiring college graduates because it feels less risky, according to a 2022 survey.
- But the tight job market of the past two years has forced employers to cast a bigger net.
- LinkedIn launched a skills-matching feature in February and reports 45% of recruiters now search for candidates using skills data.
License to skill
Employers have leaned heavily on college degrees in the past to verify social skills that are challenging to authenticate. Outside of technical skills, like coding, that are easy to test for, there’s no standard classification system for “soft skills,” like communication and teamwork, which can be just as valuable in a workplace.
Until we have certification for a wider range of skills, employers may just have to trust the applicant’s word on their job profile.
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