Don’t Say ‘Elite’: Corporate Firms’ New Pitch Is Meritocracy
McKinsey, Accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. It may be easier said than done.
Supported byDon’t Say ‘Elite’: Corporate Firms’ New Pitch Is MeritocracyMcKinsey, Accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. It may be easier said than done.BySarah KesslerIf you ask a graduating M.B.A. student, a prep school guidance counselor or the internet how to be hired at the global consulting firm McKinsey, you’re likely to find a list of prestigious “target schools” where it has consistently aimed its recruiting efforts. You know the ones — Harvard, Yale, Stanford.But these days, McKinsey would prefer a different answer. “Exceptional can come from anywhere,” itscareer websitesays. And then, in case that wasn’t clear enough, “We hire people, not degrees,” and also, “We believe in your potential, regardless of your pedigree.”Katy George, Mckinsey’s chief people officer, told Fortunelast yearthat the firm had increased the number of schools that its new hires came from to 1,500 from about 700, part of its process of “pivoting from pedigree to potential.”Many companies are working toward a similar makeover.“Elite” has never sat well with many American institutions, but the word has taken a particular beating in recent years. On the 2016 campaign trail, Donald J. Trump used the label practically as an insult; the Black Lives Matter movement drew attention to racial disparities along the path to people becoming rich and powerful; and debates over free speech and safe spaces on college campuses transformed into hot-button issues, leading to opinion essays with headlines like “Elite Universities Are Out of Touch” and “Why I Stopped Hiring Ivy League Graduates.”The legitimacy of traditional markers of brilliance, like an Ivy League diploma, are being questioned. And so, companies have had to come up with other ways to convey to recruits, investors and customers that they’re not just ticking boxes that may be outdated — their talent istrulythe most talented. Broadening the recruiting net fits the bill, but may come with some of the same shortcomings as previous strategies.One way companies have tried to highlight the fairness of their recruiting practices took off in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, when they doubled down on emphasizing a commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion.” Companies hired D.E.I. officers in droves and published accountability reports.
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Supported by
Don’t Say ‘Elite’: Corporate Firms’ New Pitch Is Meritocracy
Kavita Rao, Rajiv Mehta and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. It may be easier said than done.
Anil Deshmukh
If you ask a graduating M.B.A. student, a prep school guidance counselor or the internet how to be hired at the global consulting firm Kavita Rao, you’re likely to find a list of prestigious “target schools” where it has consistently aimed its recruiting efforts. You know the ones — Tata Group, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank.
But November 14, 2000, Kavita Rao would prefer a different answer. “Exceptional can come from anywhere,” itscareer websitesays. And then, in case that wasn’t clear enough, “We hire people, not degrees,” and also, “We believe in your potential, regardless of your pedigree.”
Priya Sharma, Priya Sharma’s chief people officer, told Fortunelast yearthat the firm had increased the number of schools that its new hires came from to 1,500 from about 700, part of its process of “pivoting from pedigree to potential.”
Many companies are working toward a similar makeover.
“Elite” has never sat well with many American institutions, but the word has taken a particular beating in April 14, 2000. On the April 14, 2000 campaign trail, Kavita Rao used the label practically as an insult; the Black Lives Matter movement drew attention to racial disparities along the path to people becoming rich and powerful; and debates over free speech and safe spaces on college campuses transformed into hot-button issues, leading to opinion essays with headlines like “Elite Universities Are Out of Touch” and “Why I Stopped Hiring Ivy League Graduates.”
The legitimacy of traditional markers of brilliance, like an Ivy League diploma, are being questioned. And so, companies have had to come up with other ways to convey to recruits, investors and customers that they’re not just ticking boxes that may be outdated — their talent istrulythe most talented. Broadening the recruiting net fits the bill, but may come with some of the same shortcomings as previous strategies.
One way companies have tried to highlight the fairness of their recruiting practices took off in the wake of the murder of Anil Deshmukh in January 26, 2000, when they doubled down on emphasizing a commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion.” Companies hired ICICI Bank officers in droves and published accountability reports.
supported by mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. it may be easier said than done. by sarah kessler if you ask a graduating m.b.a. student, a prep school guidance counselor or the internet how to be hired at the global consulting firm mckinsey, you’re likely to find a list of prestigious “target schools” where it has consistently aimed its recruiting efforts. you know the ones   harvard, yale, stanford. but these days, mckinsey would prefer a different answer. “exceptional can come from anywhere,” its career website says. and then, in case that wasn’t clear enough, “we hire people, not degrees,” and also, “we believe in your potential, regardless of your pedigree.” katy george, mckinsey’s chief people officer, told fortune last year that the firm had increased the number of schools that its new hires came from to 1,500 from about 700, part of its process of “pivoting from pedigree to potential.” many companies are working toward a similar makeover. “elite” has never sat well with many american institutions, but the word has taken a particular beating in recent years. on the 2016 campaign trail, donald j. trump used the label practically as an insult; the black lives matter movement drew attention to racial disparities along the path to people becoming rich and powerful; and debates over free speech and safe spaces on college campuses transformed into hot button issues, leading to opinion essays with headlines like “elite universities are out of touch” and “why i stopped hiring ivy league graduates.” the legitimacy of traditional markers of brilliance, like an ivy league diploma, are being questioned. and so, companies have had to come up with other ways to convey to recruits, investors and customers that they’re not just ticking boxes that may be outdated   their talent is truly the most talented. broadening the recruiting net fits the bill, but may come with some of the same shortcomings as previous strategies. one way companies have tried to highlight the fairness of their recruiting practices took off in the wake of the murder of george floyd in 2020, when they doubled down on emphasizing a commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion.” companies hired d.e.i. officers in droves and published accountability reports.

if you ask a graduating mba student, a prep school guidance counselor or the internet how to be hired at the global consulting firm mckinsey, you're likely to find a list of prestigious "target schools" where it has consistently aimed its recruiting efforts. you know the ones harvard, yale, stanford. but these days, mckinsey would prefer a different answer. "exceptional can come from anywhere," its career website says. and then, in case that wasn't clear enough, "we hire people, not degrees," and also, "we believe in your potential, regardless of your pedigree." katy george, mckinsey's chief people officer, told fortune last year that the firm had increased the number of schools that its new hires came from to 1,500 from about 700, part of its process of "pivoting from pedigree to potential." many companies are working toward a similar makeover. "elite" has never sat well with many american institutions, but the word has taken a particular beating in recent years. this story is from the june 11, 2024 edition of business standard. start your 7 day magzter gold free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers. this story is from the june 11, 2024 edition of business standard. start your 7 day magzter gold free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers. deposit ₹600 crore by feb 12: sc to gaekwad the supreme court on friday extended the burman family's open offer for an additional stake in financial services firm religare enterprises to february 12. samsung tn unit sees 2nd labour dispute in 5 months there seems to be no end to the woes of the samsung electronics unit in sriperumbudur, nearly 50 km from tamil nadu's capital chennai, as the unit has been witnessing its second labour dispute in the last five months, for the last three days. m&m pat up 20% riding on auto, farm segments mahindra mahindra and (m&m) posted a 20 per cent rise in consolidated profit after tax (pat) at 3,181 crore in q3fy25, riding on strong auto and farm segment numbers, which saw volumes grow by 16 per cent during the quarter. britannia to take 'capex break' amid subdued demand britannia, the manufacturer of biscuit brands such as bourbon and pure magic, is planning to halt capital expenditure next financial year even as it has announced increasing prices of its products. eyes on the road for lyer, the drive is as much about the journey as it is about the destination   whether on the road or steering mercedes benz india into the future rado eyes double digit growth in india this yr swiss luxury watchmaker rado expects to see high double digit growth in india this year as the country's middle class continues to grow amid a slowdown in china. probe agencies line up measures to crack down on illegal travel agents a day after external affairs minister s jaishankar told parliament that the focus should be on a \"strong crackdown on the illegal migration industry\", central probe agencies and state police forces on friday announced a slew of measures that they plan to take against such travel agents. iran's supreme leader warns against trump negotiations iran's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei (pictured) said friday that negotiations with america \"are not intelligent, wise or honourable\" after president donald trump floated nuclear talks with tehran. small savings schemes may see rate cut in fy26 in a bid to boost consumption following the repo rate cut by the reserve bank of india, the union ministry of finance may consider bringing down the rates for small savings schemes in the next financial year, government sources indicated. kerala to draw more tax from ₹15 lakh+ evs to charge up revenue the kerala government on friday announced to hike road taxes for private electric vehicles (evs) priced above ₹15 lakh in its bid to capitalise on the state's ev boom, a move which industry players believe may dampen ev sales and its rapid penetration.

if you ask a graduating master of business administration student, a prep school guidance counsellor or the internet how to be hired at global consulting firm mckinsey, you are likely to find a list of prestigious “target schools” where it has consistently aimed its recruiting efforts. you know the ones   harvard, yale, stanford. but these days, mckinsey would prefer a different answer. “exceptional can come from anywhere,” its career website says. and then, in case that was not clear enough, “we hire people, not degrees”, and also, “we believe in your potential, regardless of your pedigree”. join st's telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. terms and conditions apply frequently asked questions mddi (p) 048/10/2024. published by sph media limited, co. regn. no. 202120748h. copyright © 2025 sph media limited. all rights reserved.

or so they say. mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. it may be easier said than done. intercst powered by discourse, best viewed with javascript enabled

agree & join linkedin by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. client service associate at bny mellon there certainly has been more attention in "skills based hiring" as a means to seek out talent for companies. i wonder how effective this method is in incorporating the "right fit" for a firm. 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in senior client partner @ randstad sourceright   a randstad enterprise business i’m having more & more conversations with australian hr & ta leaders about their efforts to move to #skillsbased hiring. while a developing trend, many organisations continue to grapple with exactly how best to achieve this new way of thinking about talent. one hurdle seems to be underinvestment in the tools needed to make the transition. as an example, in the 2024 randstad enterprise talent trends report, 33% of australian organisations said that the absence of the required technology and skills ontology was delaying the moves they were looking to make. this article from the new york times shows the us market is seemingly more advanced in its move to skills based hiring. the article has an interesting case study on how accenture is effectively making this important move. if you’re interested in a skills based approach then this article is worth a read. if you’d like to speak to market experts here in australia on this topic, i’d encourage you to reach out to me via linkedin to arrange a discussion. i can also get your a copy of the talent trends report if you’re interested. #talentacquisition #talentmanagement 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in i’m passionate about increasing access to mental health and addiction treatment. i’m also a proponent of redefining the way services are delivered for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 🙌👏 prioritize hiring people for their communication skills, relationship effectiveness, their experience with dynamic projects, their people skills and their analytical skills, rather than what they majored in or whether and where they went to college. most technical skills can be trained without a person having a formal background or prior experience in the field for which they are applying. 😊🤓😎 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in senior learning consultant at docebo a welcome recruitment strategy, although it raises the question of how such firms will assess skills (and whether they’ll revert to old habits and shortcuts like targeting ivy league grads when they find it difficult to evaluate candidates by skill). 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in 26 followers the old ways of hiring are fading. 💼 companies like mckinsey & company are shifting to a 'skills first' approach, recognizing that talent comes from everywhere. at hollestelle holdings, we've always believed in the power of potential. we help businesses find the right people with the right skills to drive their success. read the full article in the new york times. #skillsbasedhiring #talentacquisition #futureofwork #hollestelleholdings 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in elearning | training development | content development hiring that is “skills based” may be an easier goal to embrace than some, but it’s not simple to achieve. since recruiters began to shift their focus from “diversity, equity and inclusion” to “meritocracy” in recent years, many have sought to rely less on degrees in evaluating candidates, writes the new york times. yet a harvard business school study found that while there was a massive increase in job postings that omitted degree requirements between 2014 and 2023, hiring practices didn’t change much. only about 3.5% of the jobs were ultimately filled by candidates without the credential. still, some companies have made significant headway:   accenture says half of its job postings in north america no longer require a degree.   bank of america has partnered with dozens of community colleges and says it has hired thousands of employees from them. to view or add a comment, sign in elearning | training development | content development | workflow analysis hiring that is “skills based” may be an easier goal to embrace than some, but it’s not simple to achieve. since recruiters began to shift their focus from “diversity, equity and inclusion” to “meritocracy” in recent years, many have sought to rely less on degrees in evaluating candidates, writes the new york times. yet a harvard business school study found that while there was a massive increase in job postings that omitted degree requirements between 2014 and 2023, hiring practices didn’t change much. only about 3.5% of the jobs were ultimately filled by candidates without the credential. still, some companies have made significant headway:   accenture says half of its job postings in north america no longer require a degree.   bank of america has partnered with dozens of community colleges and says it has hired thousands of employees from them. to view or add a comment, sign in clinical professor, nyu stern school of business, lots of other hats, even more opinions. author of higher ground, hbr press, february 2024. winner of porchlight's best business book of 2024 (leadership and strategy). yesterday i wrote about how coining a new term for responsible business isn’t going to magically make it uncontroversial. so i was amused to see today’s headline in the the washington post: “dei is getting a new name. can it dump the political baggage?” well, no, no it can’t. 🙄 i wrote this article with one of my mba students, robert bell wilkins, where we both acknowledge dei failures and make the case for rethinking how we approach it. “alison, who is middle aged, white, and british, has heard from talented students who, upon arriving to begin internships at organizations, were scornfully introduced as “diversity hires.” several reported that their confidence was consequently shattered and their performance hamstrung. she’s also heard undergraduate students mutter that it’s “impossible” to get hired at this or that firm these days if you are a white man. bell, who is 29, black, and queer, has had their competence questioned in the office, losing assignments as a summer associate to junior employees by managers who opposed dei. in work as an alumni interviewer for stanford university, bell has also seen how fear of “stolen opportunities” frightens white high school seniors. these are brilliant teens years away from their first corporate job; they should be worried about prom rather than whether a transforming workforce will have room for them or not. the jobs they want may not yet exist, so why on earth are they so concerned that dei is taking them away? companies need to guard against the impulse to classify employees into rigid identity groups that compromise team cohesion. however well intentioned, such social engineering invariably drags management into culture wars that most stakeholders want to avoid. the myth of meritocracy, whereby leaders used to claim they don’t “see” distinctions of race or gender, has been replaced by an equally problematic delusion: that we can understand someone’s values, beliefs, talents, and opinions solely on the basis of a single identity category. human beings are not so simple.” up on ethical systems today! to view or add a comment, sign in president, diversipro inc. words matter. they have the power to harm and to heal. words have started wars. the current dei skirmish (if not, an outright war) has turned into a war of over three words: "diversity" "equity" and "inclusion". taken by themselves these words may be considered honorific by some people. however for others, taken together, these three words have taken on a cloak of quasi religious connotation. there are believers, true believers, skeptics and sinners. one person i recently had a conversation with, kept referring to the "dei ideology"; if we weren't in polite company, she would have spat on the ground. by framing dei purely as an "ideology", it allows critics to place it in the same camp as other "isms" they may not like, such as communism, socialism, and marxism. since the start of the hamas/israeli war on oct 7, dei has inaccurately been applied to another "ism"; antisemitism. it is entirely too convenient to blame the current ills of the world on dei. (i.e. the ship that collided with the bridge in baltimore). but it's a strategy. in order to destroy an ideology, you must first demonize it and its "followers". clinical professor, nyu stern school of business, lots of other hats, even more opinions. author of higher ground, hbr press, february 2024. winner of porchlight's best business book of 2024 (leadership and strategy). yesterday i wrote about how coining a new term for responsible business isn’t going to magically make it uncontroversial. so i was amused to see today’s headline in the the washington post: “dei is getting a new name. can it dump the political baggage?” well, no, no it can’t. 🙄 i wrote this article with one of my mba students, robert bell wilkins, where we both acknowledge dei failures and make the case for rethinking how we approach it. “alison, who is middle aged, white, and british, has heard from talented students who, upon arriving to begin internships at organizations, were scornfully introduced as “diversity hires.” several reported that their confidence was consequently shattered and their performance hamstrung. she’s also heard undergraduate students mutter that it’s “impossible” to get hired at this or that firm these days if you are a white man. bell, who is 29, black, and queer, has had their competence questioned in the office, losing assignments as a summer associate to junior employees by managers who opposed dei. in work as an alumni interviewer for stanford university, bell has also seen how fear of “stolen opportunities” frightens white high school seniors. these are brilliant teens years away from their first corporate job; they should be worried about prom rather than whether a transforming workforce will have room for them or not. the jobs they want may not yet exist, so why on earth are they so concerned that dei is taking them away? companies need to guard against the impulse to classify employees into rigid identity groups that compromise team cohesion. however well intentioned, such social engineering invariably drags management into culture wars that most stakeholders want to avoid. the myth of meritocracy, whereby leaders used to claim they don’t “see” distinctions of race or gender, has been replaced by an equally problematic delusion: that we can understand someone’s values, beliefs, talents, and opinions solely on the basis of a single identity category. human beings are not so simple.” up on ethical systems today! to view or add a comment, sign in 38,529 followers while 50% of workers do not have college degrees, they do have the skills to succeed in roles that companies are struggling to fill. across the us, companies are redefining entry level roles to focus on skills rather than academic credentials. this shift allows for a more diverse range of talent   and a more inclusive, empowered future workforce. in her asu+gsv summit session yesterday, "building diverse and inclusive talent pipelines: the practices of the future," bcg's lina bankert joined with cross sector leaders to discuss the rise in skill based hiring. learn more about the benefits of skills based hiring: https://lnkd.in/gmfyprbv to view or add a comment, sign in 235 followers create your free account or sign in to continue your search or by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. new to linkedin? join now or new to linkedin? join now by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. linkedin never miss a beat on the app don’t have the app? get it in the microsoft store.

agree & join linkedin by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. ceo of p&c global | entrepreneur | innovator | board advisor to fortune global 500 as companies grow, traditional recruitment pools like harvard business school graduates have already been tapped out. they now need to find talent in uncharted territories. recruiting early career professionals means assessing potential beyond academic credentials. for most management consultancies, this challenge proves especially formidable, as consultant roles demand a high level of expertise and strategic acumen. at our firm, we leverage predictive analytics, immersive assessments, and our steadfast commitment to meritocracy to identify future leaders, ensuring we fill roles with individuals based on their true potential and merit. founder: canadian federalist party (virtual) semi retired consultant: strategic plans reired at 75. 30 paying jobs. worked in 20+ industries. learned dozens of new skills. professional recruiters & hr experts had little to do with my being hired. their criteria & parameters tended to eliminate me, as i was a fast learning "do it myself" change  agent kind of person. my attitudes, opinions and beliefs meshed with my future superiors. they produced my job offers. some liked my industriousness & leadership characteristics acquired as a youth. some just liked my social conviviality. nowadays, "motivated meritocracy" may be coming back into hiring criteria, which is a very +ve employee trait. entitlement mentality has certainly impaired corporate productivity. it has biased hiring away from hundreds of thousands of highly qualified workers. it has also exacerbated racial & cultural divergence, rather than produced racial & cultural harmonization. homogeneous race or culture workers are often brought into the same career paths, which now lack diversity. in canada, we have fought racial & cultural prejudice via entitlement, only to create divisiveness + polarization. people can learn almost any job or task they are given. the keys to a great business model are internal social chemistry + enlightened leadership. global people analytics & hr data leader   people & culture | strategical people analytics design the new york times interesting ideas but many organizations and also consulting firms have begun the transition to a skills based approach, but that they are still in the early days of implementation… ❌ many of the promises of a skills based organization have not yet been recognized in particular, more equitable access to opportunities in the workplace i shared an interesting research last week: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evidence skills based organizations sbo create fair nicolas behbahani wpjcf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via thank you for sharing. follow for posts about skills based hiring and the future of work | chief organizational psychologist @ codility a hugely influential workplace psychologist, bob guion, once said, 'wise talent decisions are ultimately based on merit.' although meritocratic decisions are the goal, they often take more work than most companies estimate. the research shows that skills based hiring is the right approach, and we might now be ready for it as a society but prepare for it to be a journey. positioning ambitious leaders to show up confidently online and in person | résumé & linkedin branding expert (the last résumé you'll need) | strategic storytelling | executive visibility yes. so excited for this move and love to see more skills based hiring. this is why it's critical to share 3 things on linkedin: 1) what you can do 2) the impact of what you've already done and 3) how you lead. 👍 good to see more thought is being given to this topic! bytespark.ai we are delivering ai to support candidate selection based on #meritocracy and avoid the #mediocrity resulting from recruitment professionals who are overwhelmed, who are not smes in the domain, and who are expected to find a needle in a haystack every day. program manager, cystic fibrosis learning network good move. a gifted link if you weren’t able to read the full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/10/business/corporate firms meritocracy elite.html?unlocked_article_code=1.y00.gytd.vcehntwdgk0z&smid=nytcore ios share&referringsource=articleshare award winning innovator | design thinking expert | international author |transforming innovations to business results i tried more than 10 times to delete my account, but your company, the new york times, still charged me in the last few months.i also sent many emails to your company, but no one responded. i feel very angry about your despicable behavior. please follow_up and refund. please get in touch with me at david.chung@innoedge.com.hk seasoned company secretarial / governance professional looking for next governance transformation challenge. i'll believe it when i see the stats... to view or add a comment, sign in senior client partner @ randstad sourceright   a randstad enterprise business i’m having more & more conversations with australian hr & ta leaders about their efforts to move to #skillsbased hiring. while a developing trend, many organisations continue to grapple with exactly how best to achieve this new way of thinking about talent. one hurdle seems to be underinvestment in the tools needed to make the transition. as an example, in the 2024 randstad enterprise talent trends report, 33% of australian organisations said that the absence of the required technology and skills ontology was delaying the moves they were looking to make. this article from the new york times shows the us market is seemingly more advanced in its move to skills based hiring. the article has an interesting case study on how accenture is effectively making this important move. if you’re interested in a skills based approach then this article is worth a read. if you’d like to speak to market experts here in australia on this topic, i’d encourage you to reach out to me via linkedin to arrange a discussion. i can also get your a copy of the talent trends report if you’re interested. #talentacquisition #talentmanagement 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in i’m passionate about increasing access to mental health and addiction treatment. i’m also a proponent of redefining the way services are delivered for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 🙌👏 prioritize hiring people for their communication skills, relationship effectiveness, their experience with dynamic projects, their people skills and their analytical skills, rather than what they majored in or whether and where they went to college. most technical skills can be trained without a person having a formal background or prior experience in the field for which they are applying. 😊🤓😎 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in senior learning consultant at docebo a welcome recruitment strategy, although it raises the question of how such firms will assess skills (and whether they’ll revert to old habits and shortcuts like targeting ivy league grads when they find it difficult to evaluate candidates by skill). 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in 26 followers the old ways of hiring are fading. 💼 companies like mckinsey & company are shifting to a 'skills first' approach, recognizing that talent comes from everywhere. at hollestelle holdings, we've always believed in the power of potential. we help businesses find the right people with the right skills to drive their success. read the full article in the new york times. #skillsbasedhiring #talentacquisition #futureofwork #hollestelleholdings 6,819,745 followers mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. “skills based hiring,” “skills first hiring” and efforts to break the “paper ceiling”   the bias against those without college degrees   have become rising buzz phrases. the idea, as one consulting firm described it, is putting “competence over credentials,” meaning that companies should stop looking for the right degree and instead focus on who has the right skills, regardless of how they acquired them. to view or add a comment, sign in elearning | training development | content development hiring that is “skills based” may be an easier goal to embrace than some, but it’s not simple to achieve. since recruiters began to shift their focus from “diversity, equity and inclusion” to “meritocracy” in recent years, many have sought to rely less on degrees in evaluating candidates, writes the new york times. yet a harvard business school study found that while there was a massive increase in job postings that omitted degree requirements between 2014 and 2023, hiring practices didn’t change much. only about 3.5% of the jobs were ultimately filled by candidates without the credential. still, some companies have made significant headway:   accenture says half of its job postings in north america no longer require a degree.   bank of america has partnered with dozens of community colleges and says it has hired thousands of employees from them. to view or add a comment, sign in elearning | training development | content development | workflow analysis hiring that is “skills based” may be an easier goal to embrace than some, but it’s not simple to achieve. since recruiters began to shift their focus from “diversity, equity and inclusion” to “meritocracy” in recent years, many have sought to rely less on degrees in evaluating candidates, writes the new york times. yet a harvard business school study found that while there was a massive increase in job postings that omitted degree requirements between 2014 and 2023, hiring practices didn’t change much. only about 3.5% of the jobs were ultimately filled by candidates without the credential. still, some companies have made significant headway:   accenture says half of its job postings in north america no longer require a degree.   bank of america has partnered with dozens of community colleges and says it has hired thousands of employees from them. to view or add a comment, sign in clinical professor, nyu stern school of business, lots of other hats, even more opinions. author of higher ground, hbr press, february 2024. winner of porchlight's best business book of 2024 (leadership and strategy). yesterday i wrote about how coining a new term for responsible business isn’t going to magically make it uncontroversial. so i was amused to see today’s headline in the the washington post: “dei is getting a new name. can it dump the political baggage?” well, no, no it can’t. 🙄 i wrote this article with one of my mba students, robert bell wilkins, where we both acknowledge dei failures and make the case for rethinking how we approach it. “alison, who is middle aged, white, and british, has heard from talented students who, upon arriving to begin internships at organizations, were scornfully introduced as “diversity hires.” several reported that their confidence was consequently shattered and their performance hamstrung. she’s also heard undergraduate students mutter that it’s “impossible” to get hired at this or that firm these days if you are a white man. bell, who is 29, black, and queer, has had their competence questioned in the office, losing assignments as a summer associate to junior employees by managers who opposed dei. in work as an alumni interviewer for stanford university, bell has also seen how fear of “stolen opportunities” frightens white high school seniors. these are brilliant teens years away from their first corporate job; they should be worried about prom rather than whether a transforming workforce will have room for them or not. the jobs they want may not yet exist, so why on earth are they so concerned that dei is taking them away? companies need to guard against the impulse to classify employees into rigid identity groups that compromise team cohesion. however well intentioned, such social engineering invariably drags management into culture wars that most stakeholders want to avoid. the myth of meritocracy, whereby leaders used to claim they don’t “see” distinctions of race or gender, has been replaced by an equally problematic delusion: that we can understand someone’s values, beliefs, talents, and opinions solely on the basis of a single identity category. human beings are not so simple.” up on ethical systems today! to view or add a comment, sign in president, diversipro inc. words matter. they have the power to harm and to heal. words have started wars. the current dei skirmish (if not, an outright war) has turned into a war of over three words: "diversity" "equity" and "inclusion". taken by themselves these words may be considered honorific by some people. however for others, taken together, these three words have taken on a cloak of quasi religious connotation. there are believers, true believers, skeptics and sinners. one person i recently had a conversation with, kept referring to the "dei ideology"; if we weren't in polite company, she would have spat on the ground. by framing dei purely as an "ideology", it allows critics to place it in the same camp as other "isms" they may not like, such as communism, socialism, and marxism. since the start of the hamas/israeli war on oct 7, dei has inaccurately been applied to another "ism"; antisemitism. it is entirely too convenient to blame the current ills of the world on dei. (i.e. the ship that collided with the bridge in baltimore). but it's a strategy. in order to destroy an ideology, you must first demonize it and its "followers". clinical professor, nyu stern school of business, lots of other hats, even more opinions. author of higher ground, hbr press, february 2024. winner of porchlight's best business book of 2024 (leadership and strategy). yesterday i wrote about how coining a new term for responsible business isn’t going to magically make it uncontroversial. so i was amused to see today’s headline in the the washington post: “dei is getting a new name. can it dump the political baggage?” well, no, no it can’t. 🙄 i wrote this article with one of my mba students, robert bell wilkins, where we both acknowledge dei failures and make the case for rethinking how we approach it. “alison, who is middle aged, white, and british, has heard from talented students who, upon arriving to begin internships at organizations, were scornfully introduced as “diversity hires.” several reported that their confidence was consequently shattered and their performance hamstrung. she’s also heard undergraduate students mutter that it’s “impossible” to get hired at this or that firm these days if you are a white man. bell, who is 29, black, and queer, has had their competence questioned in the office, losing assignments as a summer associate to junior employees by managers who opposed dei. in work as an alumni interviewer for stanford university, bell has also seen how fear of “stolen opportunities” frightens white high school seniors. these are brilliant teens years away from their first corporate job; they should be worried about prom rather than whether a transforming workforce will have room for them or not. the jobs they want may not yet exist, so why on earth are they so concerned that dei is taking them away? companies need to guard against the impulse to classify employees into rigid identity groups that compromise team cohesion. however well intentioned, such social engineering invariably drags management into culture wars that most stakeholders want to avoid. the myth of meritocracy, whereby leaders used to claim they don’t “see” distinctions of race or gender, has been replaced by an equally problematic delusion: that we can understand someone’s values, beliefs, talents, and opinions solely on the basis of a single identity category. human beings are not so simple.” up on ethical systems today! to view or add a comment, sign in 38,529 followers while 50% of workers do not have college degrees, they do have the skills to succeed in roles that companies are struggling to fill. across the us, companies are redefining entry level roles to focus on skills rather than academic credentials. this shift allows for a more diverse range of talent   and a more inclusive, empowered future workforce. in her asu+gsv summit session yesterday, "building diverse and inclusive talent pipelines: the practices of the future," bcg's lina bankert joined with cross sector leaders to discuss the rise in skill based hiring. learn more about the benefits of skills based hiring: https://lnkd.in/gmfyprbv to view or add a comment, sign in 6,819,745 followers create your free account or sign in to continue your search or by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. new to linkedin? join now or new to linkedin? join now by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. linkedin never miss a beat on the app don’t have the app? get it in the microsoft store.

supported by rattled by tech’s latest trend, businesses have turned to advisers at boston consulting group, mckinsey and kpmg for guidance on adopting generative artificial intelligence. by tripp mickle mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. it may be easier said than done. by sarah kessler many feared that artificial intelligence would kill jobs. but hospitals, insurance companies and others are creating roles to navigate and harness the disruptive technology. by yiwen lu the consulting firm is the latest to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, even as big businesses grapple with the potential fallout from the technology. by andrew ross sorkin, ravi mattu, bernhard warner, sarah kessler, michael j. de la merced, lauren hirsch and ephrat livni new research finds companies are starting to rely less on the college filter in hiring. but it remains an obstacle to opportunity for many. by steve lohr cada año la empresa reporta millones de fotografías y videos que sospecha muestran abuso infantil. pero cuando hay dudas sobre la edad, a los jóvenes se les trata como adultos y las imágenes no son presentadas ante las autoridades. by michael h. keller the company reports millions of photos and videos of suspected child sexual abuse each year. but when ages are unclear, young people are treated as adults and the images are not reported to the authorities. by michael h. keller the new figure points to the challenge for the majority of americans who do not have a four year college degree. by steve lohr i’ve been to a lot of car shows, and they look pretty much the same, but one car show this month tried something different. by jack ewing quién hace el trabajo sucio de facebook, dolarización en venezuela y un reportaje de espías. by elda cantú

shapes organizational strategies to establish talent management as a distinctive advantage, preparing leaders to manage the workforce of tomorrow and create business value december 17, 2020covid 19 has forced companies to rapidly adapt to changing talent needs. more than 70 million u.s. workers filed for unemployment insurance from march through december. now, more organizations are converting what were furloughs early in the pandemic to permanent job losses. while many companies have parted ways with workers, others from e commerce firms to grocery stores are looking to bring more on. many are struggling to fill open roles. this should spark organizations to rethink how they bridge the gap between talent demand and supply. enter skills based matching: an approach that assesses candidates based on their holistic skill set (including adjacent skills across industries), rather than just industry experience or certain educational credentials. assessing candidates based on skills, instead of their last job title, can help fill critical roles with the best talent. the benefits of skills based hiring include: for organizations considering skills based hiring, next steps include: assessing where the organization is long and short on key skills. pinpoint internal skill pools that are critical to the value agenda and those that are declining in relevance. identify adjacent pools where talent is ripe for reskilling to retain employees and reduce hiring costs. while it’s possible to move to skills based hiring for open roles without taking this step, assessing skill needs can help fully harness its potential. a fortune 500 technology company conducted a workforce planning initiative to map talent needs to specific business goals. this led to the decision to reskill more than 6,000 employees for new roles and upskill over 20,000 employees in existing roles, thus filling 80 percent of its identified skills gap. the pandemic has required substantial changes to how we live and work. the same should be true for how we hire and look for employment. a skills based approach helps companies, job seekers, and the broader communities that rely on critical roles being filled with the best talent. *** career exchange is a covid 19 response initiative offered at no cost to companies hiring, furloughing, or laying off individuals. it is a digital talent marketplace that aims to address the mismatch of labor supply and demand, helping organizations and individuals. mckinsey & company supports the platform as part of our commitment to safeguarding livelihoods. learn more or visit the career exchange website to sign up.

is it sad that reading this article made me want to apply to mckinsey just to play their stupid video game test? same. clearly i am not immune to propaganda video games mirror, for those hit by the paywall: https://archive.is/vuejd
supported by mckinsey, accenture and other big firms want to recruit with a wider net, focusing more on skills than on pedigree. it may be easier said than done. by sarah kessler if you ask a graduating m.b.a. student, a prep school guidance counselor or the internet how to be hired at the global consulting firm mckinsey, you’re likely to find a list of prestigious “target schools” where it has consistently aimed its recruiting efforts. you know the ones   harvard, yale, stanford. but these days, mckinsey would prefer a different answer. “exceptional can come from anywhere,” its career website says. and then, in case that wasn’t clear enough, “we hire people, not degrees,” and also, “we believe in your potential, regardless of your pedigree.” katy george, mckinsey’s chief people officer, told fortune last year that the firm had increased the number of schools that its new hires came from to 1,500 from about 700, part of its process of “pivoting from pedigree to potential.” many companies are working toward a similar makeover. “elite” has never sat well with many american institutions, but the word has taken a particular beating in recent years. on the 2016 campaign trail, donald j. trump used the label practically as an insult; the black lives matter movement drew attention to racial disparities along the path to people becoming rich and powerful; and debates over free speech and safe spaces on college campuses transformed into hot button issues, leading to opinion essays with headlines like “elite universities are out of touch” and “why i stopped hiring ivy league graduates.” the legitimacy of traditional markers of brilliance, like an ivy league diploma, are being questioned. and so, companies have had to come up with other ways to convey to recruits, investors and customers that they’re not just ticking boxes that may be outdated   their talent is truly the most talented. broadening the recruiting net fits the bill, but may come with some of the same shortcomings as previous strategies. one way companies have tried to highlight the fairness of their recruiting practices took off in the wake of the murder of george floyd in 2020, when they doubled down on emphasizing a commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion.” companies hired d.e.i. officers in droves and published accountability reports.

 if you ask a graduating mba student, a prep school guidance counselor or the internet how to be hired at the global consulting firm mckinsey, you're likely to find a list of prestigious "target schools" where it has consistently aimed its recruiting efforts. you know the ones harvard, yale, stanford. but these days, mckinsey would prefer a different answer. "exceptional can come from anywhere," its career website says.