Employers consistently say they can't find workers with the right skills, that they aren't prepared for jobs of the future, and that they worry about their talent pipeline. But many of them are unintentionally limiting their access to talent.



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STARs develop valuable skills through alternative routes like community college, training programs, military service, or on the job. Research from Opportunity@Work proves that STARs build skills in lower-wage jobs that overlap significantly with more advanced, higher-wage roles. So why aren't STARs thriving at American companies?

Hiring practices that rely on bachelor’s degree screens, preferred recruiting sources, or personal referrals are using those things as a proxy for skills. Those practices were based in part on the myth that "no degree means no skills", and they helped create the paper ceiling.



A growing number of companies have identified this as a moment to get ahead. They're removing degree requirements, recruiting from more diverse talent sources, and building internal pathways for STARs to move up into hard-to-fill roles. Will you tear the paper ceiling with them?

Skills-first hiring focuses on a candidate's demonstrated skills and competencies as the primary qualification for a role. It's rooted in a basic idea: the skills you have matter more than where you got them.



Critics frame the expense of switching to skills-first hiring as prohibitive. They may be missing the very tangible benefits — and the hidden costs of the status quo.



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As much as 80% of employee turnover results from bad hires, as reported by Harvard Business Review. Meanwhile, research from LinkedIn shows that hiring managers who start with skills are 60% more likely to find a successful hire.



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There's more: according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), skills-first hiring reduces cost-per-hire by 30%. STARs also improve retention. A report from e shows that STARs tend to stay 34% longer.