Tearing the Paper Ceiling with LinkedIn: Shifting Focus to a Skills-First Mindset
LinkedIn is one of the most important hubs for workforce knowledge and connection, with over 950 million members worldwide and eight people hired every minute. Their mission is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce, and with that comes a responsibility to help create a more equitable and transparent labor market. This is one of the key reasons the company is focused on helping employers on the platform understand skills-first hiring and how to put it into practice at their workplace. It’s also why LinkedIn joined the Tear the Paper Ceiling coalition.
“Employers are realizing that by shifting focus to the actual skills a worker brings to the table, they can solve some of their biggest business challenges and unlock opportunities for millions of overlooked, qualified candidates,” notes Aneesh Raman, VP and Head of the Opportunity Project at LinkedIn. Today, more than 50% of hirers on LinkedIn explicitly use skills data to fill their roles. This is thanks, in part, to LinkedIn’s investment in skills-first tools to help companies hire based on skills and in ways for members on the platform to continually build and showcase skills to keep up with an ever-evolving labor market. LinkedIn also continues to invest in apprenticeship programs and partnerships, like Year Up, that provide pathways to job opportunities for STAR talent at LinkedIn.
Partnering with the 60+ Tear the Paper Ceiling coalition members is helping LinkedIn mobilize employers and workforce development groups for this effort. Last year, LinkedIn used its platform to convene over 1,000 members for the campaign launch, and tapped into the Paper Ceiling coalition to host talent acquisition leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing skills-first hiring practices. Most recently, LinkedIn unveiled a new LinkedIn Learning course called “The Shift to a Skills-First Mindset,” developed in partnership with Tear the Paper Ceiling coalition members Grads of Life and JFF. This course focuses on the why, what, and how of skills-first hiring and workforce development – and will be a powerful tool for leaders across the LinkedIn network to begin their own journey Tearing the Paper Ceiling.
These tears in the paper ceiling are helping to build a labor market that’s more inclusive of all workers, particularly STARs. As Aneesh shared, “In a world of work that is changing faster than ever with the advent of generative AI, the need for new ways of hiring and developing great talent has never been more urgent. LinkedIn is proud to stand with Opportunity@Work to play a role in tearing down the ‘paper ceiling,’ so that we can create a more equitable and inclusive workforce for all.”
“Employers are realizing that by shifting focus to the actual skills a worker brings to the table, they can solve some of their biggest business challenges and unlock opportunities for millions of overlooked, qualified candidates,” notes Aneesh Raman, VP and Head of the Opportunity Project at LinkedIn. Today, more than 50% of hirers on LinkedIn explicitly use skills data to fill their roles. This is thanks, in part, to LinkedIn’s investment in skills-first tools to help companies hire based on skills and in ways for members on the platform to continually build and showcase skills to keep up with an ever-evolving labor market. LinkedIn also continues to invest in apprenticeship programs and partnerships, like Year Up, that provide pathways to job opportunities for STAR talent at LinkedIn.
Partnering with the 60+ Tear the Paper Ceiling coalition members is helping LinkedIn mobilize employers and workforce development groups for this effort. Last year, LinkedIn used its platform to convene over 1,000 members for the campaign launch, and tapped into the Paper Ceiling coalition to host talent acquisition leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing skills-first hiring practices. Most recently, LinkedIn unveiled a new LinkedIn Learning course called “The Shift to a Skills-First Mindset,” developed in partnership with Tear the Paper Ceiling coalition members Grads of Life and JFF. This course focuses on the why, what, and how of skills-first hiring and workforce development – and will be a powerful tool for leaders across the LinkedIn network to begin their own journey Tearing the Paper Ceiling.
These tears in the paper ceiling are helping to build a labor market that’s more inclusive of all workers, particularly STARs. As Aneesh shared, “In a world of work that is changing faster than ever with the advent of generative AI, the need for new ways of hiring and developing great talent has never been more urgent. LinkedIn is proud to stand with Opportunity@Work to play a role in tearing down the ‘paper ceiling,’ so that we can create a more equitable and inclusive workforce for all.”