Educational credentials come of age: a survey on the use and value of educational credentials in hiring

This report compiles the findings of a research survey of 750 human resources leaders, focusing on the future of educational credentials and their value and use in the workplace. It provides insights on critical questions such as how the value of various educational credentials is evolving; how rapidly skills-based hiring approaches are being pursued; how online degrees and microcredentials are perceived; what hiring leaders view as the key signals of quality; and what the viability of various new credential constructs and degree alternatives is. These perspectives from the employer community can influence the strategies of postsecondary institutions, policymakers, educational technology companies, employers themselves, and other stakeholders in the ecosystem. The report found that: (1) the relative value of educational credentials in hiring has held steady or increased for most employers over the last five years; (2) nearly half of employers report that they have increased the level of education preferred or required for the same job roles over the last five years; (3) a majority of HR leaders believe that in the future, the need for continuous lifelong learning will demand higher levels of education and more credentials; (4) skills-based or competency-based hiring appears to be gaining significant interest and momentum over degrees exclusively; (5) online credentials are now mainstream, with a solid majority of HR leaders believing that credentials earned online are of generally equal quality to those completed in-person; (6) employer awareness and experience with candidates who hold non-degree 'microcredentials' is still relatively low - but this is evolving rapidly. Microcredentials are typically serving as supplements rather than substitutes for traditional degrees; (7) work-integrated learning and curriculum that is industry-aligned and employer-validated are highly prioritized by employers as indicators of credential quality and; (8) in the years ahead, pre-hire assessment, talent analytics, microcredentialing, and other innovations in hiring and credentialing are poised to challenge the historical emphasis on college degrees in hiring.

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