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The Benefits of Skills-Based Hiring at Scale: A Case Study

Published Mon Jun 05 2023

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Hiring is changing. At one time, experience was king. Now, many hiring managers are more concerned with a prospective employee’s demonstrable skills. That said, there are challenges to adopting a skills-based approach to talent acquisition. It’s a process that takes time and commitment. A Harvard Business School case study researched an organization called OneTen’s collaboration with Delta Air Lines, which launched an internal skills-based apprenticeship program. The program aimed to promote workers with relevant skills and experience into open positions within the company. The study commended Delta and OneTen for their efforts but also acknowledged the time-intensive nature of implementing a skills-based approach successfully. The prelaunch phase involved collaboration among senior-level executives, diversity, equity, and inclusion councils, and other departments within Delta. Jobs were re-credentialed, job descriptions were rewritten, and an apprenticeship program was developed with support and mentorship for participants. Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, viewed the apprenticeships as integral to the company’s business strategy, and the goal was to integrate skills-based promotion into Delta’s organizational culture.

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