“We have to move beyond the idea that a skills-based job description is enough—there needs to be validation, assessment, and a clear pathway for job seekers to prove their abilities.”
-Jason Tyszko
In this episode of Psych Tech @ Work, I sit down with Jason Tyszko, Senior Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, to discuss what it really takes to make skills-based hiring a reality.
Jason oversees the Foundation’s T3 Innovation Network, a public-private initiative aimed at creating a more equitable and inclusive job market. T-3 focuses on using digital tools to improve communication between different parts of the job market, ensuring that all learning is recognized and valued. T-3’s mission to bridge gaps between employers and workers via the advancement of skills-based hiring makes Jason one of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject.
Our conversation is a must for anyone interested in understanding the REALITIES required for true skills-based hiring. Most conversations on the subject are more hype than substance, but not this one! Jason takes us deeper into the reality of what it will take to make skills based hiring more than just an empty buzzword.
To ground our conversation in a dose of reality, Jason boils success with skills based hiring into these three pillars.
* Interoperable Skills Data
* To make skills-based hiring a reality, we need standardized, structured, and widely accepted skills data that flows seamlessly across education providers, employers, and workforce systems.
* Without interoperability, skills data remains fragmented, making it difficult for employers to assess candidates meaningfully.
* Employer Engagement and Adoption
* Employers must align job descriptions, hiring processes, and internal mobility pathways around skills rather than degrees or traditional credentials.
* Many organizations support skills-based hiring in theory but fail to implement it fully due to ingrained legacy practices.
* Technology Infrastructure and Ecosystem Readiness
* AI, job-matching platforms, and hiring tools must be built to recognize and evaluate skills accurately, rather than simply filtering candidates based on outdated proxies like job titles or degrees.
* Systems should support skills validation, assessment, and transparent career pathways to ensure fair and effective hiring decisions.
Jason explains how these pillars support and enable five critical but often overlooked elements that are essential to making skills-based hiring work:
1. Learning and Employment Records (LERs) & The LER Resume Standard
* What it is: LERs are digital, verifiable records of a person’s skills, training, certifications, and work experience. Instead of relying on traditional resumes or self-reported skills, LERs allow employers to see a structured, validated record of a candidate’s capabilities.
* Why it matters: Today’s hiring systems don’t talk to each other. Skills data is trapped in different platforms (learning management systems, certifications, HR software). LERs allow skills-based hiring to function at scale by ensuring a candidate’s credentials are portable and universally recognized.
* LER Resume Standard: This is a newly developed resume format built to process LERs, ensuring HR tech systems can read, compare, and use skills-based data more effectively.
2. Durable Skills
* What it is: Unlike technical skills (which can quickly become outdated), durable skills are long-lasting, transferable skills like critical thinking, adaptability, leadership, and collaboration.
* Why it matters: Most AI-driven hiring tools over-prioritize technical skills, but durable skills are what truly drive career success. Without a way to assess and validate them, companies risk hiring for short-term needs instead of long-term potential.
3. The Interoperability Layer
* What it is: A technical framework that allows skills data from different platforms to connect and work together—like an API that helps job boards, HR systems, and learning platforms “speak the same language.”
* Why it matters: Right now, skills-based hiring is fragmented because every company and HR tech provider uses different skills taxonomies and formats. An interoperability layer standardizes how skills data is shared, making it easier for employers to evaluate candidates based on a common skills framework.
4. Employer-Led Recognition
* What it is: A system where workers’ skills are validated by their employers and colleagues, not just through certifications or formal education. This could involve peer endorsements, manager assessments, or internal training validations.
* Why it matters: Most skills-based hiring focuses on externally validated credentials (e.g., certificates, degrees), but many people develop critical skills on the job. Without a structured way to recognize and verify these skills, businesses overlook talent that is already in their workforce.
5. Skills Wallets
* What it is: A digital, user-controlled repository where individuals can store, manage, and share verified records of their skills, credentials, and learning experiences.
* Why it matters: Unlike traditional resumes or degree transcripts, Skills Wallets give workers full ownership of their skills data, making it portable across jobs, industries, and learning platforms. This enables lifelong learning and career mobility in ways that existing hiring systems do not support.
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Skills-based hiring has the potential to transform the workforce, but it won’t succeed without system-wide changes in HR technology, workforce data, and employer incentives. Jason’s insights reveal the often-ignored challenges and solutions that can make this shift truly scalable and effective. If you’re in talent strategy, workforce development, or HR technology, this episode provides a realistic roadmap for making skills-first hiring work.
* Learn more about the T3 Innovation Network: t3networkhub.org
* Contact Jason
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