The Changing Landscape of Talent Assessment

Big shifts are on the horizon for our work and learning landscapes. As AI weaves its way into our everyday routines, it's sparking some major questions about the future of our careers and the value of traditional college education. With the price of college reaching sky-high levels, it's no wonder many of us are pausing to rethink its worth. Just to be clear, for those aiming to work in mental or physical health fields, college is a must. But for a range of other careers? Well, that's turning into a big "maybe."

The era when a college degree was seen as an all-access pass to career opportunities is fading, leaving many employers in a bit of a dilemma. They're now tasked with identifying the skills that truly matter in a candidate, beyond the credentials. This shift is challenging the old norms and forcing recruiters and hiring managers to navigate a new landscape in talent assessment. How do we really know if someone has the skills they need?

Take "relationship building and management" as a prime example. This skill is absolutely vital in leadership roles, acting as the glue that holds an organization together, both internally and externally.? But here's the million-dollar question: how do you really measure someone's knack for making great connections? It's tricky, right? Especially when getting honest feedback feels like pulling teeth—people either hold back on giving references or worry they're just getting the overly polished, biased ones.

From my own experience, vouching for someone I believe in can end up feeling like I'm laying it on thick (I go hard for my folks!), even when I'm just being genuine. It's a tough spot because employers are trying to sift through what's real and what's just fluff. They don't always get the full picture of what makes a person's relationship skills truly stand out.

And here's where it gets even more tangled. Should we start mixing in personal references with professional ones to get a better view? Sounds like it could get complicated, but maybe it's worth a shot. Thankfully, there are some tools out there that might help with this, and with AI on the rise, I’m looking forward to seeing how it can make understanding each other's strengths a bit easier—and hopefully more affordable, too!

Honestly, I'm still figuring out the best way forward, but it's definitely time we all start brainstorming on this. It’s awesome to see that a lot of us are already thinking about how to shake up the way we find and appreciate talent. It's pretty clear that a big change is on the horizon for recruiting and assessing skills. Right now, we lean a lot on human judgment, which is great but not perfect—we end up missing out on a lot of amazing talent. As we get better with technology, I'm hopeful we'll start spotting and valuing a wider and more diverse range of skills. Sure, tech solutions aren't without their hiccups, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer. But what we're doing now is definitely going to evolve. We need to think about how that evolution should happen and how we can all play a part in it.

Dr. Lisa

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