Who Fits Your Definition of “Talent?” Here’s Why It Matters.

Who you consider as talent matters a lot.

If an employer perceives you as “talent” - they want to find you, they want to invest in you, and they want to know how they can make themselves a great place for you to work and grow.

I’ve heard too many people falsely assume the skills and potential of someone in a low-wage job - and not include them in their definition of “talent.” Wages do not equal the worth of a person. Have you ever observed a server in a high-volume restaurant, managing a busy day? That is not a low-skilled job. It might be a low-paid job, but it's not a low-skilled job.?

At a time when our economy desperately needs to innovate, compete, and adapt - we need all the talents. We need to recognize skills - no matter where they came from or how they were earned. For STARs - the 50% of Americans Skilled Through Alternative Routes, rather than a bachelor’s degree - they may have gained those skills on-the-job, through military service, community college, partial college completion, workforce training programs, skills bootcamps, and more. If employers don't have a STARs talent strategy, they only have half a talent strategy.

I’m happy to say that leading employers, thought leaders, and - as of this month - *15 states*, are adopting STARs talent strategies:

• This month The State of Connecticut - Office of the Governor became the 15th state to #TearThePaperCeiling and remove unnecessary degree requirements for state jobs. As CT State Senator Ryan Fazio said, “Many open positions in state government remain unfilled. If you have skills in computer science, for example, why should you be disqualified from a job if you don’t have a college degree? This new law is about opening paths of opportunity … while removing unnecessary barriers to employment.” https://bit.ly/3QgtyKp
• Opportunity@Work ’s Senior Vice President of Insights, Papia Debroy was invited to speak about this growing trend on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Morning Show - and explain the STARs insights behind the Tear the Paper Ceiling movement: “Part of what will allow our economy to grow and to prosper is tapping into the potential of learning wherever it’s happening in the labor market - allow STARs to gain skills and translate them to earnings and higher-wage work.” https://bit.ly/3rUaoji
• McKinsey & Company confirmed that STARs are a critical part of how leading organizations win the race for talent: “Expanding screening criteria to include STAR candidates could vastly expand the pool of qualified job applicants. This is an especially potent way for organizations to close labor gaps for critical roles more quickly,” writes Anita Dutta , Nora Gardner , Megan McConnell , and Angela Sinisterra-Woods . https://bit.ly/44KA6Wj
• STARs-hiring doesn’t just benefit the public sector - it benefits private sector too. “Degrees have their place, but we can stretch our imagination to get around that barrier,” says STAR Colin Galloway, Operations and Manufacturing Competency Management Advisor at Chevron , a #TearThePaperCeiling Champion Partner (and named one of the top 50 companies for workers without a degree). You can read his story here: https://bit.ly/3Y9YC0o

This is a critical time. “The public sector’s struggle to fill its vacancies increasingly endangers the United States’ efforts to serve the public, including major initiatives to upgrade infrastructure, bolster supply chain resilience, educate children, and respond to the complex geopolitical environment,” writes McKinsey.??

We don’t have time to be carelessly writing off millions of skilled workers *before* even assessing their skills. We don’t have time to be mis-defining workers by what they seemingly lack (a bachelor’s degree) vs. what they are (STARs - Skilled Through Alternative Routes).?

The good news is - smart and bold leaders are changing their hiring practices and tapping into the STARs talent pool. “Building a society of skilled workers and adapting those skills over time isn’t anything new. It’s the story of innovation. It’s how America has evolved over time to meet technological and economic challenges,” writes YUPRO Placement 's Senior Vice President Katie E. Breault ? for Chief Learning Officer (citing the STARs movement).?

I’m inspired by a proverb that STAR Advisory Council member Kenny Nguyen shared at Assembly Required ’s Future of Talent event:

“When is the best time to plant a tree?” Answer, “Ten years ago.”?

“And when is the next best time?” Answer, “Today.”

All the best,

Byron