HBS Managing the Future of Work OneTen CEO Debbie Dyson: Why "skills-first" builds a better workforce
Jan 15, 2025
Debbie Dyson, CEO of OneTen and advocate for skills-first hiring, discusses innovative ways to address degree inflation and create equitable job opportunities for Black workers. She emphasizes the importance of employer engagement in building career pathways, especially for entry-level roles. Dyson also explains the skills-first hiring movement, including its impact on workplace diversity and the need to rethink traditional hiring practices. With over 132,000 hires linked to this initiative, she highlights success stories and a commitment to reshaping the workforce landscape.
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Dyson's Return to Work
- Debbie Dyson, after 34 years at ADP, retired but returned to work after five months.
- Her late mother's note encouraged her to give back to the less fortunate, aligning perfectly with OneTen's mission.
Implementing Skills-First Hiring
- Assess organizational readiness for skills-first hiring.
- Utilize playbooks and tools, recredential job descriptions, and evangelize the message internally and externally.
Successful Skills-First Implementations
- OneTen's partners, including Cleveland Clinic and Delta Airlines, have successfully implemented skills-first hiring.
- Cleveland Clinic rebranded itself as a safe and inclusive place for healthcare workers without degrees during the pandemic.