“What we’re seeing now are more companies like (IBM) who see the need for talent, whether they’re large multinationals, smaller, or medium-sized companies. We all need top talent and we need to make sure that we can attract them and keep them,” says Lydia Logan, VP, global education and workforce development, IBM.

WorkingNation sat down with Logan at Presented by JFF Horizons – See Beyond 2022 in New Orleans.

Logan says IBM is focused on a comprehensive strategy, which includes an emphasis on skills-first hiring. 

“What that means for us is that 50% of our U.S. job postings do not require a college degree. We did that so that we could expand the diversity of the pool of applicants,” she adds. “More women, more black and brown people, more people who’ve traditionally been left out of the tech sector now have an opportunity to apply for and get jobs at IBM.”

She adds that the labor market needs new ways for workers to signal to the market their skills and abilities and that’s happening mostly in the form of credentials.

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