Employer and workforce needs

This workstream is focused on the value of employer engagement with digital badges.

At our stakeholder workshop we explored problems within the UK context, assessed barriers to adoption, and looked ahead to future expectations.

The discussions were structured around key stages of the recruitment process: recruitment, validation and verification, interview and assessment, onboarding, and performance evaluation and development.

Group of adults discussing digital badging

Key findings

There is a lack of demand for digital badges from employers
This is primarily due to a lack of understanding of their value and relevance in the hiring process. This confusion contributes to barriers in adoption and utilisation.
Concerns regarding the legitimacy of badge issuers and the verification processes hinder employers' trust in digital badges
The absence of standardisation and regulation in the badge industry further complicates the situation.
Despite the challenges, digital badges present opportunities to enhance recruitment
They provide detailed insights into candidates' skills, promote diversity, and offer a more equitable assessment method, particularly for those lacking formal qualifications.

The opportunities and challenges of the use of digital badges against each stage of the recruitment process identified at the workshop are outlined below.

Recruitment

Opportunities:

– Attracts diverse candidates
– Evidence of soft skills
– Detailed view of skills

Challenges:

– Digital poverty
– Badge legitimacy concerns

Validation and verification

Opportunities:

– Metadata provides valuable information
– More reliable than self-reported info

Challenges:

– Credibility of badge issuers
– Uncertainty in verification processes
– Lack of regulation

Interview and assessment

Opportunities:

– Helps articulate specific skills
– Evidence-based assessments
– Improved interview discussions

Challenges:

– Time-consuming verification
– Complexity for managers
– Relevance to job requirements

Onboarding

Opportunities:

– Illustrates skill acquisition
– Supports professional development
– Employee recognition

Challenges:

– Relevance to onboarding
– Practicality for specific skills
– Integration with existing processes

Performance evaluation and development

Opportunities:

– Tracks skill development
– Identifies skill gaps
– Motivates continued learning

Challenges:

– Subjectivity of durable skills
– Additional workload to implement
– Avoiding checklist mentality

The group also discussed the disruption of AI to the recruitment process in the flattening of applications; it was suggested that digital credentials support the credibility of individuals in their claim to have acquired relevant skills.