In partnership with Cisco, OneTen offers an inside look at how the employer’s skills-first talent management approach promotes measurable business impact, organizational agility, and inclusion

OneTen, a coalition of leading companies committed to unlocking career opportunities for talent without four-year degrees, released, “Cisco‘s Skills-First Success: A Powerful Playbook for the Private Sector” – an in-depth study that examines Cisco’s groundbreaking efforts to adopt a skills-first hiring approach, yielding impressive business results and a more inclusive and resilient workforce.

The case study illustrates Cisco’s transformation after joining OneTen in 2021, shifting from traditional degree-based hiring to a skills-focused model that values competencies, experience, and potential, regardless of a candidate’s educational credentials. Driven by the commitment to create equitable career pathways, Cisco’s skills-first strategy has expanded the company’s talent pipeline and demonstrated significant success in workforce retention. Cisco has also achieved an impressive 96% retention rate among skills-first hires through an approach that offers a compelling skills-first blueprint for other companies aiming to attract and retain talent in a tight labor market.

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“We’re proud that Cisco has joined the over 60 partner organizations in supporting OneTen and of the progress we’ve made as part of the coalition,” says Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco. “Together, we aim to upskill, hire and advance Black talent, and others, without four-year degrees. We recognize this as an important step toward a more inclusive future.”

“Cisco’s unique, intentional approach to skills-first hiring exemplifies how businesses can unlock untapped talent, creating meaningful opportunities for those without four-year degrees while driving innovation and growth,” says Debbie Dyson, CEO of OneTen. “We’re proud to support Cisco in this journey.”

“OneTen was one of our first initiatives to focus on skills-based hiring and it plays an instrumental role in how we build our workforce of the future,” says Kelly Jones, SVP and Chief People Officer of Cisco.” With OneTen, we’re removing barriers and building meaningful career paths for Black talent, and others, at Cisco.”

Key insights from the case study reveal that for skills-first hiring to be successful, employers should:

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• Set a Clear Vision and Values: An established values-driven company, Cisco leadership examined its role in advancing workforce equity and addressing challenges for underrepresented employees. Together, they set a clear purpose for skills-first hiring: to build an agile workforce that was responsive to the company’s business needs.
• Empower its Leaders: Cisco selected leaders with relevant personal and professional experience to guide its skills-first efforts, ensuring alignment with equity goals and fostering a culture where a four-year degree was no longer viewed as a determinant of success.
• Secure Budget and Buy-in: Cisco leadership centralized funding for its skills-first hiring program and conducted a comprehensive roadshow to build buy-in across senior leadership and hiring managers.
• Partner with Hiring Managers: Cisco’s approach included comprehensive support for hiring managers, fostering the confidence to recruit based on skills and capabilities.
• Prioritize the Needs of New Talent: Through its “OneTen cohort” model, Cisco fostered a strong sense of community among new hires, contributing to their job satisfaction and integration into the organization.
• Measure Retention and Growth: Cisco tracked key metrics such as retention and promotions and monitored skills alignment to ensure hires had room to grow, adjusting placements as needed to avoid turnover.

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Source – PR Newswire

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