The tech hiring revolution is here: leaders across sectors meet in New York to discuss Generation’s latest research

On September 18th, 2023 in New York City, “Launching a Tech Hiring Revolution,” hosted by MetLife Foundation, brought together nearly 100 diverse stakeholders interested in how to rethink entry-level hiring for tech roles to create more inclusive, diverse pipelines. The event was an opportunity to discuss the key findings and recommendations from Generation’s latest report on entry-level tech hiring — and more importantly, how to convert them into action.

Mike Zarcone, Head of Corporate Affairs at MetLife, welcomed the participants and highlighted how employers across the world in all industries struggle to find and recruit entry-level tech talent and, at the same time, jobseekers face systemic barriers to accessing tech jobs. Zarcone pointed to the major global shifts underway due to AI, and why supporting this work was important for MetLife.

Mona Mourshed, our global CEO, presented an overview of Generation’s recent research report, Launching a Tech Hiring Revolution, which was based on a survey of thousands of jobseekers, people who have successfully moved into tech roles, and employers of tech talent across eight countries. The original research was funded by the Hg Foundation and Bank of America, Clayton Dubilier & Rice, and MetLife Foundation.

The report demonstrates, Mourshed explained, that employers who prioritize skills over experience and university degrees, can expand the talent pool they can tap into and level the playing field for candidates. While they represented a minority of those surveyed, employers who eliminated traditional education and work prerequisites were more likely to increase the number of applicants while maintaining high candidate quality and performance on the job.

“Entry-level tech jobs,” said Mourshed, “can literally lift your life onto a different economic trajectory.”

The CEO of Generation also shared four bold recommendations from the report: bring back the entry-level job; use technical assessments to ensure applicants have the necessary skills; pay attention to behavioral skills as well as technical capabilities; and rethink hiring teams to reduce tacit bias and increase talent diversity.

The presentation was followed by a panel discussion to explore employer perspectives on skills-based hiring. It was moderated by Kevin Delaney, journalist and founder of Charter, and integrated by: Eduardo Kassner, Chief Data Officer, Software Digital Platforms Division at Microsoft; Scott McKinley, Managing Partner at EMA Partners; Jane Moran, Chief Technology Officer at Benevity; and Carrie Varoquiers, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Workday.

During closing remarks, Mourshed called on employers to join Generation’s coalition to trial these new approaches. The coalition’s goal is to continue exploring and iterating on a range of skills-based approaches, digging into the details of how to use different tools and hone best practice. She concluded with an invitation to join the coalition as an initial step towards revolutionizing tech hiring.