Competency-based hiring is an approach to talent management that starts with identifying the particular skills required in a role and then prioritizing assessments or credentials that look for those skills. It promises to empower employers to align recruitment around business results, rather than around résumés. On the other hand, competency-based hiring also empowers students, workers, and schools to establish and follow clearer classroom-to-career pathways.

As Jamai Blivin, Founder and CEO of Innovate+Educate, tells us in this interview, the practical application of this approach is getting its first tests in the real world. A growing number of employers are embracing the emerging assessments and credentials needed to make the shift.