Massachusetts continues to face significant workforce pressures, including talent shortages, demographic shifts, evolving skill demands, artificial intelligence (AI) disruptions, and persistent barriers to labor force participation. Skills-first hiring, which focuses on competencies rather than degrees, offers employers a practical strategy to expand talent pools while improving hiring outcomes and retention.

Drawing on lessons from the MassSkills Coalition’s 2025 Skills-First Hiring Learning Community, facilitated by Grads of Life, this toolkit outlines practical steps employers can take to implement skills-first practices across recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention.