How to Sell Digital Credentials to a Skeptic

There’s no denying it: the next decade will confirm the shift from degree-based hiring and learning to skills-based hiring and learning. The gig-economy is in full swing, college enrollment is on the decline, and hiring for tech jobs is becoming increasingly more difficult. It sounds like the perfect climate for verified achievements, right? 

Digital credentials are data-rich, verified, and secure proof of achievements, learning, and skills. They enable data-informed decision-making. They make hiring and recruitment easier by identifying skills rather than relying on degrees that may or may not be relevant to the role your organization needs to fill. [More top tips to make your hiring process easier in our blog] Bust most importantly, they’re proof of learning. They tell a story about what a person can do beyond being self-reported, or beyond a traditional academic degree. 

Here are a few talking points you can use to get buy-in from people who are not familiar with the benefits and importance of digital credentials. 

1. They’re the future of verified skills
   
   Paper certificates are very easy to tamper with, difficult to verify, and their reach only goes so far as whoever has it in their possession. Organizations that can’t see that the future is digital run the risk of becoming obsolete. Digital credentials allow for real-time verification, they lend themselves to being shared across the internet and social media which makes a huge impact on brand recognition, and they’re online (which is likely where your learners are, too). Organizations like IBM and Adobe, are already issuing digital credentials, so join the movement and be in good company.
   
   
2. Digital credentials are secure
   
   Data privacy is really important to anyone who spends any time online. As knowledge-based jobs become increasingly more common (as opposed to labor-based work), spending time online is a regular part of life. Credly is fully GDPR compliant and we’re actively working towards our ISO certification. The data of the issuing organization is kept safe, as well as the personal information of those who are earning your credentials. 
   
   Download our whitepaper to discover the negative impact of fraudulent certification and qualifications on organizations, credential earners and employers, and how digital credentials play a key role in avoiding fraudulent activities. 
   
   
3. Technical skill certificates are quickly becoming the norm
   
   College degrees don’t hold the same cache to Gen Z as they did a generation ago. Tech-based skills and certificates are quickly becoming the norm to replace traditional proxies such as years of experience or earning a degree, and employers are going to have to find a way to verify those skills. Digital credentials facilitate skills-based hiring, making it easier for employers to validate someone's skills, making the recruitment and hiring process a lot more efficient and less expensive. 
   

   ---

If you’re interested in learning more about how to issue digital credentials, schedule a chat with our team today!