1. Start with a Clear, Impact-Oriented Job Summary

Define the role's purpose and its impact on the organization.

Instead of: "Seeking a Marketing Manager with 5+ years of experience and a Bachelor's degree in Marketing."

Try:

Why It Works: This frames the role around business impact, not just pedigree. It helps candidates—and hiring managers—focus on outcomes over checkboxes.

2. List Key Responsibilities as Outcomes

Show what success looks like in the role.

Examples:

Why It Works: Clear, quantifiable outcomes set performance expectations—and attract candidates who are ready to deliver results.

3. List the Skills That Truly Matter

Clearly outline the skills necessary for the role, both technical and soft (durable) skills.

Why It Works: Clearly defined skills help candidates assess their fit and prepare for the role's demands. Need more inspiration? Grab richly defined skills from the Lightcast Open Skills Taxonomy.

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Educational and Experience Requirements (aka “Tear the Paper Ceiling”)

Focus on skills rather than formal education or years of experience.

Instead of: “Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and 5 years of experience required.”

Try:

Why It Works: You expand your reach and more precisely align and signal your organization's needs to candidates with non-traditional backgrounds, without compromising candidate fit and quality.

5. Differentiate Between 'Must-Have' and 'Nice-to-Have' Skills

Help candidates understand which skills are essential and which are beneficial but not critical.

Example:

Why It Works: This approach gives applicants the confidence to apply even if they don’t check every box, especially those from underrepresented groups who tend to self-select out..

6. Use Inclusive and Clear Language

Ensure the job description is accessible and appealing to a broad audience.

Avoid: "Looking for a rockstar marketer to crush KPIs."

Use:

Why It Works: Overly casual or coded language (jargon) can exclude strong candidates. Clear language builds trust.

7. Include a Statement on Skills-Based Hiring Commitment

Reinforce openness to diverse backgrounds and communicate your organization's dedication to skills-based hiring.

Example:

Why It Works: This builds goodwill and encourages high-potential candidates to lean in.

1) Distributed IDs (aka DIDs)

Think of a Distributed ID like a digital version of your driver's license—but you control it. It’s a unique identifier that proves you are who you say you are, without needing to go through a central authority every time.

Instead of companies or institutions storing your identity in their systems (and leaking it in data breaches), a DID lives in your control. You can use it to access systems, prove your identity, or share your credentials securely.

2) Wallets

If DIDs are your ID, then wallets are where you keep your digital stuff—your credentials, badges, transcripts, licenses, etc. Wallets let you store and manage verifiable credentials and decide when and where to share them.

There are all kinds of wallets in the LER ecosystem: mobile apps, browser-based tools, or enterprise systems designed for students or workers. Some are already integrated into tools like digital transcripts or learning platforms.

3) Verifiable Credentials (VCs)

Verifiable Credentials are the digital proof of what you’ve done or what you know. They're secure, tamper-evident, and can be verified by others without needing to call your old school or employer.

• VC 2.0 Model: A newer, more flexible model for structuring verifiable credentials. It supports all kinds of use cases: job experience, licenses, certifications, skills, etc.

• Open Badge 3.0: A specific kind of verifiable credential built for the education/workforce world. It captures metadata about the skill, who issued it, when, and why it matters.

4) Open Standards

This one’s important: LER tech works because of open standards. These are agreed-upon protocols that allow different systems to talk to each other.

For example, 1EdTech’s CASE standard helps describe learning competencies and skills in a standardized format. Credential Engine’s CTDL describes credentials themselves—like what they mean, how long they take to earn, and what skills they signal.

Without open standards, everything stays locked in proprietary silos. With them, we get interoperability—which is just a fancy way of saying “your credentials work wherever you go.”

5) Blockchain (Kinda, Sometimes)

Contrary to hype, not every LER uses blockchain, and it’s not required. But some systems use it to create a secure, tamper-evident log of who issued what credential to whom. Think of it like a shared receipt that multiple parties can verify.

It can be useful for auditing and trust-building, but it’s not the magic sauce. (And no, you don’t need a crypto wallet.)

6) CLR: Comprehensive Learner Record

A CLR is a format for storing and sharing a student’s skills and achievements in a structured, machine-readable way. It often lives inside a digital wallet and can include things like grades, badges, internships, leadership roles, or even work experience.

Think of it as a digital transcript that actually shows what you can do—not just what courses you took.