Latest Insights
Thought Leadership That Moves the Needle
We work as a team, and in collaboration with clients and strategic partners, to capture our learnings from the field and produce insights that move us toward a more equitable, inclusive and skills-first labor market.
Walmart Awards $1M to Year Up’s Grads of Life Initiative to Scale the Skills-First Movement
Walmart’s investment will empower the pioneering nonprofit to accelerate employers’ implementation of skills-first talent practices through more rigorous measurement of ROI, change management support, and an employer-driven narrative
New Employer Resources for Skills-First Impact Measurement
Collecting consistent and accurate data is integral to measuring change over time, but the lack of standard methodology around skills-first data collection has made building a strong approach a challenge. To address these
Understanding the New Frontier of Human Capital Management: Skills-First Talent Management
Grads of Life and Morningstar Sustainalytics, a leading ESG research and analytics firm, invite corporate and investment leaders to discuss the business case for skills-first human capital management.
Unlocking Economic Opportunity: Insights From Top-Ranked Companies on the American Opportunity Index
With the support of the Schultz Family Foundation, Grads of Life took a closer look at how employers like Delta and Verizon are moving the needle on economic opportunity and mobility.
The Transformative Power of Sponsorships
When it comes to changing the corporate landscape and elevating historically excluded workers, sponsorships are one of the strongest levers business leaders and people managers can pull.
The Shift Toward a Skills-First Mindset: A Thought-Leader Roundtable
Grads of Life Managing Director and Founder Elyse Rosenblum joins LinkedIn Learning to unravel the why, the what, and the how of skills-first talent practices.
Skills-First Talent Acquisition
Grads of Life Partner Richard Dubuisson delivers a comprehensive LinkedIn Learning course on adopting, developing and successfully scaling a skills-based hiring model.
DEI Training Is in the Hot Seat — Here’s How to Make It Work
While some may say that DEI training does more harm than good, at Grads of Life we’ve developed four best practices to strengthen the quality and impact of your DEI training.
Grads of Life Reveals How Leading Employers Are Going Beyond Degree Removal
While removing degree requirements for jobs is a powerful first step, Grads of Life Founder Elyse Rosenblum tells Quartz it is not enough to lead in the shift to skills-first practices.
Want to Show Your Commitment to Equity? Pay Living Wages
Raising wages not only has a positive impact on employees, but also results in positive impacts on a business’s bottom line.
‘There’s Not a Standard’: Grads of Life Tells Quartz What the Skills-First Movement Needs Next
Grads of Life Founder Elyse Rosenblum speaks with Quartz about the drivers of the skills-first movement and what is needed to accelerate employer adoption.
Grads of Life Taps Seasoned Business Strategist to Support Strategic Growth and Operations
As the national nonprofit’s newest Partner, former Booz Allen Hamilton leader Ebony D. Thomas will accelerate Grads of Life’s efforts to help employers adopt skills-first talent strategies.
Walmart Awards $1M to Grads of Life to Drive Greater Measurement and Adoption of Skills-First Talent Practices for Employers
Investment will scale adoption of Grads of Life’s Impact Measurement Framework to help employers consistently track, evaluate and skills-first talent practices
4 Keys to Successful Mentorship and Sponsorship Program Development
Implementing mentorship and sponsorships programs can be challenging, but the benefits and outcomes typically outweigh the upfront cost and necessary resources.
Skills-Based Hiring: Transforming Employment Outcomes to the Nth Degree
Bain & Company, OneTen and Grads of Life have co-published a new brief upholding skills-based hiring as a key driver of equity in employment and illustrating its impact at pharmaceutical company Merck.
Case Study Highlights Impact of Skills-Based Hiring
OneTen has released a pivotal case study in partnership with Cleveland Clinic and Grads of Life, linking skills-based hiring practices to the increased hiring and promotion of Black workers without bachelor’s degrees.
Latest Research on DEI Best Practices with Bain & Company
Research from DEI experts at Grads of Life and Bain & Company shows that employers are still in the beginning stages of achieving progress with DEI best practices.
Grads of Life and Markle Foundation Form Trailblazing Partnership to Dismantle Barriers to Accessing the Workforce
Grads of Life and the Markle Foundation will help companies advance racial and economic equity through a skill-based approach to hiring and advancement.
3 Benefits of Tying Executive Compensation to DEI Best Practices
Factoring executive compensation into DEI best practices has the potential to transform how companies approach data tracking, public disclosure and practice implementation broadly.
Grads of Life and AdeptID Awarded Competitive WorkRise Network Research Grant
Grads of Life and AdeptID’s $322,000 grant from WorkRise will fund a study to determine how machine learning models can be used to improve workforce DEI.
Reflections on the American Opportunity Index
Grads of Life commends the launch of the American Opportunity Index, a new data-driven tool that assesses companies on measures of opportunity and mobility for their workers.
Transform DEI Discussions With One Powerful Framework
Our three-step process supports managers in having difficult conversations around DEI to create solutions that improve company culture and eliminate microaggressions at work.
3 Keys to Unlock the Most From Your DEI Training
This multipronged approach to DEI training and learning engages learners’ heads, hearts and hands to create a movement with staying power.
5 Ways to Eliminate Biased Feedback & Increase Retention
These five tips can help you deliver feedback in a way that builds trust, develops staff and increases retention without reinforcing stereotypes or harmful norms.
How to Structure DEI Data to Honor Employees’ Lived Experience
Why quantitative DEI data isn’t enough, and why it’s critical to measure qualitative employee data to advance DEI goals and outcomes.
The ‘Mark’ of Historically Excluded Talent and How to Mitigate This Bias in the Hiring Process
Bias can show up in unexpected ways during the hiring process. Here’s how a skills-based approach to hiring can change that.
Grads of Life and Bain & Company Publish New Content on External Engagement Strategies
Grads of Life and Bain & Company explore three ways companies can advance their DEI strategy beyond their own four walls.
You’ll Need More Than Representation Data to Support Your DEI Goals
Representation data is one indicator of the state of DEI at your company, but those DEI data points won’t give you the full context you need to make an informed action plan.
Grads of Life Founder Sheds Light on High Attrition Rates for Black Talent
GOL Founder Elyse Rosenblum talks to Fortune about how employers can better retain diverse talent going forward.
What Rethinking Degree Requirements Means for Corporate America and DEI
As employers increasingly embrace removing four-year degrees, it is imperative that their skills-based hiring efforts are grounded in a holistic DEI strategy.
Grads of Life’s Insights Featured in The New York Times
Grads of Life Founder Elyse Rosenblum was interviewed by The New York Times to discuss the trend of companies shifting to a skills-based approach.
4 Practical Tips for Launching Skills-Based Hiring
Implementing a skills-based hiring approach can feel daunting at the outset. Grounding your efforts in four simple principles can offer a clear path forward.
Grads of Life and OneTen Expand Partnership to Create New Opportunities for Black Talent
Grads of Life expands partnership with OneTen coalition to create pathways for Black talent into careers with family-sustaining wages.
How to Evaluate Jobs for a Talent Pipeline Program
Formal talent pipeline programs can be a transformative recruitment tool. But determining whether your roles would benefit from this approach requires a little groundwork.
Upskilling and Reskilling Offer Pathways to Economic Justice
America’s legacy of economic racism continues to hurt Black Americans. The private sector has an opportunity to promote equity through targeted upskilling and reskilling initiatives.
The 4 Types of Organizational Leaders: How Leadership Styles Impact Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Grads of Life’s Dr. Marshaun Hymon sheds light on four leader archetypes, their impact on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts, and actionable steps to accelerate change.
Grads of Life and Bain & Company Provide Research on DEI Best Practices & Measurement
Grads of Life and Bain & Company offer strategies as businesses consider how to begin evaluating the impact of DEI best practices.
Treating DEI Best Practices like a Core Business Strategy
Grads of Life directors analyze strategies employers can utilize to ensure their efforts toward implementing DEI best practices are tied to measurable outcomes.
Common Mindsets that Hinder DEI Efforts
Dr. Marshaun Hymon, Director of Learning & Advisory Services at Grads of Life, discusses how inclusive mindsets can drive equitable cultures.
The Words of Work: Building a Field Guide for Workforce Development Terminology
Building equitable hiring practices also means having a universal understanding of certain issues and terms affecting the labor market.
New Report: Ten Proven Actions To Advance Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion
Grads of Life Managing Director, Elyse Rosenblum, discusses her thoughts on the release of GOL and Bain & Company’s new research report around proven diversity, equity and inclusion.
Walmart Awards $500k Grant to Grads of Life To Launch New Impact Measurement Framework
Grads of Life is delighted to announce a $500,000 grant from Walmart to aid in the development of a new impact measurement framework.
The Consequences Of Raising Cultural Challenges As An Employee Of Color, And How Managers Can Help
Dr. Marshaun Hymon from Grads of Life reflects on how to navigate challenging conversations with diverse talent around race, difference and workplace marginalization.
Still Bridging the Opportunity Divide for Low-Income Youth: Year Up’s Longer-Term Impacts
New research confirms Year Up’s earnings gains as the largest ever reported to date for workforce programs.
Preparing The Next Generation Of Tech Talent At Infosys: Q&A With Jeff Auker
Rya Conrad-Bradshaw, Senior Director at Grads of Life, sits down with Jeff Auker from Infosys to discuss their journey to adopting inclusive talent pathways.
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