The 2026 talent reckoning: Beyond degrees and certifications

Degrees: Declining gatekeeper or still relevant?

According to research by AI-powered hiring platform, TestGorilla, in 2025, more than half (53%) of employers have removed degree requirements. This represents a 30% increase from 2024. This move away from traditional hiring represents a real reset for talent acquisition.

“Degrees provide a baseline foundation, but they rarely indicate depth of expertise or relevance to specific, rapidly evolving roles,” said Vince Fattore, CIO at RoadSafe Traffic Systems. “Organizations are placing greater value on practical skills and are increasingly willing to train and develop capabilities aligned to their own operational needs and culture.”

As roles evolve and respond to the development of technology like AI, candidates who prove their adaptability and resilience with real-life skills are now more attractive to hiring managers.

“AI is fundamentally changing how tech organizations think about and evaluate the talent we bring in,” said Christopher Daden, CTO at Criteria Corp. “Hiring is no longer just about the experience or hard skills that someone has, but their emotional intelligence, willingness to adapt, ability to think critically and work effectively alongside AI.”

There are a number of factors driving the shift from traditional degree-based hiring to skills-based hiring, including:

• Degrees no longer differentiate talent.
• Employers want adaptability and learning agility.
• Modern teams need people who can work alongside AI.
• Real-world experience signals more value than coursework.
• Removing degree requirements expands the talent pool.

In 2026, fluency with AI and the ability to adapt will be essential, influencing hiring decisions. According to LinkedIn Economic Graph, "In AI roles, a skills-based approach increases the talent pipeline by 8.2x globally." Digital transformation and technological advancement call for leaders to be less rigid in their hiring practices. “By removing rigid credential barriers, we expand access to high-potential candidates who may not have followed conventional career paths but bring real, measurable value,” said Daden.

Though there appears to be a real pull away from degree-based hiring, degrees are not obsolete, for instance in early career hiring where experience isn’t always possible. Industries where degrees remain critical include the following:

• Engineering roles with safety certifications.
• Government and public sector roles.
• Healthcare IT.
• Regulated professions, like law, finance and compliance.

Assessing skills without degrees

Where degrees are becoming less sought-after in potential candidates, and skills are becoming more favorable, CIOs hiring new tech talent must find new ways to assess candidates, other than their education history.

“Potential is often revealed through how someone approaches challenges, communicates, and demonstrates resilience," Kathleen Vegh, chief human resources officer at The Planet Group said. 

There are several questions that Vegh encourages a hiring manager or a CIO to ask when considering a new candidate, for example:

• What tech skills have they mastered and are they current for the role?
• What projects have they worked on or managed?
• How are they keeping abreast of rapidly changing tech?
• Do they have a cool side project that shows other areas of tech expertise or aspiration?

Tech leaders are looking beyond résumés and toward capacity for growth and adaptation. “I can train anyone for any position, any certification, for any career passion. Skills and certifications can be taught. What matters most is curiosity, adaptability, and passion for the role,” said Fattore.

Skills based hiring techniques can be a useful way to see a potential candidate in action, and to assess their ability to execute the role. “These methods can include skills assessments, job simulations, structured interviews and task-based challenges that provide valuable insights into the hard and soft skills that candidates can bring to the table in a real-world context,” said Daden.

Instead of simply asking where someone studied, in 2026, CIOs will be asking how fast candidates can learn, adapt and grow.

Microcredentials: The new signal of learning?

Microcredentials are focused certifications that candidates can obtain to validate skills and competencies. They are usually short, bite-sized learning experiences, making it easy for candidates to have a number of microcredentials to their name.

Though microcredentials do not replace traditional degrees, they offer up the opportunity to continuously learn alongside working. This can give employees a competitive advantage in some cases. “Microcredentials are becoming a powerful signal of initiative and specialization. They show that candidates are investing in themselves and staying current,” said Vegh.

A candidate who seeks to learn in their own time, acquiring microcredentials and learning new skills is a candidate who can display initiative and learning agility.

CIOs should care about microcredentials for a number of reasons, including:

• Expands the talent pool by validating non-traditional career paths.
• Provides specialized skills.
• Signals intentional learning.
• Supports continuous workforce development in an AI-driven environment.
• Supports internal mobility by helping employees develop their own careers.

Microcredentials can give an employer a good image of the type of employee they are hiring. “Microcredentials add color and context,” said Daden, “but they work best when integrated into a more holistic, science-backed hiring process.”

CIO strategy for retaining high performing IT teams

In 2026, CIOs will have a lot on their plates when it comes to attracting and retaining their talent. These obstacles include:

Retention challenges in an automated workplace. As work becomes more distributed, thanks to AI, employees need to feel valued, and that their human strengths still matter. Culture must keep up with digital transformation. “AI can personalize content, but it can’t replace the mentorship, coaching and empathy that drive engagement. Finding the right balance is where the biggest impact can be found,” said Vegh.

Employee angst about AI integration. Change can be difficult and can cause anxiety amongst the workforce. Where tech workers can appreciate the value of AI, it’s still critical that CIOs get AI integration right. “It's important to ensure that employees feel AI is an augment to their performance rather than a tool designed to replace them or take over their core responsibilities,” said Daden.

The need for a cohesive hybrid culture. CIOs must implement inclusive decision making into the core of their talent strategies for 2026. “That means well-designed onboarding and development experiences that bridge the physical and digital divide,” said Daden. Employees must feel valued regardless of where they work, and in 2026, it is up to the CIO to make sure that the systems in place enforce equity across the board.

Building a successful talent strategy isn’t just about hiring the right people, it’s about keeping them. As organizations worldwide face a retention crisis, CIOs planning for 2026 must focus on creating environments where top tech talent can grow, stay engaged and see a future within the company.

Rosa Heaton is a content manager for the IT Strategy group at Informa TechTarget.