The path ahead: Turning insight into action

81% of employers believe digital credentials will become more important in hiring over the next two years. Acting on these insights now gives issuers a significant competitive advantage.

The insights from this year’s employer survey, combined with last year’s learner research, provide a complete blueprint for building digital credential programs that serve everyone in the hiring ecosystem. This isn’t just about helping employers find qualified candidates or helping learners advance their careers — it’s about creating a cycle where employer need drives learner demand, and learner success attracts more opportunities from employers.

Foundation 1: Operational Excellence That Scales

Strong operations ensure your program grows with consistency, credibility, and efficiency.

• Develop and document your credential framework. Build the strategic blueprint that ensures consistent quality, growth, and stakeholder trust.
• Track meaningful KPIs and learner outcomes. Go beyond enrollments — measure credential view/share rates, learner progression, learner outcomes, and program ROI to both prove value and identify growth opportunities.
• ‍Design credentials employers trust. Include the four elements employers demand most: basic details, clear skill summaries, evidence of mastery, and third-party endorsements.

Foundation 2: Learner Success That Drives Visibility

When learners succeed — and know how to showcase that success — they become your most effective ambassadors.

• Launch a comprehensive education campaign for learners: Share hiring impact data and teach learners how to use and share credentials for maximum visibility.
• Guide learners strategically. Create learning pathways that clearly map skill progression so learners always know their next step.
• Include applied evidence. Projects, assessments, and proof of mastery reinforce skills while giving employers what they need to hire with confidence.
• Build career accelerators. Offer online directories, career recommendations, and other resources that connect learners to opportunities.‍
• Recognize and celebrate credential sharing. Engage with and amplify learner posts to boost reach and inspire others.

Foundation 3: Employer Partnerships That Create Opportunity

Active collaboration with employers turns your program into an essential hiring resource.

• Proactively build relationships. Educate employers on credential value, gather feedback, and co-create solutions.
• Prepare for integration: Implement machine-readable metadata aligned to skills frameworks so credentials work seamlessly in employer ATS systems.‍
• Create talent pipelines: Use directories and placement programs to make it easy for employers to find qualified talent.

• Building a foundation? Start with credential design improvements and learner education. These create immediate impact for both employers and learners.
• Growing momentum? Layer in structured learner progression pathways and employer directories. These investments drive program visibility and revenue.‍
• Scaling impact? Invest in employer engagement and technical integration to position your program as an indispensable hiring partner.

End-to-end success isn’t just better credentials — it’s better outcomes. As Curtiss Barnes puts it:

“End-to-end success looks like skills flowing from issuer to hiring systems — measured by shorter time-to-hire, tighter skill-to-role matches, and more opportunities for earners whose competencies become visible.”

You have something no previous generation of credential issuers has ever had: comprehensive data on what all stakeholders want and need. The roadmap is clear, the opportunity is unprecedented, and the time to act is now.

Accredible is the world’s leading digital credential platform, enabling education and training leaders to increase learner engagement and drive program growth. Over 2,300 organizations — including Google, IAPP, McGraw Hill, Rutgers, Skillsoft, Slack, and the University of Cambridge — rely on Accredible to design, issue, and measure credentials that employers trust and learners share. From integrating machine-readable metadata to launching branded directories, mapping learning pathways, and tracking learner outcomes, our team can help you implement every strategy in this report — so you don’t just keep up with the market, you lead it.