Is a Digital Badge a Good Form of Verification?  

As a manager, you have likely encountered digital badges when looking for a new hire. But if you have never gone through the digital certification process on your own, you may question whether a digital badge is a good form of skill verification. 

Thankfully, there are firms that can help you through the hiring process. Bring your staffing goals and resume assessment questions to the staffing professionals at Quality Placement Authority. 

Online Indicators of Skills

Sometimes referred to as digital credentials, digital badges are an indicator that a person has completed a skill acquisition process. The badges are dynamic, meaning they are online, clickable images that connect to information about when a badge was attained, what institution issued the badge, and information about the criteria for earning the credentials.

Because of the way digital badges are used, you may come across them in a range of ways when looking for potential hires for your organization. A candidate may include their digital badges in one or all of the following:

• Social media profiles
• Email signatures
• Blogs and websites
• Digital resumes or portfolios
• Business cards
• Online work samples 

Digital badges are a great way to quickly assess a person’s skill set. That said, as with all job seeking materials, it is important for digital badges to be thoughtfully shared. For example, you still want introduction emails to be professional and informative. If there are more badges than content, it is an indicator of a job seeker sending out emails without much thought. 

The Hiring Landscape Has Moved Online

With so many hiring connections happening online, it makes sense that new ways to illustrate skills are being established. Obtaining a certification at the completion of skill assessments is not new, the digital badge is simply an updated way to share that information with employers.

Whether your business considers digital badges a good form of verification or not will depend on what you are looking for in a candidate. But they do provide valuable information, including the following:

• An indicator that all underlying qualifications to achieve the badge have been reached.
• Shows motivation on the part of the job seeker, an effort to learn more and advance in their career. 
• This is a tech-savvy candidate who is interested in new ways to digitally share information and promote themselves and their industry. 

If a candidate shares a digital badge you’d like to learn more about, and that individual seems like a solid candidate, add the badge to your list of interview questions. Whether you perform the interview online or in person, the job seeker may share important insights with you about why their digital badges make them an ideal candidate for your organization. 

Is it time for you to connect with tech-savvy candidates? Share your hiring goals with a staffing professional. Quality Placement Authority is a full-service staffing and recruiting firm with nationwide service capabilities. Let our experts help you find the best candidate for your business. Connect with Quality Placement Authority today.