More than 110 Members and Partners Discuss How to Reduce Hiring Barriers

Corporate Coalition members, partners, and guests met on September 24, 2026 at LinkedIn's Chicago office, in partnership with Skills for Chicago, to discuss employer-created hiring barriers and how companies are removing them. Below are a few lessons that came out of our discussions:

• Employers are removing hiring barriers by turning off automated applicant ranking with AI, rethinking background-check screening, and shortening hiring processes — with human oversight still essential to govern and audit how AI supports those decisions
• Hiring managers are central to successful skills-based hiring, using tools like scenario-based interviewing
• Workforce and community partnerships help source and prescreen candidates, and wraparound support — for housing, transportation, and other needs — keeps barrier removal going past the hire date
• Pathways matter as much as access: candidates want careers, not just jobs, and starting small (one role, a small cohort) is the easiest way to prove out a new approach before scaling

Nearly 100 people stayed for the reception — a sign of how hungry people are for work that makes a profit and makes the world a little better. Thank you to all our members for the work you're doing to create a more thriving, opportunity-rich region.