What counts as evidence of a skill?
There is a gap between how we develop human skills, how we recognise them, and how we show them in the labour market.
Collaborative Problem Solving Lab · 3 min read · 18 Aug 2026 · Anja Cimerman
A recent article about a laid-off Amazon engineer described how traditional job-search strategies no longer worked. Most of his interviews came through referrals and personal networks. His advice was simple: rely on your network and ask for introductions.
This makes sense. If human skills are important but hard to assess, trust becomes a shortcut. It is easier to believe someone is a good communicator or collaborator when someone we already trust vouches for them.
But there is a downside. Referrals narrow opportunities to existing networks. They make it easier to recognise human skills in people we already know, and harder to see them in people we don’t.
This became more visible in our work with young people entering the job market. In a workshop, participants described feeling stressed, confused and overwhelmed, but also wanting stability, purpose, freedom, validation, good working environments and work-life balance. They were also thinking about AI, shifting career paths and an uncertain labour market.
This made me think about what we actually ask people to show when they enter the job market. A CV can show education, previous experience and participation in projects, but much of what matters in navigating work and much of what people learn through experience remains difficult to make visible.
What we observed
- Human skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving are increasingly valued, but are difficult to see on paper.
- Saying “I am a good communicator” does not demonstrate how someone communicates.
- Referrals create trust by transferring it from someone else.
- But they also reinforce existing networks and limit access for those outside them.
- People develop capabilities through education, volunteering, projects, youth work and other experiences, but often struggle to name or show them.
- Experiential and collaborative settings seem to create opportunities to practise these capabilities, but it is still unclear what actually produces the learning.
What we learned
- The issue may not only be a lack of human skills, but also a lack of ways to recognise and show them.
- A CV can show participation, a certificate can show completion, and a referral can show trust.
- However, none of these easily show how someone actually works with others or approaches a situation.
- This raises the question: how do we show that someone can:
- listen
- collaborate
- handle disagreement
- think critically
- solve problems
- adapt to change
- It also raises a broader question about learning itself:
- Does experiential and collaborative work actually build these capabilities?
- If so, what makes the learning happen? Is it the experience itself, the challenge, or interaction with others, reflection, feedback, or some combination of these factors?
What we are trying next
We want to explore how human skills can become more visible through experience, not just claims or credentials. We are experimenting with learning environments where people work on meaningful problems, observe how they approach them, reflect on what happens, and gather evidence of the capabilities they develop.
The question is not only: How do we teach human skills? But also: How do we recognise them as they develop, and how can people show them to those who don’t already know them?
About this Lab
The Human Skills Development Lab explores how and in what contexts people can develop skills needed to navigate change, work with others, and make decisions.
Have an idea to explore together?
We are alwasy looking for new questions,
partners and collaborators.