Talent Without Limits: Trane Technologies Skills-Based Hiring - 2026 Next Practices Weekly

Next Practices Weekly welcomed Amy Volz, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Impact and Executive Director of the Trane Technologies Foundation, and Katie Runey, Talent Acquisition Global Center of Expertise Leader at Trane Technologies for an insightful discussion on how the organization transformed its talent strategy by embracing skills-based hiring. Facing growing workforce shortages across manufacturing and HVAC, Trane Technologies challenged traditional degree requirements, recredentialed key roles, and built a scalable framework that prioritizes demonstrated skills over educational credentials. Their approach has expanded access to opportunity while helping the organization compete for critical talent in an increasingly competitive labor market.

Hosted by i4cp's Mimi Turner and Tom Stone, the conversation explored the governance, executive sponsorship, and organizational change management required to make skills-first hiring successful at enterprise scale. Amy and Katie emphasized that skills-based hiring is far more than removing degree requirements, it requires thoughtful job redesign, continuous skills validation, manager education, and a culture committed to employee growth through reskilling and internal mobility.

Key Topics Discussed

Building a Skills-First Talent Strategy That Scales - Trane Technologies began by identifying high-volume, business-critical roles and systematically evaluating the skills truly required for success. Cross-functional collaboration between talent acquisition, HR, business leaders, and hiring managers enabled the organization to build sustainable governance around skills-based hiring rather than treating it as a one-time initiative.
Expanding Opportunity by Recredentialing Roles - The organization recredentialed more than 60 positions and opened over 80% of its available roles, including many leadership opportunities, to qualified candidates without four-year degrees. This strategic shift significantly broadened the talent pool while maintaining rigorous hiring standards focused on capability and performance.
Creating Career Mobility Through Skills and Continuous Learning - Rather than viewing careers as rigid ladders, Trane Technologies encourages employees to build transferable skills that create flexibility across functions and future roles. Investments in reskilling, upskilling, apprenticeships, and internal development strengthen workforce resilience while supporting long-term employee growth.
Driving Executive Alignment and Change Management - Successful implementation required strong executive sponsorship, ongoing stakeholder engagement, and educating hiring managers to evaluate candidates based on demonstrated skills rather than traditional credentials. The speakers emphasized that changing hiring behaviors requires consistent communication, updated job descriptions, and clear accountability.
Strengthening Business Performance Through Broader Talent Pipelines - Skills-based hiring has become a competitive advantage for Trane Technologies by helping address persistent manufacturing and HVAC talent shortages while strengthening employer brand, improving workforce accessibility, and creating more diverse pathways into critical business roles.

The July 9 conversation with Trane Technologies offers a practical look at how HR leaders can move beyond traditional hiring models and build broader, more resilient talent pipelines through skills-based practices. Watch the recording to hear how Amy Volz and Katie Runey approached enterprise-wide role recredentialing, secured alignment, and created new pathways for candidates without four-year degrees - while strengthening business performance and workforce accessibility.

Continue the Conversation

Interested in more practical workforce innovation strategies? Join us at the 2027 i4cp Next Practices Now Conference to connect with HR leaders and learn from the latest next practices.

To ensure open discussion, this event was exclusively for HR practitioners. Vendors and consultants were not permitted to attend.