Employer Toolkit

Job Profiling: Matching Skills to Jobs

Just ask any business leader: skill shortages are an expensive, time-wasting barrier to effective hiring and training. How can employers determine which individuals are the best fit for highly skilled positions, or which workers are the top candidates to receive job-specific training?

This is why nearly 75 percent of businesses use job profiling—the process of analyzing the skills needed for job tasks—in their recruiting and hiring practices, according to a recent study by Society for Human Resource Management and ACT. With job profiling:

  • Employers can identify skills and skill levels current and prospective employees need in order to be successful on the job.
  • Individuals can compare their skill levels to those needed for jobs.
  • Trainers and trainees can make appropriate decisions about jobs, identify strengths, and set training goals.

Learn more about Job Profiling

Become an ACT WorkKeys Profiler

A key to building a stronger workforce is assessing capabilities of workers and potential workers, and if workforce skills are found to be lacking, to provide opportunities for growth. As a WorkKeys Profiler you will help employers identify the skills needed for their jobs and create an additional revenue stream for your organization. Depending upon the local market, profilers can usually cover the one-time training fee and the annual software license fee by conducting one to two profiles annually.

WorkKeys Profiling training is a combination of distance learning activities and webcasts, and culminates with an online simulation to practice and grow your skills. Registration for the next profiling training workshop closes October 13, 2023. For a limited time, the fee to participate in the Virtual WorkKeys Profiling training program is discounted at 50% off the regular price for qualified applicants. Contact ACT for eligibility (jpanswers@act.org or 319.337.1724).

SHRM Certified Reception Provider

ACT, Inc. is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP* or SHRM-SCP*. ACT WorkKeys Profiling Training is valid for 15.0 PDCs for the SHRM-CP* or SHRM-SCP*. For more information about SHRM certification or recertification, please visit www.shrmcertification.org

Occupational Profiles By Industry Sector

ACT has aggregated national job profile Work Keys data by common occupations in high demand industry clusters.
This information should be used only as a guide.

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Verify A Certificate

If the individual has made their ACT WorkKeys NCRC information searchable for an employer, you may verify the level with ACT. To verify the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT WorkKeys NCRC) level of potential or current employees, enter the registration number here. The ACT WorkKeys NCRC registration number may be found on the front of the certificate as shown:

a mock example of an ACT WorkKeys NCRC Certificate. It contains the ACT logo along with a silver badge, recipients name, and a short description

Enter Certificate ID

Learn More About Workkeys

Browse the WorkKeys Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents required for more than 400 different jobs.

Occupational Skill Level Info

Browse the Occupational profiles to better understand the alignment between WorkKeys scores and occupational profiles.