SHIFT’s Employment First Eight define the systems, practices, and expectations that characterize an organization that is providing employment services that are in alignment with the Employment First framework.

Many organizations provide employment services. An Employment First-aligned organization intentionally and consistently prioritizes competitive integrated employment for all people supported, including those with complex support needs, and advances meaningful career development aligned with individual goals. This commitment is reflected in planning, decision-making, service delivery, and organizational systems.

These standards establish a shared framework for how organizations implement, strengthen, and sustain Employment First practices over time. Organizations that pursue Employment First Accreditation engage in a collaborative process to align policies, practices, and systems with these standards, supported by guidance and feedback from SHIFT subject matter experts.

The Employment First Eight are designed to be both practical and aspirational. They recognize that organizations are at different stages in their Employment First implementation and emphasize measurable progress over perfection. Rather than functioning as a checklist, the standards illustrate how practices grow and evolve, beginning with foundational alignment and advancing toward full integration into leadership, culture, and everyday service delivery. Taken together, these standards describe the systems, behaviors, and expectations that embed competitive integrated employment into the core of organizational practice.