Can skills-based hiring be the future of recruitment?
The change towards skills-based hiring has been a hot topic in the HR world especially in the after COVID years. As employers seek to find the best candidates for their open positions, and top talent in all industries seem to be difficult to find, many HR professionals have recognized that traditional hiring methods, may not be the best way to assess a candidate's abilities. Instead, skills-based hiring focuses on identifying the specific skills and competencies that are needed for a job, and evaluating candidates based on their ability to perform those tasks.
New tech and innovation are a game changer
New technologies and innovations are constantly emerging and the pace of change in today's industries is faster than ever before. As a result, recruiters and HR professionals are under pressure to stay up-to-date, evolve and move quickly on finding the best talents for their organizations.
In order to keep up with the demanding deadlines of the business world, Talent Professionals need to be able to quickly identify if the candidate has the key skills that are required for the job and is a good fit for the company’s culture. They also need to move quickly and make quick decisions in order to snatch top candidates before they are grabbed by competitors.
Also, in today's demanding environment the need for job-ready candidates has been one of the biggest challenges. Employers seek quickly adaptable and flexible candidates easily adapt to new roles, company cultures in order to make immediate impact and be productive.
There comes skills-based hiring to offer a solution to this challenge! This approach may lead to a more efficient and time/cost-effective recruitment process, as employers do not need to invest in training new hires and are confident that they have the necessary abilities to be productive from day one.
Skills, how important are they
Actual abilities | In contrary with degrees and courses which do not always ensure candidate’s true abilities. Skills, on the other hand, reflect the practical knowledge and abilities that a candidate has gained via professional experience, certifications and practice, and are a more accurate reflection of what they are able to do and if they will cope with their job well.
Development | While degrees are specific to a particular field, skills are transferable between different industries and job roles. Also, since skills can be developed and improves gaining new highly skilled employees in an organization can increase all their teammates skills, teamwork and efficiency and productivity.
Why shift to skills-based hiring
Is a more inclusive and effective recruitment approach that can help companies attract and retain top talent, while improving performance and organizational success.
Diversity and inclusivity | By giving opportunity to candidates with diverse educational backgrounds and experiences can help to promote diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.
Match job requirements | Focusing on skills and experience, can more accurately match a candidate's abilities to the specific requirements of the job, resulting in better and cost-effective hires.
Retention | Employees who are hired based on their skills and experience are more likely to be successful in their role and stay with the company longer, reducing turnover.
How
To practice skills-based hiring approach, a range of strategies may be used, such as:
Skills assessments | Skills tests can evaluate a candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities, and provide an accurate picture of their capability to perform the job.
Behavioral interviews | They focus on the candidate's past experiences and behaviors to understand how they would approach specific professional-related situations.