The Power of Skill-Based Hiring in Today’s Job Market

17 Apr The Power of Skill-Based Hiring in Today’s Job Market

Technology is changing so quickly that it can be overwhelming and a little nerve-wracking. No matter how prepared you think your company is for the next great invention, device, or practice, something could come along tomorrow to put your carefully constructed strategy right into the bin. 

Instead of worrying about what might happen next, maybe it’s time to shake up your recruiting and hiring process to focus on people’s skills instead of their experiences. By looking to the future and hiring based on what people can do and how they can adapt, you’re creating a blank canvas that is better able to handle whatever comes at your company in the future. 

Discover the Benefits of Skill-Based Hiring for Your Business:

Most companies have used a role-based approach to hiring, reviewing a candidate’s resume based on their education, credentials, experience, and employment history. A skills-based approach looks for what the person can do, their competencies, and abilities as they apply to the specific role at hand. 

Skills Over Credentials

If you’re looking at candidates for an accounting position, you’ll want to hire someone who has skills in math even if they’re not yet a fully certified CPA; if you’re looking for an administrative assistant, you want someone with great communication and organizational skills, maybe with experience running an office. 

The good news for companies is that younger generations of employees and candidates are already building the skills they’ll need for the jobs they want — the jobs you have — because they’re growing up in an era of start-ups, side hustles and breaking down barriers to things that had previously been out of the reach of new workers. They are eager learners who want to specialize their skills in order to have long, productive, fruitful careers; they’re not bogged down by where they went to school but instead want to be impressive based on what they can do. They’re creative problem solvers who shrug off any limitations believed to be put in place based on how things used to be done; they’d rather try something new and fail until they figure out a solution to a problem. They want to continue learning and growing and know that evolving throughout their career is the best way to be successful. 

Adaptability and Flexibility

By reviewing a candidate’s skills, certifications, and abilities, as well as their work experience, you’ll be looking at how each person can use their knowledge to adapt to changing circumstances. The willingness and the learned ability to be flexible and not locked into a certain way of doing things or thinking about a process will make your company more nimble and agile and better able to tackle the unforeseen challenges that are sure to arise in the future. 

Diversifying Talent Pool

Looking at what people can do, as opposed to what they’ve done before, also helps companies expand their candidate search, opening up the opportunity to diversify your candidate search and the talent pool applying to your open positions, while also encouraging the consideration of non-traditional candidates, as someone younger might be better equipped for a challenging role than a more seasoned employee due to their ability to work with and understand technology. 

Research indicates that skills-based hiring practices are 2.5 times better indicators and predictors of an employee’s future performance success, compared with hiring based on resume and work experience-informed decisions. 

STEM Education and Problem Solving

Consider, also, that many younger employees grew up in educational programs focused on STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. They’ve been exposed to creative application of these skills and these concepts, making them better able to problem solve while using evolving technology. Because we’re more reliant on technology than ever before, and we’ll continue to depend on it more in the future, hiring new employees who have this experience and exposure will make your company better positioned to adapt to new advances faster than your competition. 

Looking at what someone can do, compared to where they went to school or their previous job titles, unlocks the potential of finding terrifically skilled employees who might not fit the more traditional mold. Embracing a skills-based approach to hiring and resume reviewing could help unlock your company’s potential as well! 

Contact LeadingEdge Personnel to Create a Strong, Skilled Team Today

If you’d like to learn more about this new approach to reviewing candidates or implement it right away, call LeadingEdge Personnel. Our recruiters can help you navigate this new system and point out what to look for, in addition to providing candidates that meet your company’s needs quickly. We’re prepared to leap into the bright, new future with you and to help your company succeed! When you’re ready to change with the times, it’s time to call LeadingEdge Personnel.