Skills-based hiring is a trend on talent acquisition specialists’ minds for a number of reasons. The main one is the current talent shortage, which requires sourcers and recruiters to think outside the box to fill openings. With one in ten seats in offices across the US empty, they need to juggle the demand for people to fill those seats, choosing the right profile for each position and moving quickly in a candidate-driven scenario.
Of course, there are specific roles that legally demand certain qualifications, but in a large number of scenarios, there are other benefits to implementing this approach to hiring.
By taking the focus away from traditional indicators such as candidates’ degrees, the school they went to and job titles, you can also promote diversity across talent pools. Focus on skills and find candidates with the knowledge to do the tasks, leveling the playing field for talent that may not have the typically impressive credentials, but who are qualified for a specific opening. Combine all the elements that make up a candidate’s profile and you’ll see that the sum of the parts is greater than each individual item on their resume.
Looking at candidates from a skills perspective also allows you to approach them with job openings they wouldn’t apply to under conventional circumstances but for which they have what it takes to get started. It’s not always about what someone has done so far in their career, but what they can potentially achieve.
