Ever since the pandemic hit, the job market was left shaken, there are still areas and industries which are overstaffed while others remain seriously understaffed. When we talk about hiring new candidates, their job experience in the past is something that is one of the first things that comes to mind.

 Why is that? Simply because if we see in their resume that they have done a similar job in the past, it provides us with a  reassuring proof that the candidate will possess the necessary skills required ; what if we started thinking about this the other way  and instead of focusing on the past history of employee, started focusing on the skills they have now and the skills they can develop within our organization?

In the past year, LinkedIn has seen a 21% increase in job postings advertising skills and responsibilities instead of qualifications and requirements in the U.S., and the number of positions that don’t require a degree increased by nearly 40% in 2020 compared to 2019. According to an article in HBR  “Skill Based Hiring” has been described as the future of hiring and today we are seeing more and more companies adopting this practice. They are no longer focusing on where you worked before or which college you attended and for what degree, but are focused almost entirely on what you are bringing to the organisation and what you can make better here. 

What are the benefits of Skill Based Hiring?

1. It makes the candidate pool more diverse

One of the main characteristics of skill based hiring is that it removes many barriers to entry which normally would be faced by candidates. Once the focus is shifted to just the skills, many candidates who couldn’t apply due to “lack of relevant experience” but who still may have those skills, are now able to apply.

2. It attracts fresh talent

The problem with most entry level positions that a great majority of young people who are new to the workforce face is that they require at least 2-5 years of experience, for someone who graduated fresh from their undergraduate degree, applying to and being taken seriously for such jobs becomes a very difficult task. However, if hiring shifts to a skills basis, newly graduated candidates become ideal since they learn the newest skills from their education and sometimes are even more up to date than their superiors, which gives them an edge on being hired.

3. You can harness the potential of the candidates

During the hiring process if you find individuals who may not yet have some skills but display their potential to gain them, you can use this opportunity to our advantage and “mold” the candidate into your desired skill set. This will not only ensure a perfect role fit but also would promise greater retention since you allowed the employee to truly achieve their potential.

4. Skill based hiring promotes proactive hiring

Hiring candidates based on their skills and their potential allows companies to see the bigger picture in terms of their staffing requirements. It helps in reiterating the company vision and re-emphasizes the end goals the teams or organizations are headed for.

Transform your hiring process and hire the right people with the right skills!