What You Need to Know About The New Skills-Based Hiring Trend

The business world and the recruitment processes are changing. 

A recent study revealed that 67% of recruiters today are more interested in experience and skills than in academic background qualifications.

To increase our competitiveness in the current job market, we, job candidates, must focus more on acquiring skills relevant to the current job market and proving we can do the job than listing their educational credentials in our resumes.

When invited for an interview, we must highlight their skills and experience and not just discuss their academic qualifications. 

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be a top performer in school to succeed. Only 21% of billionaires globally were A students. The rest (79%) have succeeded by acquiring high-demand skills in the market and using them to offer services or products. 

The paradigm shift from academic qualifications to competence has been in the offing for a while, changing how recruiters hire. 

Skill-Focussed Recruitment

A new trend advocating for more diverse and inclusive workplaces influences how companies hire new talent. Companies and organizations are keen on bringing onboard experts with relevant skills and experience, not just academic qualifications.

The old-school hiring process, which focuses solely on formal education, is slowly been eroded and will soon become obsolete. Many recruitment platforms today embrace diverse talents and focus on academic qualifications and candidates’ skills and capabilities during vetting. 

One benefit of skills-focused hiring is that it enhances employee retention. Companies hire experts who are fully qualified and interested in the job, and this hiring model has a ripple effect: they get employees who are fully committed to their work. 

This group of new employees’ high job satisfaction and fulfillment result in increased productivity and efficiency at the workplace. A low resignation rate improves retention rates, reducing the cost of hiring new employees. 

Companies can also confidently channel their resources into training (upskilling), improving staff performance and productivity,  and fueling company growth. 

The Intricacies of Skills-Based Hiring

Even though traditional academic-based hiring is becoming less popular, academic qualifications are still relevant in some industries like law, medicine, engineering, and science-based sectors. You still need specialized knowledge to secure a job in these disciplines and thrive. 

The bottom line is that skills-based hiring focuses not on academic qualifications but on the job candidate’s potential and soft skills. Some of the most essential soft skills that we need to secure a job in the current digital world include;

• Communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Organization
• Time management
• Leadership
• Management
• Negotiation

Embracing Skills-Based Recruitment

Skills-based recruitment is gaining traction in modern workplaces. Hands-on expertise and soft skills are beginning to take precedence over academic achievements. To job seekers, this change underlines the ever-increasing need for continuous learning and adapting to trends to stay relevant. 

Embracing this approach benefits employers and employees, fostering inclusive workplaces and driving productivity. It’s no secret that the future of hiring is skill-centred, so do everything you can to adapt and thrive.

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