Recruiting: Evaluates skills, not certificates!

Applicants with traditional qualifications are still preferred. Sure, a good degree from a renowned university or an impressive CV with stations at well-known companies show that a candidate has already convinced. However, this privileged perspective can mean that actually qualified candidates are passed over who were denied access to these opportunities.

The job interview then proceeds in a similar way: Instead of talking about their actual suitability for the position, the approach and objectives of recruiting are often inscrutable for applicants. Many feel more like they are in a memory game where the only goal is to remember as many details as possible. An interview should actually be the chance to assess the actual skills and competencies of an applicant.

Therefore, it is time to develop new approaches and to use practical tips and tools of skill-based recruiting.

A successful hiring process not only requires that you, as an employer, assess the skills and competencies of the applicants. Applicants should also have the opportunity to rate the company and the position.

A collaborative recruiting process that involves multiple perspectives kills two birds with one stone. A team consisting of people with different roles and different tasks takes over the recruiting process. This group can get a more complete and unbiased picture of candidates. They know the tasks of the advertised position first-hand and can exchange ideas on an equal footing. In addition, it is immediately clear whether the chemistry with the team is right or not. This also applies to the candidates and the company itself.

The hiring team should be as transparent as possible. All those involved in the hiring process must have all the information they need available, including reviews and notes from each interview and interaction. At the end of the day, ideally, the decision about the hiring is also made jointly.

When the team is in place, the question arises as to how the process itself should be designed. The goal of skill-based recruiting is a combination of a skill-based and a competency-based hiring approach. Skills are a person’s toolbox of knowledge, experience, and track record. Competencies are how someone puts that toolkit into practice and acquires new skills.

It is important to remember that past experience is no guarantee of future success in a new environment. A person’s competencies are sometimes much more interesting than a specific track record.

Candidates must therefore be screened by being informed in advance of the topics and questions that will be covered in the interview. In this way, applicants can prepare themselves properly and demonstrate their real skills.

Candidates applying for the same position will of course receive the same questions and topics to ensure a fair result. It also forces the hiring manager to engage in structured interviews, which is paramount to hiring success. Recruiting is often viewed as transactional, but it is a function of increasing complexity.

Strategic “talent acquisition” represents nothing less than the future of the company – it brings the talents, innovators and leaders of tomorrow into the company.

In a world where specific skills and rapidly changing technological skills are becoming increasingly important, traditional qualifications and CVs fall short. While these established standards of value can be a useful starting point when searching for candidates, there are some obvious weaknesses in this system. A resume can provide information about education and work experience, but there are some things it doesn’t reflect, such as the personality, soft skills, and potential that a candidate brings to the table.

A candidate’s skills and experience in relation to specific tasks and problems in the world of work are also not found there. Someone may have many years of experience in a specific industry, but if he or she does not have the skills or knowledge required for a specific position, that experience may not be relevant.

An important aspect of implementing skill-based recruiting is therefore the use of work samples, tests and simulations to measure the skills of the candidates. Work samples can include, for example, the implementation of projects or the creation of tasks that are customary in the advertised position. Online tests can be used to test knowledge in a specific subject area. Simulations serve to check how well someone can react in certain situations.

Another advantage of skill-based recruiting is the greater variety of applicants that can be reached. Traditional recruiting methods tend to favor certain groups, such as applicants with an Ivy League degree or those who have worked in the industry before. Skill-based recruiting, on the other hand, makes it possible to consider people regardless of their educational background or work experience, as long as they have the required skills.

At the same time, the approach can be much more efficient than conventional methods. By focusing on the specific skills relevant to the position, the number of under-performing candidates is reduced. This saves time and effort when evaluating applications.

Skill-based recruiting is a promising way to select better talent and foster a more diverse workforce. Companies that integrate skill-based recruiting into their hiring practices can benefit from more efficient and fair candidate selection.

It is important for companies to continually improve their methods and tools and ensure they are fair and reliable. This is the only way they can find the best possible talent and meet the demands of the rapidly changing job market. To be successful, organizations should set clear criteria for the skills and competencies required and use appropriate methods and tools to assess those skills.