Introduction

Have you ever heard the expression that the world is a village? It refers to the way people from every part of the world are brought together thanks to technology. And, if we may add, remote work opportunities.

When it comes to hiring, recruiters working in companies that operate fully remotely can dab into a global talent pool. It’s a benefit for companies that candidates nowadays are proactively looking for ways to upskill and stand out among the competition. 

How to find the best ones, you ask. Well, keep on reading to learn more about skill based approach to hiring and find candidates whose skills align perfectly with your hiring requirements.

Skill based approach in hiring: meaning and benefits

As Bryan Hancock and Brooke Weddle discuss in a conversation with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly, skill based hiring refers to assessing candidates based on their skills rather than on college degrees or job titles.

A LinkedIn's Economic Graph’s report on Skills-First Approaches shows that a skills-first approach to hiring, where hiring decisions are taken based on the skills candidates have and the skills a role demands, creates a transparent job-matching process that turns out to be beneficial for both employers and workers. This method is known to increase the talent pool and encourage candidates to take ownership of their own skills journey.

Skill alignment has a few crucial benefits for companies, among which:

The right candidate hits the ground running. When a person finds the right job for their skills, they’re more likely to achieve better results right from the get g0.

Employees thrive when their skills match job requirements. On top of that, if a company pays well and has additional benefits, people are willing to stay.

Skills that complement existing teams create cohesive units, it’s simple as that.

How to make the most out of skill based hiring

Imagine a perfect world where candidates have honestly listed their skills. What’s left for recruiters to do in order to ensure they’re hiring the right people for open positions?

Cringy job titles and descriptions are so 2024, it’s time to move on and avoid them. When posting a job, define a clear line between must-have skills and nice-to-have traits. Try to be as specific as possible, for example, add “Proficiency in Python for data analysis” instead of “Familiar with coding.”

It’s key to sync internally with other departments - break down roles into essential skills and ensure you’re prioritizing what truly matters.

With the technological boom in recent years, it's only natural that AI is now a big part of recruitment. AI-based technologies can be used to automate and enhance the hiring process - exactly what nPloy does. Utilising an AI-powered algorithm, nPloy directly connects candidates and employers in a manner similar to dating apps, matching them based on salary expectations, skills, experience, location, and job type. By ensuring anonymous recruitment, nPloy strives to eliminate bias and discrimination, enabling companies to build diverse and inclusive teams. 

With nPloy, you can:

Filter candidates by skill sets - HR professionals get access to a diverse candidate database and a proactive approach towards reaching talent. What’s more, employer branding and recruitment marketing campaigns are included in the subscription. 

Proactive recruiting in nPloy means actively researching candidates from nPloy’s database - the Talent Pool - and inviting them to apply for your open positions. Which, by the way, only takes two clicks - that’s all you have to do to send a Match request. 

Proactively engaging with candidates is also beneficial for you as a company representative - creating talent pipelines before openings arise ensures you’re not under pressure when a role becomes vacant. And yes, making the first move is great for your employer branding. 

How skill based matching helped Pontica Solutions find the perfect candidates on nPloy

Working with nPloy has helped Pontica Solutions identify and attract the right talents for their open positions, drastically reducing the time and effort needed to find candidates. Our smart AI algorithm played a huge role, led to higher quality hires and improved overall performance. Read more about the case here.

Conclusion

Finding candidates with the right skills doesn’t have to be a guessing game. If we have to break it into easier steps, all it takes is to rely on technology and adopt a proactive approach to transform your hiring process.

FAQs

What is a skill based approach in HR?

Skill based hiring refers to assessing candidates based on their skills rather than on college degrees or job titles.

What is the difference between skill based and role based hiring?

In skill based hiring, candidates are evaluated based on their skills, competencies, and abilities, regardless of formal qualifications or previous job titles. Role based hiring emphasizes matching candidates to predefined job roles, considering past job experience and responsibilities associated with the role.

‍Is skill based hiring on the rise?

Yes, skill based hiring has increased in popularity in recent years. Industry data shows that skill based hiring is 5 times more predictive of future job performance than education hiring and 2.5 times more predictive of work performance than experience.

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