Skill-based
recruiting has become all the more important in the modern world of work. While
experience will always be valuable, assessing candidates based on skills and
holistic competencies, rather than their last job title can pave the way for
exceptional talent. Over the years, Switzerland has faced skill shortages in
many different fields, so companies must take a skill-based approach to
recruitment. Skill-based recruitment places the recruiter in the driver’s seat.
It means pursuing all the relevant information to match candidates’ skills with
the requirements of the job. Below, we’ve outlined the key benefits of
recruiting for skills.
Transferrable
skills
Skill-based
hiring enables recruiters to find candidates with core expertise that can be
applied in a variety of different environments. While candidates with years of
direct experience may look like an ideal choice for a role, there’s a chance
they might not be as adaptable in a new business. Core skills like problem-solving,
interpersonal skills and technical competencies are more likely to be transferrable
to other industries, increasing the chances of you make an excellent
hire. Simply put, focusing on core skills and personality can be much more beneficial
for businesses that are looking to grow, and maintain a clearly defined
culture. However, screening candidates for skill and talent rather than
previous experience means recruiters will need to pay extra attention to
people’s cover letters and CVs. Thanks to recruitment technology,
most applications are automatically filtered, helping the recruiter save time
and find the ones that match the predefined criteria.
Add
Diversity
One
of the key benefits of skill-based recruitment is that it can add greater
diversity to the workplace. Individuals from different backgrounds and diverse
skill sets can add different talents, and experiences to the working
environment, which can benefit the organisation. When you focus strictly on
candidates with a set amount of experience, you risk missing out on individuals
who are otherwise strong candidates. While it can be risky to invest in a
candidate who’s less proven, they can bring a diversity of thought across the
company with their skill set. Using a skill-based approach combined with “blind
hiring” also removes any unconscious bias, enabling hiring managers to make
more informed decisions, resulting in a much more diverse workforce.
Focus
on potential
When
you seek candidates with specialist skills, it allows you to focus more on
their potential. New skills and competencies can always be taught whereas
highly experienced candidates might have a well-established work style that may
not be suited to certain types of companies. We’re now entering an era where
professionals are constantly changing career paths, and where the younger
generations are starting to dominate the workforce. What younger generations
may lack in experience, many of them make up in attitude and digital skills.
Taking a skills-based approach to recruitment allows you to expand your talent
pool and find potentially great candidates that you may have previously missed.
However,
companies must establish systems and internal capabilities that allow for
skill-based hiring. This means hiring managers must adjust their mindset and
use more skill-based assessments when recruiting, with more discussions about
the most critical skills. In this way, businesses can be more organised and
match candidates with the appropriate roles.
How
can Swisslinx help your business?
Swisslinx
has a highly experienced team of consultants who are dedicated to providing the
best recruitment service to clients and candidates. We take the time to
understand your requirements and then deliver tailored recruitment solutions.
Our team recruits the best professionals into a wide range of sectors,
including financial services, digital and technology, life sciences, as well as engineering. If
you would like more information on how we can assist with your
recruitment, contact us today.
