Skills-based recruiting

Old wine in new skins?

The term «skills-based recruitment» sounds like a pleonasm at first. What else should take priority in recruitment if not competences? The term makes it clear that in the past, recruitment decisions were often based heavily on educational qualifications – sometimes even on the reputation of the educational institution – or on the applicants’ previous employers. It is a positive development if these formal criteria are becoming less important. And it is to be hoped that good practitioners will be given a fair chance in future – even in competition with applicants with an academic background.

Higher demands on applications and recruitment

Skills-based recruitment places higher demands on both sides of the labour market. CVs no longer speak for themselves – job seekers must know their job-relevant skills and be able to communicate them in a targeted manner, for example with the help of storytelling. A personal and professional assessment can be an effective tool here. Recruiters are also challenged: They need to recognise relevant profiles and specifically identify the skills they are looking for in the job interview (behavioural interview). In view of the shortage of skilled labour, ideal candidate profiles are often in short supply. This makes it more important to identify transferable skills – especially if they are not visible at first glance.

Articles on the topic

Skills-based recruiting – old wine in new skins?
What external images are suitable for