Skills-first hiring streamlines the employment process. It is a talent acquisition approach that focuses on the skills and abilities of applicants rather than their educational background or work experience.
In addition to connecting employers with an expanded talent pool, skills-first hiring makes it easier for candidates to find positions that align with their abilities. They can scan job listings for suitable opportunities, and the result for hiring managers is more applications from qualified candidates.
You can target a candidate’s skills throughout the hiring process, but let’s start with one of the first steps: the job description.
Benefits of Using a Skills-First Job Description
Skills-based hiring brings in more applications, reduces hiring time and costs, and brings in productive employees who tend to stay longer. A survey found that 3.2 percent of employees hired through skills-based methods plan to leave their jobs next year, compared to 7.3 percent employed through traditional methods. That’s twice as likely that a person will stay at their job when hired through skill-based hiring methods!
A skills-based job description prioritizes a candidate’s skills over their educational degrees and work experience. It lists the target skills and capabilities front and center, eliminating unnecessary obstacles that might discourage qualified candidates from applying.
Here is how to write a job description to attract more qualified candidates.
How to Write a Job Description for Skills-First Hiring
Crafting a job description is the first step in shifting your hiring practices toward a skills-based approach. Here are six steps to make that happen.
1. Start with the Existing Job Description
If you already have a job description created for the role, it’s an excellent place to start. Relax or remove any qualifications that aren’t a direct measure of competency and may reduce your talent pool.
Depending on the position, you may need to keep some education and experience requirements. The goal isn’t to eliminate all of them but to recognize that education isn’t the only path of skill development for every role.
2. Identify the Position’s Responsibilities
Even if you have a job description, you must accurately identify all the skills and competencies. What are the daily responsibilities of this role? What skills are required to perform these duties?
Define the position’s current duties and any new tasks that may be added. For example, imagine you’re hiring a graphic designer to create marketing materials but plan to rebrand the business in the next year. You may want a graphic designer with experience with branding, even though it’s not part of their daily job duties.
3. Connect the Position’s Duties to the Knowledge or Skills Required to Achieve Them
The more thoroughly you understand and can articulate the skills and competencies that make a candidate great, the more targeted and effective your skills-based job description will be.
For example, for a production manager position, instead of listing “communication skills,” you may list the following:
- Clearly communicate production goals, schedules, and priorities to employees.
- Effectively communicate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, sales, and marketing.
- Provide regular feedback to employees on their performance.
Instead of listing “organizational skills,” you may list the following:
- Develop and implement production schedules and workflows.
- Manage inventory levels and ensure that materials are available when needed.
- Organize and maintain production equipment and facilities.
Include specific examples of how the candidate will use these skills in the production manager role, and avoid using jargon or company or industry-specific terminology.
4. Confirm Your List with Those Currently Successful in the Role and Their Managers
No one understands the details of a role better than the employees currently doing it. Consider running your list by the outgoing employee, top performers who held the role or a similar one, and the manager or supervisor who oversees it.
You can also cross-reference your list with top performers’ verified skills on their LinkedIn profiles or digital resumes.
5. Make Sure You’ve Included Hard and Soft Skills
Ensure you’ve covered the hard and soft skills a candidate needs for the role. Hard skills are easy to measure, making them easy to identify.
However, soft skills like problem-solving, creativity, leadership, and communication are often nuanced and trickier to pinpoint. Yet, they are crucial in determining how well a candidate will fit into your company culture and how effectively they can collaborate. But remember: don’t just say you want someone with strong communication skills. Detail what types of communication the person will be doing in the role!
6. Distinguish Between Required and Preferred Competencies
Distinguishing between required and preferred competencies clarifies expectations and ensures a more inclusive and efficient hiring process. Focusing on what truly matters for the role increases the number of qualified applicants applying for the position.
Be honest and realistic about which skills are essential for day-to-day tasks and which would be a bonus. For an IT professional specializing in software development, proficiency in a specific programming language like Python or Java might be a requirement. Experience with a particular development framework or tool, such as React JS or Docker, might be preferred but optional.
As you know, preferred skills can be taught on the job. In today’s competitive job market, if a candidate excels in the required competencies but lacks a few preferred ones, it may be worth upskilling them once they are on the job.
Hiring the Best Person for the Job
Technology has transformed how candidates look for jobs and how employers process applications, select talent for interviews, and hire. Skills-first hiring is a highly functional approach to today’s talent market, helping employers filter for qualified applicants while making it easy for job seekers to find postings that match their competencies.
At Insight Global, we champion a people-first approach that fosters growth and innovation for our clients. As a nationwide agency matching employers with top talent in every industry, we stay ahead of the curve. Whether you need to hire a C-level executive or staff a newly constructed factory, we’ve got you covered. Connect with us today to find out more.
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