What is Skills-Based Hiring and Why Is It So Important?

Traditionally, hiring for an open position entails a careful review of candidates’ experience and education. Skills-based hiring, on the other hand, takes a closer look at the specific skills that each applicant brings to the table, particularly the ones that would help them succeed in your company. It decreases time to hire while increasing the overall fit of candidates with your company. This shift in evaluation also helps candidates find the best jobs for their particular talents and interests.

While this was an aspiration for many HR departments and businesses for years, skills-based hiring is now more of a reality, thanks to reduced costs and increased opportunities due to the latest technology.

Here are 3 tips to successfully bring skills-based hiring to bear on your job openings:

1. Identify the work that needs to be done and the specific skills required to do it. First, you need to understand the specifics of projects, goals and deliverables for any job opening. What skills will best suit this position? The ability to code under pressure? Strong public speaking skills? Be very specific. Then, revise job descriptions to match. You can use a skills database that will match jobs with skills to make this process easier.

2. Train your team to hire for skills. This will likely be a shift for your HR team and your company’s recruiters so they will need to be retrained on new technology and parameters as well as the overall culture change you are expecting. Getting internal buy-in is sometimes the most challenging part of the process, but showing how effective this type of hiring is will definitely help your case.

3. Track your efforts and progress. This change in hiring will not likely happen overnight and it is important to track metrics such as quality of each hire, the time to fill each open position and overall candidate performance. The data you capture will help you fine-tune your skills-based hiring program and make updates as necessary.

As you implement and review your skills-based hiring practices, you will likely need to make updates in things such as job descriptions or interview practices along the way—that is completely normal. Skills-based hiring can look a little different for each business and each industry.

As jobs change and new positions and skills are created, skills-based hiring can help your company stay at the forefront of successful hiring and employee and business growth.

Is the Great Resignation for You? 7 Things to Consider Before You Give Your Notice

As a record number of people continue to resign their jobs and walk away from their careers, the Great Resignation is roiling the economy and changing the fortunes of businesses and workers alike. Should you stay or should you go?

Before you make your next move or quit your current job, make sure you have the following 7 steps covered:

1. Determine why you want to resign. Are you unhappy at work? Seeing better job opportunities elsewhere? If you like your company but want to pursue a new position or greater job flexibility, for instance, you might first want to talk to your manager about growth opportunities on the horizon. If you are looking for a complete change of industry, then it might be time to move on.

2. Plot your next step. Whether you want to be an independent contractor, go back to school or tackle a new position at another organization, it is important to have a plan for the future. Determine what steps you might need to take in the meantime.

3. Evaluate what you have and what you want. Don’t look at salary alone. Benefits and company culture should also play into any potential resignation decisions. If you love your team and the work-life balance you have, that can be a check in the “stay” column where poor company culture can definitely contribute to “go.”

4. Shore up your savings. If you are planning on taking some time in between jobs, moving to a new location or returning to school to enhance your current skills, then you may need to rely on your savings for a period of time. Start now, by putting a little extra aside each week so that you have a cushion when the time comes to resign. You may also want to consider some side jobs that can help you along the way.

5. Start looking now. As they say, the best time to find a new job is when you already have one. While this requires some dedication, it is smart to have your next position plotted out and an offer in hand before you quit your current job. Then you can negotiate a little time in between, if that is what you’re looking for.

6. Leave on a high note. Make sure you give adequate notice (which may be more than two weeks, depending on your industry and position), determine who can provide future letters of reference and thank your current team. It can be tempting to leave a job you don’t love in a blaze of glory, but that can definitely come back to haunt you later. Try to leave your job on a positive note.

7. Focus on your priorities. What can make your next job an even better fit? What are your overarching goals? Keep your top priorities top of mind as you move on to your next opportunity.

Top 5 Career Fields for 2022

As the pandemic continues to make an impact on jobs and employment everywhere, several career fields will lead the way into the new year and beyond.

Following are the 5 hottest fields and job prospects for 2022:

1. Healthcare: The need for qualified healthcare workers continues to make headlines as 2022 approaches. Median pay for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and doctors alike continues to grow notably, and reports predict that more than 500,000 new registered nurses will be in demand by the year 2027.

2. Supply Chain: Again, the need for more professionals in this field is probably not a surprise to anyone based on the ongoing global supply chain challenges. Various supply chain jobs and careers include logistics, purchasing, distribution, engineering and more, all of which are growing rapidly.

3. Information Technology: IT remains a hot career path. Software development, in particular, is on pace to grow by more than 20 percent this decade, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and trained coders, developers and IT pros are sought after across industries and fields.

4. Finance: Beyond the traditional banking and finance roles, which are always needed, finance managers represent another growth opportunity. In this role, management professionals help companies maximize revenue and examine their overall financial picture.

5. Statisticians: Information is valuable, which is why statisticians and actuaries can almost always find a good job. Insurance, finance and large corporations turn to data experts to help them make informed decisions, evaluate risk and project into the future.

Whatever career or job you are looking for, StaffingForce can help you find the best job opportunities in 2021, 2022 and beyond.