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.

What to Look for When You Make Your New Hire

Hiring is always a puzzle as you seek to find the perfect fit for your current job openings. While some jobs entail very specific skill sets, here are 5 key traits that you should look for in any and every hiring situation to ensure that you are hiring the best candidates out there:

1. A great attitude. This goes without saying, but it’s even more important than ever: An employee with a positive attitude will be more productive and successful and can influence his or her colleagues as well. In one study, salespeople with great attitudes increased their sales by nearly 40 percent. There is enough negativity in the world today—and positive people are simply that much more fun to work with!

2. Ingenuity and problem-solving ability. Unless you love holding your employees’ hands, you will want to find candidates who are great at creative problem-solving and coming up with potential solutions to problems. This ingenuity will save your company time and money. Make sure you ask questions during the interview regarding previous situations where the individual has to come up with a solution to a thorny issue.

3. Willingness and ability to learn. Technologies change and so do job requirements. You want to find employees who have an interest in learning new skills, new concepts and new ways of doing things rather than rigid ones who will say, “but this is how we’ve always done it.” Ask candidates what they are interested in learning and how they best learn new skills.

4. Doing the right thing. Integrity is what you do when no one is looking. It is important for your company’s success to find employees who will do the right thing, who are trustworthy and act with integrity. Make sure you check references for these important qualities.

5. Technical aptitude. Ultimately, candidates need to be able to do the job that they are applying for. Depending on the position, you may need to perform an aptitude test to assess their ability to perform the work.

In the end, finding the perfect fit and piece to your puzzle involves both hard and soft skills and taking the time to assess candidates for their aptitudes and abilities as well as their attitude and openness to new things and experiences.

The Great Resignation Transitions into a Great Job Market for Employees

In contrast to the Great Recession a dozen years ago, today’s “Great Resignation” is witnessing more and more employees leaving their current jobs in search of something new and different. More than half of workers intend to seek a new job this year, according to the Society for Human Resources Management. While this has sent many companies and HR teams scrambling, workers today have an abundance of options when it comes to finding their next position or career.

Experts predict an incredible hiring boom in 2021 as the Great Resignation has coincided with the Great Reopening of the U.S. economy. More companies are bringing back furloughed employees or those who have been working from home and updating their hiring plans for the months to come. Industries that were hit hard by the pandemic are rebounding.

What does this mean for workers across the country? Opportunity.

Job seekers will have more options—and more incentives—than they’ve seen in a long time. To entice new talent, companies are upping salaries and benefits, offering more flexible work schedules and creating appealing office spaces.

In addition, more businesses across the country are updating their hiring and retaining procedures with the goal of creating more satisfied long-term employees. Job seekers are emboldened to ask for more flexible scheduling, support with childcare or eldercare, and mental health support.

Companies that recognize the need for employee-forward programs and hiring practices are likely to come out ahead as the Great Resignation begins to shift into the Great Hiring.

Turn Your Dream Job Interview into a Dream Job

We all have that “Dream Job.” Maybe yours is astronaut or basketball coach. Maybe it’s designing clothing or reporting for the national news. No matter what your dream job consists of, the right interview techniques can help take you from interview to hired.

The following 7 tips will help you turn your dream job interview into your ultimate dream job:

1. Practice, practice, practice. No matter how enthusiastic you are about the position or industry and no matter how much you already know, practicing potential answers ahead of time will help you rise to the top of the pack. You will alleviate any nerves and learn how to best phrase your interests and experience in order to make an impact.

2. Do your research. The more you know, the more you will shine. Make sure you dedicate ample time ahead of the interview to research the latest news on the industry and job position itself so you can impress the interviewer with your knowledge and preparation. Have a few statistics or case studies in your back pocket to share when the time is right.

3. Update your online presence. If your social media shows a lot of party pictures, it’s time for a refresh. Update your online accounts and any personal websites or blogs; you can also adjust your privacy settings. Share your educated thoughts on LinkedIn or appropriate quotes on Twitter that showcase your personality and talents in a positive light.

4. Show up. This means everything from “show up on time” to “make sure you are dressed appropriately and organized” to “be engaged mentally.” Plan to arrive a few minutes earlier so you aren’t rushed and make sure you have copies of your resume/any appropriate work samples with you.

5. Share your best and brightest examples. Part of preparing for interview questions is coming up with examples that best highlight your previous experience, skills and interest. When responding to an interview question, make sure your answers include specific examples whenever possible. Instead of “I am great at building teams,” try “I grew our team by 30% and increased sales by $3 million per year,” for example. Let the person interviewing you know how you can contribute to that dream job.

6. Don’t just answer, ask. Come with a list of questions about the job, the industry and anything else you are interested in, and don’t be afraid to jump in with questions as they arise. This shows your preparation and interest level.

7. Say thank you – then write it. Follow up within a day with a thoughtful thank you note that reiterates your interest and qualification for the job. Remind the interviewer why you are definitely the best person for the job!

Ho, Ho, Ho: Hiring for the Holidays Sets in for the Season

Even though several major retailers – including Target and Walmart – are planning to close on Thanksgiving this year, these same businesses are starting to hire in earnest for the holiday season. Last year, Americans spent a whopping $730.2 billion on holiday purchases, according to the National Retail Federation, and retailers are planning to spread sales and deals out across several months to account for the need to social distance.

Likewise, online shopping is expected to be hotter than ever as more shoppers appreciate the convenience and safety of selecting holiday gifts for their favorite people from the comfort of home. Businesses with a focus on e-commerce may fare especially well this year.

Presently, many larger retailers are in the process of hiring seasonal workers to cover areas such as distribution (mailing, delivery and customer pick-up), gift assembly/wrapping, customer service, fulfillment, operations, retail and the general need for additional support over the holidays. Among others, FedEx intends to hire 70,000 seasonal workers – up more than 25 percent from just one year ago – and 1-800-Flowers.com has shared its plans to hire 10,000 holiday associates as it continues to enjoy record growth this year.

Just as many businesses offered pandemic-related bonuses for front-line workers, competitive wages and holiday bonuses are being promoted for holiday work. Employee discounts and referral bonuses also abound – with some companies providing further employee benefits.

Those interested in seasonal work can look for both in-person hiring events as well as online job fairs for the holidays. In some cases, the initial seasonal work may lead to long-term positions for those who are interested in permanent work. Typically, both full- and part-time options are available over the holidays and, in some cases, employees may be able to work from home.

Finally, companies across the country are implementing expanded safety protocols, from PPE to distanced work stations as well as sick leave. All seasonal workers should expect to feel safe in whatever role they take on – and will likely be asked to wear a mask while working.

While the 2020 holiday seasons will be a little different, many retailers are still going strong when it comes to their seasonal hires.