In a market where top talent is hard to come by, companies have started looking at different ways that they can find the best fit for the job. One such emerging method is skills-based hiring. As highlighted by the Harvard Business Review, this method often removes the degree requirement for most positions. Instead of using a college degree to differentiate between candidates, skills-based hiring takes a look at a candidate’s abilities, focusing more on what they can offer the company than whether or not they can check the college box.

Proficiency Levels

Sometimes, when an applicant utilizes a skills-based resume, they’ll list their proficiency with particular skills. The government actually already uses a similar system for people applying to work with them; they will often ask for the level at which a candidate’s work was done. They differentiate between having some to no training and whether or not the person was consulted as an expert in the matter. Proficiency levels in a skills-based resume are the same thing, where candidates will put themselves in one of four categories: beginner, intermediate, proficient, or expert.

When implementing skills-based hiring, hiring managers should look to see what applicants' proficiency levels are with the skills listed on their resume. Proficiency level is an indicator of how strong a candidate is with a particular skill, and often follows from experience; someone would only list their proficiency level as “expert” if they had used that skill in a senior position. Some applicants don’t use proficiency level, especially when applying for entry or junior-level positions, but when hiring for a senior or even mid-level position, using proficiency levels is a good way to gauge how candidates compare to each other.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

Hard skills are skills that are inflexible but often require parts of specific jobs. For example, coding languages fall under hard skills, as do various certifications like the ability to operate heavy machinery. Soft skills, conversely, are skills that are useful in every job you might find yourself in. The ability to work as a team might be something listed under a soft skill section of a skills-based resume. Applicants will often tailor their resume to include the specific skillset that the hiring team is looking for. If they have skills using a platform like Excel and the company is looking for someone with that knowledge, they’ll typically include a hard skills section to mention that. Conversely, if they’re applying to a job that wants someone skilled with a specific biological database that they don’t have experience in, candidates are more likely to play up their soft skills.

The delineation between hard and soft skills is also typically position-dependent. As previously stated, some hard skills are essential parts of the job. Hiring a software engineer who doesn’t know how to code doesn’t make much sense. However, for entry-level positions or positions where hard skills can be quickly taught, skills-based hiring shines as a way to find the best candidate for the role. When hard skills aren’t a consideration, focusing on which soft skills a candidate brings to the team allows you to find the best fit for your workplace environment and company culture.

Soft Skills To Look For In An Applicant

Hard skills typically serve as an essential part of the job’s function; thus, companies with a hard skill requirement need candidates to fulfill that hard skill. However, using hard skills alone doesn’t give hiring managers a way to differentiate between candidates without using some metric like proficiency level. This article will focus on the five soft skills to keep your eye out for when using skills-based hiring.

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is a crucial skill for any position. It shows that an applicant can function in unknown or new situations and works creatively to circumvent issues that arise while working. It also shows a data-driven approach to handling unknown situations. Someone skilled in problem-solving will look at all the available information before making a decision, something that you want on your team.

Communication

Proven experience being a good communicator shows an applicant will be able to function in the workplace; they will be able to integrate with your team and have a proven ability to function interpersonally. Communication is also a crucial skill in any client-facing position; you want a proven candidate who can show they’ll be able to function when communicating your brand and product to a potential customer. Ensuring that a candidate has the requisite communication skills is essential for this function.

Organization

Proven experience in the past with organization is a good metric for an applicant’s ability to remain productive and on task during work hours. Organized people are able to create and attain goals, follow a schedule, and generally operate in an efficient manner while on the clock. These are skills that are important for any worker in a professional setting, but specifically invaluable in someone working at higher levels or working in a project-based style. If you’re leaving an employee’s productivity up to them, it’s a good idea to make sure that they know what to do with their time. Organizational skills serve as a good metric to prove productivity.

Attention To Detail

A detail-oriented applicant is sure to catch small errors in whatever work they do, making them invaluable in many professions. Catching small errors is essential in all types of quality control, making people with high attention to detail invaluable in any position where a product needs to be checked before going to market. Attention to detail is also valuable in any position that has its hands on something that will face the customer. Marketing, for example, often puts out a lot of content to help build a brand and connect with an audience. Having a detail-oriented person in that position helps ensure that the work will be error-free.

Leadership

An ability to lead is an ability to understand a task, break it down into requisite components, and delegate those components to a team to get that task done quickly and efficiently. Leadership is crucial for anyone working in a team, not just the team leader. Understanding the mentality behind leading people makes an employee much more likely to succeed when working together with people to solve a project or create a product. Leadership, like communication, indicates success working with people, but unlike communication, it shows a candidate’s ability to recognize the chain of command and take care of problems on their own.

Partner With Premier

If you’re looking for additional help with skills-based hiring or just want to find the perfect fit for an open position, Premier is here to help. With decades of experience working with top-level professionals and companies around the world, Premier knows how to connect you with the right person for the job. See what we can do for you and Hire with Premier today!