What is Skills Based Hiring and How Can it Help Your Business?
Think back to your last hire; how did you go about sourcing, screening, and ultimately selecting someone for the position? Chances are, like most people, you likely screened by education then relied on a traditional interview process to seal the deal. Well…how did that hire work out for you?
Often, companies make poor hiring decisions not because they don’t know their needs or there aren’t qualified applicants out there but, rather, because they are hiring based on antiquated practices. However, savvy recruiters are turning to a new way of hiring that is producing much better results: Skills based hiring.
Skills based hiring is the practice of employers setting specific skill requirements for a certain job position. Skills may be cognitive (math and reading skills) while others may be soft skills, such as “customer service” or “punctuality”. With skills clearly identified, the process of sourcing and screening employees to suit the specific needs of the job becomes much easier, saving time, money, and frustration on behalf of both the recruiter and the applicant.
To employers, the difference in candidates hired via skills based methods vs. traditional is clear. Employees screened to match a defined skillset are easier to train, tend to have a better understanding of their job and role within the company, and are less expensive to onboard overall than their traditionally sourced peers. Meanwhile, while there are sometimes costs involved with this type of hiring, such as skills assessments or working with a recruiting partner such as AtWork, the savings can stack up quickly thanks to the increased productivity often brought on by the more experienced, properly screened employees.
If you’re struggling to make the right hires, give AtWork a call. Our recruiting professionals are experts at utilizing skills based hiring practices to find the right employees for clients around the country. Visit AtWork.com/locations to find a branch near you today!
