8 success stories from adopting a skills-based hiring approach

Regular readers of this blog will know that we’ve recently been on a quest to help employers shift from a largely subjective hiring approach that emphasizes proxies for likely competency such as the candidate’s school, major, and even past jobs to a more objective, scientifically validated approach: skills-based hiring.

For today’s article, we’re sharing eight compelling success stories from top executives, including COOs and CEOs. These leaders share experiences ranging from how a practical task can reveal true capabilities to how an automation expert dramatically elevated QA efficiency. Dive into these firsthand accounts to understand the transformative power of a skills-based hiring approach.

Practical Task Reveals True Capabilities

We once hired a recent graduate for a technical role. Instead of just looking at their GPA, we gave them a practical data-analysis task during the interview. The candidate showcased excellent problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of the role.

This approach helped us identify their true capabilities, and they went on to become a valuable contributor to the team, exceeding our expectations in handling real-world challenges. It reinforced our emphasis on a skills-based hiring approach rather than focusing solely on educational accomplishments.

Aqsa Tabassam, Business Development Manager, Walk In Tub

Creative Problem-Solving Trumps Impressive Portfolios

What we’ve found particularly interesting about the skills-based hiring approach is that it allows us to observe each candidate’s approach to the skill assessment we assign. In the past, we used to judge candidates based on their portfolios and ability to fit in with the team on a personal level. 

Due to our company’s steady growth, our hiring needs became more precise, as we were also looking for adaptable people with creative problem-solving skills. This encouraged us to fully adopt a skills-based hiring approach, and the team has never been stronger for it. For example, our video department was recently looking for a new video editor for the last five months, and while some of the candidates we interviewed had years of experience and impressive portfolios, certain key soft skills were lacking. 

When we decided to make the switch to skills-based hiring, we were able to assess particular skills we needed most from a new hire and make more confident hiring decisions. We’ve recently found a great fit for the video team. While their portfolio wasn’t the most impressive as they’re still a junior, they were the best fit after assessing their critical thinking skills and observing how they approached problems creatively.

Sebastian Morgan, Senior Content Specialist, CV Genius

Skills Over Degrees Enhance Company Culture

Skills-based hiring has produced great results for our company on several occasions. One that comes to mind was in our marketing sector. We were looking for a new copywriter to help us improve our written content and assist with the conceptual side of ad campaigns. By focusing on the skills that the different candidates had (instead of putting too much emphasis on degrees), we were able to find a candidate whose skills not only matched what we were looking for but also fit into the company culture that we were actively building.

I’m not saying that skills-based hiring is going to work every time, and you will still need to test a candidate’s skills before making any major decisions. But, at the end of the day, no matter which role you’re hiring for, it’s the skills that a candidate has that are going to make the real difference.

Lauren Carlstrom, COO, Oxygen Plus

Diverse Skill Sets Drives Company Success

Skills matter to me more than anything—it’s at the core of what I do. That’s why I always incorporate a skills-based hiring approach every hiring season. For me, skill sets are a better indicator of success than mere qualifications or experience. One of my untold success stories is hiring a team of diverse individuals with different skill sets for AdmissionSight. Despite not having the “perfect” background, they were able to bring unique perspectives and innovative ideas to the table.

When I hired a fresh graduate with a background in computer science and a passion for education, I didn’t expect her to excel as much as she did. Her technical skills were invaluable, and she was able to streamline our admission process, making it more efficient and user-friendly. She also brought fresh ideas for attracting more students from underrepresented communities, which have helped increase our diversity and inclusivity efforts.

Aside from learning new skills, the diverse team encouraged a healthy and collaborative work environment. They challenged each other to think outside the box and develop creative solutions. As a result, our success rate in getting students into top universities has significantly increased.

Eric Eng, Founder and CEO, Private College Admissions Consultant, AdmissionSight

Unconventional Thinker Boosts Marketing Engagement

I provided hiring advice to a marketing firm that used a skill-based approach when filling content-development positions. Candidates were given a creative task to create a social media campaign in a short time, instead of relying only on portfolios. The most notable achievement was the selection of a candidate who, despite having little prior expertise in the field, created an exceptionally captivating and viral campaign. 

The team’s efforts to create content were enhanced by this person’s original viewpoint and unconventional thinking, which raised audience engagement and brand awareness. It demonstrated the effectiveness of evaluating abilities in use, making it possible to uncover latent talents that conventional hiring procedures could miss.

Jonathan Palley, Partner, QR Code Generator Hub

Self-Taught Developer Exemplifies Skills-First Success

Our skills-first methodology unlocked an extraordinary hire recently—a developer who taught himself to code through online courses and projects. Striking his own path showcased self-direction, grit, and ruthless problem-solving ability. 

Most would have filtered him out for lacking a CS degree. We consider skills and mindset over credentials. Through deep discussion of past work, we detected a brilliant engineering intellect. This promising talent loved our emphasis on skills-based qualification. He’s now thriving on a top-performing team. This individual may have faced closed doors elsewhere. 

By probing capabilities, not just resumes, we give those with raw yet robust abilities a chance to realize their potential. Our consultants ignite success by aligning the hunger to learn with growth opportunities. Matching the right skills to the right teams, regardless of background, propels our mission to shake up traditional hiring filters that overlook diamonds in the rough.

Lou Reverchuk, Co-Founder and CEO, EchoGlobal

Telesales Experience Propels Pandemic Recovery

At Wainbee, we distribute industrial solutions for engineered systems, such as fluid pumps, generators, and sensors. We needed more telesales agents to keep up with our sales during the pandemic. We implemented a skills-based hiring approach, prioritizing job candidates with telesales experience, regardless of their educational background and demographic profile. 

Alongside our marketing strategies, this bold and brave approach dramatically helped in the fast recovery of our sales status—at a surprising 98% of our end-of-year sales quota in 2021, despite the pandemic’s economic impacts.

Campbell Tourgis, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Wainbee

Automation Expert Elevates QA Efficiency

Shifting to skills-based hiring for QA positions allowed us to hire a candidate with a knack for automation testing. This streamlined our testing processes, reduced errors, and saved time. Our service quality has significantly improved.

Jim Pendergast, Senior Vice President, altLINE Sobanco