As a senior partnership manager at Refugee Talent Hub, I speak to recruiters, hiring managers and candidates every day. In those types of conversations, I always find it important to look at everything that has to do with recruiting, selecting and hiring people from different perspectives. 'Skills-based hiring' is a term you hear more and more often. So it's high time for a short blog from me - about pros, cons and comments.

Please note: this article was translated using a translator app

Skills-based hiring: what does it mean?

 To avoid explaining the term in a different way: skills-based hiring is hiring people based on skills and competencies - instead of on the basis of their CV and motivation letter. Your vacancy can still be the call for applications, but as an applicant you do not submit your motivation letter and CV: the first step is participation in a skills game or (online) assessment. As an employer, you can scan applicants for the skills you require: based on the results, you then invite people for an interview.

When could you apply skills-based hiring?

 Recruitment is not black and white. Sometimes a certain approach works better than other times. Skills-based hiring is therefore not an answer to all questions. If you are looking for senior people with significant work experience, it can be useful to start with a CV and motivation, which will immediately give you an idea of ​​the applicant's track record. As a next step, you can then use an assessment.

 If you are looking for a lot of people ('volume recruitment' – for example you need 100 delivery drivers or technicians) or you are recruiting for junior vacancies, skills-based hiring can be a very useful first step. In these types of processes, experience plays less of a role than aptitude, and a good skills game or assessment is designed to bring out skills and potential.

Recruit more objectively

 Skills-based hiring brings a different view of applicants, talents and underexposed target groups. You immediately take a broader view, your pond becomes larger (because you are not so much based on a job profile, but on a skills profile). That alone can yield enormous profits, especially in the deficit sectors. And it removes unconcious bias, because you do not reject someone on matters that do not matter, but purely on whether or not they have a skill - something that is objectively measured in the assessment or game.

See the man

 Always consider what a specific question will do to a target group. For example, I look at this from the perspective of Refugee Talent Hub. Our candidates are newcomers. Applying for jobs is extremely exciting for them. An assessment as the first question is not necessarily a good idea. I therefore advise everyone to see the person first. Give them the opportunity to present themselves.

 You can use a skills game or assessment as a pre-selection tool. Make it fun, take the tension away. For example, do it really in the form of a game, to let people participate in a relaxed way.

Want to know more about skills-based hiring? Take LinkedIn's free e-learning (open until September 30)

Look before you leap

 Are you now ecstatic and thinking: 'I want to start this tomorrow'? I recommend that you first check with your organization.

• Do the business and recruitment colleagues agree on this approach? My experience is that there is often a department that wants it, but finds it difficult to think differently in practice.
• Discuss it with your HR organization: do you still use job classification systems and job levels? Or are you already converting these to 'skills houses'?
• As a recruiter, also think from your target group: are the applicants you expect for vacancy X ready for a skills-based approach? What would it take to involve them in this and show them the added value?

More depth

 In the context of World Refugee Day, LinkedIn – also a partner of Refugee Talent Hub – is making e-learning about skills-based hiring available for free until the end of September.

A number of our partners already apply skills-based hiring. Knowing more? Send me a message at info@refugeetalenthub.com