For years, recruitment has largely focused on qualifications, previous job titles and years of experience.
But as employers face changing skills requirements and continued difficulties filling specialist positions, traditional hiring criteria may no longer tell the full story.
According to LinkedIn's Future of Recruiting 2025 report, 93% of Talent Acquisition professionals believe accurately assessing candidates' skills is crucial to improving quality of hire.
For HR and Talent teams, this raises an important question: should recruitment focus less on where somebody has worked and more on what they can actually do?
Qualifications Do Not Always Tell the Full Story
A degree or particular job title can demonstrate valuable knowledge and experience, but it does not necessarily capture somebody's full capabilities.
Candidates may have developed relevant skills through previous roles, professional training, volunteering or experiences outside their chosen industry.
For example, somebody moving from retail management into an HR role may already have experience in employee relations, performance management, recruitment and handling difficult conversations.
Skills-based hiring encourages employers to consider these transferable capabilities rather than automatically excluding candidates who do not meet traditional requirements.
This could help organisations identify talent they might otherwise overlook.
Employers Are Still Struggling to Find the Right Candidates
The UK recruitment market has become more challenging to navigate.
The CIPD's Resourcing and talent planning report 2026 found that 52% of organisations reported increased competition for well-qualified talent, despite a wider slowdown in recruitment.
The report also found that 58% of employers experienced an increase in applications from unsuitable candidates.
For recruitment teams, receiving more applications does not necessarily make finding the right person easier.
This creates an opportunity to reconsider how vacancies are advertised and how candidates are assessed.
Rather than relying on lengthy lists of requirements, employers could focus on identifying the capabilities genuinely needed to perform a role successfully.
Job Descriptions May Need to Change
Traditional job descriptions can sometimes discourage suitable candidates from applying.
Requirements such as a particular degree, several years of industry experience or previous employment in an identical position may unnecessarily restrict the talent pool.
A skills-focused approach could involve separating essential requirements from those that would simply be beneficial.
Talent teams could consider:
- Identifying the core skills required for each position
- Removing unnecessary qualification requirements
- Recognising transferable experience
- Using practical assessments where appropriate
- Considering candidates from different industries
- Providing clearer information about development opportunities
This does not mean qualifications and experience are irrelevant.
Some professions require specific credentials, while specialist positions may depend on substantial technical knowledge.
The aim is to ensure recruitment criteria reflect what is genuinely necessary.
Assessing Skills Requires More Than Reading a CV
Changing job descriptions is only one part of skills-based recruitment.
Employers also need reliable ways to understand whether candidates possess the capabilities they claim.
Depending on the role, this could involve structured interviews, practical exercises, work samples or competency-based assessments.
For HR positions, candidates might be asked how they would approach an employee relations issue or support a manager through organisational change.
For L&D roles, an assessment could involve developing a short training proposal or explaining how learning effectiveness would be measured.
These approaches can provide a clearer understanding of how somebody might perform in the position.
However, assessments should remain proportionate, accessible and relevant to the work involved.
Skills-Based Hiring Could Create More Career Opportunities
A greater focus on capabilities could also benefit professionals looking to change direction.
Somebody working in recruitment may have skills that transfer into Talent Management, while an experienced HR generalist could potentially move into a more specialised People role.
Recognising these connections could make career progression less dependent on following a traditional route.
For candidates, this makes it increasingly important to demonstrate achievements, practical knowledge and transferable skills when applying for jobs.
Rather than simply listing responsibilities, applicants may benefit from explaining how their experience has delivered results.
Looking Ahead
Skills-based hiring is unlikely to replace traditional recruitment entirely.
Qualifications, industry knowledge and professional experience will continue to matter, particularly in specialist and regulated roles.
However, employers may increasingly need to consider a wider range of evidence when identifying suitable candidates.
For HR and Talent Acquisition teams, the challenge will be balancing established requirements with a more flexible understanding of capability and potential.
As recruitment continues to evolve, organisations that recognise transferable skills could find themselves better placed to attract talent.
For professionals considering their next move, The Talent World provides opportunities across HR, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development and People functions.
References
- CIPD (2026), Resourcing and talent planning report 2026. Published 22 September 2026.
- LinkedIn (2025), The Future of Recruiting 2025.