Innovation Talent Acquisition

As jobseekers head into the Autumn with renewed energy in a competitive market, employers have a chance to do things differently. Traditional hiring practices are leaving too much talent on the table. LinkedIn’s Economic Graph research shows that when companies lead with skills — not just degrees or job titles — they find more diverse, qualified candidates. 🏢 Small and medium companies are leading the move towards skills-based searches in the EU. Ireland is leading the way with a 46% drop in degree-first hiring filters by SMEs, followed by France at 29% and Germany at 26%. 🧑💻 And in emerging areas like AI, we’ve found that companies can expand their AI talent pool 8 times over when they remove degree requirements. 💎 And for jobseekers, adding just 10 relevant skills to your profile can shorten unemployment gaps by nearly a month. In a fast-changing economy with rising talent shortages, skills-first hiring isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s essential.

As the talent landscape changes with skills shortages, rising demand for flexibility, and evolving employee expectations, the traditional job model is showing its limits. Instead of fitting people into rigid roles, progressive companies are now breaking jobs into tasks and connecting those tasks to people’s skills in real time.   This is the foundation of the skills-based organization, a concept championed by Mercer. It’s about letting talent flow to work dynamically, flexibly, and based on what people can actually do, not just what their job title says. By using data and AI to uncover hidden capabilities, companies are discovering that employees often have three to four times more skills than they self-report. One organization even saw a 600% boost in digital talent productivity after adopting this approach. It’s a complete mindset shift. Work becomes more agile, talent becomes more visible, and diversity and inclusion move from occasional initiatives to everyday reality.

The rapid evolution of technology and the growing influence of AI in the workplace have intensified competition for top talent. Organizations are under increasing pressure to rethink their hiring strategies, and skills-based hiring is gaining significant momentum. Yet many companies remain anchored to outdated degree requirements when sourcing candidates — a practice that not only limits their talent pool but actively undermines their ability to compete. A recent study by the Burning Glass Institute highlights the scale of this missed opportunity: workers with non-degree credentials represent 58% of the workforce, yet they are routinely overlooked and systematically screened out during the hiring process. The same study points to a growing number of forward-thinking firms that are doing things differently. Companies like LinkedIn, Nordic Global, and Procore Technologies consistently incorporate credentials into their job postings and hiring decisions — linking specific certifications to business-critical skills. HubSpot, for instance, prioritizes Inbound Marketing certification, while Infosys values AWS Architect credentials. This approach allows them to hire with greater precision and access talent their competitors miss. The benefits extend well beyond organizational performance. Credential-based hiring creates meaningful economic opportunity, particularly for historically underrepresented groups. Research shows that women gain an average of $1,600 in annual wages through credentialing, while men see gains of $916 — making it a powerful tool for companies committed to advancing equity in hiring. The bottom line is straightforward: in an era where technical skills can become obsolete in months, companies need smarter, more dynamic ways to assess capability. Organizations that develop “credential fluency” — the ability to identify, validate, and hire based on quality credentials — will consistently access talent that others overlook.

Hiring is broken—and women know it. Talented women are rejected because of: ❌ Career gaps (raising kids, caregiving, life happening) ❌ No “required” degree (as if that guarantees competence) ❌ A non-traditional path (not everyone gets a “perfect” career trajectory) Yet, companies still complain about a “talent shortage.” The talent is there. You’re just filtering it out. Want to fix hiring? Start here: ✅ Drop unnecessary degree requirements. ↳ If it’s not legally required (doctor, lawyer, etc.), hire for ability—not credentials. ✅ Test skills, not resumes. ↳ Resumes tell a story, but work samples, case studies, and real-world challenges show what candidates can do. ✅ Rewrite job descriptions. ↳ Instead of “5+ years in X,” say “Proven ability to do Y.” Experience only matters if it builds the right skills. The companies that get this? They win. Because skills-based hiring doesn’t just level the playing field—it unlocks an entire talent pool. So this International Women’s Day, let's skip the feel-good messages. Change the way you hire. Because talent isn’t found on a piece of paper—it’s in the skills people bring. #IWD2025 #SkillsBasedHiring #AccelerateAction #HireBetter --- ♻️ Repost if you agree: Stop filtering out skilled women. ➕ And follow me (Shulin Lee) for more. P.S. Tag a hiring manager, HR leader or C-suite exec who needs to see this.

Forward-thinking leaders are abandoning skills-based hiring. Is your talent strategy truly future-proof? Here's why traditional skills-based hiring is fast evolving and what's replacing it: 📌 AI tools are reshaping work fundamentally - Companies aren't just filling roles; they're restructuring entire workflows around AI capabilities. 📌 Technical skills have shorter shelf lives - Specific skills become outdated faster than companies can hire for them as AI rapidly evolves. 📌 AI fluency trumps traditional expertise - Understanding how to work with AI often matters more than domain-specific knowledge. 📌 Systems thinking outweighs isolated skills - The ability to see connections across systems is more valuable than excellence in a single domain. 📌 Adaptability predicts success better than current abilities - How quickly someone can learn matters more than what they already know. 📌 Problem framing beats problem solving - Asking the right questions becomes more valuable than having predetermined answers. 📌 Human judgment complements AI capabilities - Critical evaluation of AI outputs requires a meta-skill that crosses traditional boundaries. 📌Continuous learning outperforms static expertise - The best candidates demonstrate learning velocity, not just accumulated knowledge. Skills-based hiring needs to change because it typically: →Focuses on static, measurable abilities rather than dynamic capabilities → Evaluates skills in isolation rather than their interconnections → Values demonstrated expertise over learning potential → Measures past and present capabilities rather than future adaptability → Separates technical skills from judgment and ethical reasoning → Prioritizes domain-specific knowledge over cross-domain thinking The challenge isn't about replacing skills assessment entirely, but evolving it to recognize that in an AI world, how we learn, adapt, and integrate matters more than what specific skills we already possess. The real winners in this AI-first era aren't those with the "right" skills today—they're people who can integrate AI into their work faster than anyone else. What's your organization doing to evolve hiring for this new reality? ♻️ Share this to help leaders make informed hiring decisions. Subscribe to my newsletter Reinvent 4.0 for insights on the future of work.

The Future of Hiring: Skills > Degrees? Google, IBM, and Tesla are rewriting hiring rules. They're not looking at where you learned. They're looking at what you can do. Let me share a personal truth: When I landed in Australia, my years of experience felt weightless against that dreaded "local experience" requirement. A 4-year career gap as my mum's carer added another layer of complexity. But something exciting is happening in the hiring world... Google, IBM, Tesla, and many big companies are shifting focus. They're looking at what you can do, rather than where you learned to do it. The data backs this up powerfully: Organisations embracing skills-based hiring are: - 107% more likely to place talent effectively - 52% more likely to innovate - 57% more likely to adapt to change Why does that matter? 1- Talent has no borders. Your degree might be from another country, but your problem-solving abilities? Your leadership skills? They translate in any language. 2- Life skills are work skills. Those years I spent as a caregiver? They taught me more about crisis management, resilience and emotional intelligence than any formal training. 3- Fresh perspectives drive innovation. Different paths bring unique insights. That community volunteer managing projects? Possibly your next amazing team leader. 4- Community connections. When organizations value diverse skills, they build stronger relationships with the communities they serve. Trust grows. Top talent emerges from unexpected places. The reality check is: - Fair skill assessment - Balancing technical abilities with cultural fit - Developing effective training programs. Dear hiring managers, - That gap in the resume? A story of resilience waiting to be heard. - That unusual career path? Fresh perspectives ready to bloom. - The talent shortage isn't about lack of capable people. It's about recognising potential in unexpected places. - It's not just about skills vs. degrees- it's about opening doors to talent from all walks of life. It's about building teams that truly represent our communities. As an HR professional, I see the potential benefits, but also the challenges. It's about finding the sweet spot where skills complement the overall vision of a company. The real question is: Are we ready to embrace this shift? Could skills-based hiring be the answer to creating a more equitable workforce? I believe it’s worth a shot. What are your views? Would love to hear your experiences. #LinkedInnewsAustralia #SkillsBasedHiring #FutureOfWork #Inclusion #Leadership #HR

Most hiring advice focuses on résumés and technical skills — and completely miss the point. The real way to identify top talent? Pay attention to how they think, communicate, and challenge ideas. When I was building proprietary tools for my business, I interviewed three candidates. First candidate: From the start, something felt off. His camera was blurry, his responses were vague, and he struggled to articulate his ideas. When I asked how he would approach a specific problem, he paused, mumbled a few disconnected thoughts, and quickly pivoted to something unrelated. It felt like he was grasping for the right answer instead of actually thinking through the question. Second candidate: He was polished and professional. He had a structured way of gathering information and asked all the expected questions—“What features do you need?” “What’s your timeline?” “What are the specifications?” It was a solid conversation, but something was missing. His focus was on execution, not impact. He never asked why I needed these features or how they fit into the bigger picture. Third Candidate: From the start, the conversation felt different. He listened carefully, then asked, “What’s the real problem you’re trying to solve?” Instead of diving straight into execution, he wanted to understand the users—who they were, what challenges they faced, and how the tool would address those challenges. When I explained one of my ideas, he paused and said, “That could work, but have you thought about doing it this way instead? It might be more efficient.” That’s when it clicked. The first candidate was lost. The second candidate could execute. But the third? He thought like an owner. He didn’t just follow instructions—he improved them. Some candidates focus on getting the job done. Others push for clarity, challenge inefficiencies, and think ahead. Those are the ones who truly make a difference. If you want to spot top talent, don’t just look for skills. Look for the ones who ask the right questions.

We're in a moment in time where we're all talking about the skills-first hiring revolution and it's the transformative shift we need to level the playing field. But what does shift look like in practice? A skills-powered organisation treats capability as infrastructure. It maps critical skills against future commercial priorities and builds development pathways accordingly, ensuring capability drives opportunity, mobility, and impact rather than reacting to talent gaps once they appear. Moreover, AI is accelerating this evolution. As repeatable tasks become absorbed, the premium shifts to judgement, adaptability, and commercial thinking. That’s difficult to infer from credentials alone, it needs to be assessed in context At HiBob, we’ve already made headway in evolving the conversation from "where did you study?" to "what can you deliver?" and the results in our APJ team speak for themselves. Here's how we went about two recent hires if you'd like a peek behind the curtain 👇 🎯 In customer success: We’ve moved away from screening for specific degrees. Instead, we use scenario-based exercises to assess renewal strategy and client lifecycle management. Can they reframe value with a senior stakeholder under pressure? At the end of the day, that’s what drives retention. 🎯 In GTM: We prioritised demonstrated outbound capability. We assessed how they build pipeline, structure discovery, and manage complex objections in the current market. This approach helps us: ✅ Tap into a talent pool of high performers who’ve bypassed traditional paths but have the exact skills we need to scale ✅ Shift the dialogue to proven capability rather than just potential ✅ Reduce the risk of a 'bad fit', and get new hires hitting their stride so they can make an impact fast Thought I'd also take this moment to humble brag about our local talent and show off the lovely humans that never fail to impress me with what they bring to the table on a daily basis. Have you started transforming your recruitment process to prioritise skills-based hiring? If not, what's keeping you where you are? 🤔 #skillsfirst #recruitment #HR #HiBob

Did you miss the memo? Skills-based hiring is already revolutionising how companies like Global, Reliance Worldwide Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery source, onboard and nurture talent. As with any new paradigm there are myths, and there are facts. Some of the most common ones I see are: 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗦: 🔍 Accurate: By focusing on what a candidate can do, over what they have done to qualify them, you can more accurately match the right people to the right roles. This MASSIVELY improves rectech stack and job board ROI, reduces turnover and boosts performance. 🌍 Inclusive: News flash - if your hiring process isn't skills-focused, it is not inclusive. Skills-based hiring levels the playing field for candidates from non-traditional backgrounds because everyone is assessed/graded equally, creating a more equitable and accountable hiring process. 🤝 Empowering: By emphasising skills, candidates feel their unique abilities are valued and we can finally move past the WORST advice in the world - shape your CV to the job you're applying for. This also leads to more engaged applicants who are better aligned with the job requirements. 🛠️ Effective: It empowers hiring teams to thought partner more effectively with hiring managers to make data-driven decisions, reducing bias and focusing on tangible skills and building higher performing teams. Happier hiring managers = happier TA teams. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗦𝗡'𝗧: ❌ It’s NOT About Ignoring Experience: While experience is valuable, skills-based hiring ensures that the emphasis is on what candidates can do and how well they can do it, rather than where they have done it before. ❌ It’s NOT a One-Size-Fits-All Solution: Each role is unique, and so are the required skills. Customising the hiring process to focus on sourcing the key skills needed for each position is key. ❌ It’s NOT Replacing Human Judgment: Skills assessments complement human insight, enhancing decision-making rather than replacing it. The human touch remains crucial in evaluating cultural suitability and potential. Skills-based hiring helps you build stronger, more capable teams that make better quality hires. Got questions about skills-based hiring and how it can significantly improve your TA ROI? You know where to find us. 👇 Clu ID: Bright blue square with white bolded words on it and a green thumbs up icon in a comment box icon. The words read "the skills-based hiring experts".

Stop hiring for “culture fit.” It’s bias with better branding. Culture isn’t about “liking” someone or feeling chemistry. Culture is how work gets done. Hire for that. Here’s the playbook I teach the leaders I work with: 𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 • Mission: why the role exists • Outcomes: what success looks like in 6–12 months • Competencies: the behaviours that deliver those outcomes    If you can’t write this in plain English, you’re not ready to hire. 𝟮. 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝘅𝗲𝘀 • Fit — will they thrive in how you work today • Add — will they strengthen the team with new perspective • Adapt — can they grow with where you’re going You’re not looking for “same.” You’re looking for “effective today, better tomorrow.” 𝟯. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 • “Tell me about a time you owned X end-to-end. What changed for the business?” • “What’s the toughest disagreement you resolved at work. How did you decide?” • “Walk me through a decision you made with incomplete data. Why that path?” Drive depth. Push for actions, trade-offs, measurable impact. 𝟰. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 Tie every question to outcomes and competencies. Use a 1–4 scale with no middle option. Require 1–2 lines of evidence per score. 𝟱. 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 0–5 min: set context, create safety, invite their agenda 5–10: frame mission, outcomes, how you work 10–45: high-signal questions, go deep rather than wide 45–55: their questions 55–60: reflect key signals, outline next steps 𝟲. 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁 Everyone submits scorecards first. Start with evidence, not opinions. HiPPO (highest paid person’s opinion) speaks last. 𝟳. 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 How they prepare, schedule, follow up, and clarify. Those are your culture signals. Treat every touchpoint as data. If you want managers to hire this way, train them. At School of Hiring, we turn this into simple systems. At Klareda, we power these systems with AI. Because clarity is half the problem solved.