In today’s job market, many recruiters are finding it difficult to fill roles, and finding the right candidate sometimes feels like an impossible task. The experience vs skills debate in recruitment and selection is longstanding, but with the ever-evolving nature of today’s fast-paced business environment, companies need to ensure they employ an adaptable and flexible workforce that can respond quickly to changes in the business environment.

With experience vs skills hiring, both approaches have their merits, so along with the benefits we have highlighted below, you may like to read an article written for Job Majestic by Executive Search Consultant Jess Low – ‘Experience vs. skills: Which is more important for hiring?’ 

Hiring for experience

Experienced workers can provide an instant return on the recruitment investment. Implementing an experienced-based recruitment strategy can often mean that new employees hit the ground running and can make an immediate impact in the role. This is particularly effective for time-sensitive projects.

Experience in a certain field can also indicate a level of expertise or depth of knowledge that may not be equalled by a skillset. Previous experience can reduce the risk associated with new starters, as those with knowledge of the role are more likely to be familiar with its responsibilities.

This can also mean that hiring an experienced candidate can encourage client confidence, in financial institutions, for example. 

Hiring for skills

Skills demonstrate a candidate’s fitness for the advertised role. A company more concerned with longevity and versatility than an immediate return on recruitment investment may implement a skills-based recruitment strategy. 

Skilled candidates may bring a fresh perspective and a problem-solving approach, resulting in a more innovative and dynamic workforce. Companies can tailor their workforce by hiring candidates with the specific skills required for projects and tasks at hand.

A comprehensive skillset highlights a candidate’s ability to learn and adapt to changes. This may be especially beneficial in industries where advancements in technology affect job requirements. Therefore, training employees with the required skills may be more cost-effective than hiring an experienced professional for the same role. This can be efficient when dealing with people shortages for specific roles.

The evolving nature of business today, with advancements in technology and changes in the way companies operate and market products, means that teams have to be flexible and able to adapt quickly.

The Evolving Landscape of Recruitment

We explored some of the main challenges of the current recruitment industry in an article titled ‘The evolution of recruitment’ but there are many other factors affecting the job market including:

  • Skills shortages e.g., technology and engineering sectors
  • The impact of Brexit is still ongoing, shrinking the pool
  • Changing employee expectations e.g., hybrid working, remote working, work/life balance
  • Attracting and retaining top people – fierce competition for the best candidates
  • Digital transformation – rise in the demand for digital skills and those who can easily adapt to technological changes
  • Inequality – a drive for companies to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion 
  • Ongoing economic uncertainty – e.g. market volatility influencing hiring decisions

It can be challenging for in-house recruiters to keep their recruitment process up to date in a rapidly changing environment whilst under pressure from so many external factors. However, with Oliver King Consulting as your recruitment partner, you have the assurance that we are aware of every nuance affecting the recruitment industry. We will work with you (or your HR team if you have one) to ensure you have a streamlined recruitment process in place, providing a good pool of the right candidates while offering them a high-quality candidate experience. Contact us or book an appointment to discuss your recruitment challenges and how the Oliver King Consulting team can help you overcome them.

Hiring based solely on experience

While possessing previous experience may be beneficial in some ways, hiring new employees based solely on their previous experience could prevent your organisation from meeting its goals.

  1. The workforce may be resistant to change, closed to new ideas, and set in their ways of meeting problems or challenges. Thus preventing businesses from taking advantage of new technology, adapting to new market trends or trialling new business models.
  2. Workers experienced in one particular role may not be up to date with new or best practices, resulting in inefficiencies which could affect the company’s ability to remain competitive.
  3. Concentrating solely on past experience may blind employers to the benefits of fresh thinking, alternative approaches to problem-solving and workplace diversity.
  4. More experience = higher salary, which can impact financial performance. In addition, the company may be paying for experience that is no longer relevant to business requirements.
  5. As businesses evolve, skills that were crucial to past performance may no longer be required. Hiring based solely on experience will disadvantage organisations as the workforce struggles to adapt to changes in the business landscape or market dynamics.
  6. Recruiters need to assess the potential for both personal and professional development. 
  7. It is important not to overlook cultural fit when hiring. Someone with extensive experience may be used to doing things a certain way, which could lead to conflict and disruption when they are integrated into a team.

To avoid these potential drawbacks, the recruitment and selection process should be based on a balanced approach, assessing candidates as a whole – their experience, skills, soft skills, values, adaptability, and potential for personal and professional development. You may like to read this Forbes article from last year, ‘Why skills-based hiring is on the rise’, to learn more about skills-based hiring. 

Transferrable Skills as the Building Blocks of a Workforce

We have mentioned transferrable skills earlier in this article. They are defined as non-role-specific skills that can be applied across different roles and circumstances. As the business environment continues to evolve, organisations have to adapt or pivot quickly. A flexible workforce able to take on board new technologies or changes in trading conditions is essential for remaining competitive. Therefore, more importance is now being placed on transferrable skills during the recruitment and selection process. For companies pursuing a sustainable recruitment strategy, the scope for employee development boosts retention levels thus reducing the cost of hiring.

What do we mean by transferrable skills?

Sometimes called ‘soft skills’, these qualities are not attached to any particular job role. The following skills benefit employers by contributing to the long-term success of the organisation:

  • Communications skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership skills
  • Capacity for lifelong learning

The key points for organisations adopting transferrable skills as the building blocks of their workforce are:

Adaptability

The ability to move seamlessly between roles and adapt quickly to new challenges and concepts.

Versatility

Soft skills can be relevant in different professional situations as individuals are more versatile in their career paths, using their skills across varying roles.

Resilience

Careers are no longer linear in form so candidates can use transferrable skills to move between different roles. They can explore different opportunities that align with their personal values.

Value

Particularly in the case of sustainable recruitment, employers recognise the importance of transferrable skills as building blocks for an adaptable and flexible workforce that will evolve with the organisation while ensuring continuity and contributing to its longevity and success.

Development

Transferrable skills highlight an individual’s capacity for lifelong learning and development, allowing them to acquire new knowledge and adapt quickly to changing circumstances as new technologies emerge or as the market evolves.

Adopting a recruitment strategy that recognises the importance of transferrable skills will provide an adaptable and versatile workforce, capable of evolving as the business landscape changes.

Experience vs. skills: transitioning to skills-based recruitment

As we have outlined in this article, transitioning to skills-based hiring recruitment brings numerous benefits to businesses, but it can also present challenges:

  • HR departments may be too accustomed to an experience-based hiring model and resistant to change or depart from familiar techniques
  • Recruiters, unfamiliar with the specific skillsets required, may find it difficult to assess or ascertain the suitability of candidates
  • Unconscious bias may affect the fair evaluation of skills
  • Existing HR processes and systems may not be compatible with skills-based hiring
  • It can be difficult to assess soft skills effectively
  • Secure data handling practices are essential to comply with regulatory requirements

Transitioning to a skills-based hiring model requires planning and a commitment to finding solutions to these challenges:

  • The accurate identification of skill sets required, and precise definitions should be ascertained to accurately assess candidates
  • Change existing recruitment systems through the integration of new tools, technologies and processes
  • Training of HR personnel to understand how to assess candidates based on skills
  • Communicating the reasons for the transition and managing expectations of job seekers and current employees along with management teams
  • The development of KPIs to evaluate the success of changing the selection and recruitment process to a skills-based one will help to determine the impact on the organisation

A successful transition to a skills-based recruitment process can often involve a cultural shift in perspective within organisations, as well as adopting a different mindset to recruitment and an acceptance of the necessity for a resilient workforce that can align with company values and evolve with the business as the environment changes. You can further explore this topic in an article called ‘Stop hiring for experience, start hiring for skills’, featured on Recruitment.com 

Recruitment and selection: Experience vs skills  

Businesses seeking reduced employee turnover as part of a sustainable recruitment strategy should emphasise transferable skills in recruitment and selection i.e. skills that can adapt to multiple roles or environments, such as lifelong learning, communication skills, problem-solving, and teamwork etc. possessing these skills demonstrates that individuals are more versatile and open to exploring new opportunities with their current employer. Furthermore, hiring for skills enlarges the candidate pool, promotes a more diverse workforce and improves employee retention. 

Companies should weigh up the experience vs. skills approach to find the right balance between skills, qualifications and previous experience to align with their strategic goals and company values, as well as for the role itself. If you need help reassessing your current recruitment strategy to build a more resilient and forward-thinking workforce that can adapt to an ever-changing business environment, book an appointment with the Oliver King consulting team. We can troubleshoot your processes and guide you to create a proactive recruitment and selection process to focus on enthusiastic candidates with the right skills to evolve with your business.