The shift to skills-based hiring is undeniably positive. But let’s be clear: it’s just one step in a multi-step process. You need to be sure the skills selected are the correct ones, that they’re being evaluated properly and you can attract qualified people who are both competent AND motivated to use these skills once hired.
Unless these pieces are fully integrated all you’ll be doing is seeing more people responding to your job postings. That’s not progress – that’s just more noise.
And hiring competent but unmotivated people is worse than noise. It’s a bad hire.
TestGorilla is leading the way on solving some of these problems and they asked me what else could be done and to share my perspective at an upcoming event.
Having worked on over 1,000 search projects across nearly 50 years, I figured I’d start where every successful hire begins: during the intake meeting.
Convert “Having” to “Doing”
Whenever I take on a search, I never ask the hiring manager, “What are you looking for?” or “What skills does this person need to have?” Instead, I ask one question:
“What does this person need to do to be successful in this role?”
It turns out that every job in the world can be defined by 6-8 performance objectives that describe the actual work that needs to be done. Then I ask the hiring manager to describe the most critical “Must Have” skills and ask how they’re actually used on the job.
That question changes everything.
Three Stories That Prove the Point
Let me share some real examples from my search and training work (over 1000 projects) that illustrate why this step is so important.
The Controller Who Wasn’t an SEC Expert
A company needed a Controller with CPA credentials and extensive SEC reporting experience. When I asked the “doing” question, the real requirement emerged: coordinate public reporting deliverables with three staff accountants under severe time constraints.
This wasn’t a job for an SEC technical expert – it was a project management role requiring someone who could orchestrate a team under pressure. The candidate I placed had only done SEC reporting once, at a Fortune 500 company, but he’d successfully led exactly this kind of coordinated effort. He excelled in the new role because he could do what actually mattered. NOTE: he would never have been seen if the DOING question wasn’t asked.
The VP Marketing Without the “Right” Credentials
A CEO insisted on a VP Marketing with an MBA from a top-tier school and at least a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering. When I asked what this person needed to accomplish, he said: “Lead the development of our three-year product roadmap in a rapidly changing technology environment.” My candidate had done precisely that – successfully – at a comparable company. She didn’t have the prestigious MBA or the engineering degree. What she had was a track record of delivering the exact outcome the CEO needed. She got the job and delivered results. NOTE: she would never have been seen if the DOING question wasn’t asked.
The Logistics Director Navigating Tariff Complexity
The requirement: a Director of Logistics with at least 15 years of international procurement experience. The actual job: figure out how to handle rapidly changing tariff situations. Years of experience became far less important than demonstrated ability to navigate complexity, adapt quickly, and develop creative solutions to unprecedented challenges.
Assessment Meets Attraction – Job Branding Is the Solution
But here’s what often gets missed: attracting people who can do this work is actually more important than verifying whether they’re competent.
The best assessment tools in the world won’t help if the right candidates never apply. Just as bad, is hiring people who are competent to do the work, but not motivated to do it.
However these is a solution to this dilemma. I call it “Job Branding.” To see its power just add this type of phrase in your emails or and job postings:
Use your [super skill] to accomplish [something really big and significant].
Instead of listing “15 years international procurement experience required,” try:
“Your insight into worldwide distribution will help us navigate a world of changing tariffs.”
For senior-staff and management roles, this approach will outperform any employer branding initiative because it speaks directly to the person’s intrinsic motivators.
The Bottom Line
Skills matter. Of course they do. But it’s how someone uses those critical skills that determines success – not the skills themselves.
That’s the future of skills-based hiring: attracting and hiring outstanding people who are both competent AND motivated to do the real work that needs to get done.
Become a regular at our “Moneyball for HR!” discussion group sessions.