Skills-Based Recruitment and Selection
Skills, skills passports, and skills-based are terms frequently used in media, on websites, and in policy documents these days. Organizations are busy implementing skills-oriented working, but the precise meaning of terms like 'skills-based selection' or the 'skills approach' often remains unclear. Furthermore, there are no empirical answers yet to questions about how the skills approach works in organizations and what exactly makes it different from current practices. The project "Skills-Based Recruitment and Selection" focuses on recruiting and selecting personnel based on skills.
There is still little practical experience with fully applying the skills approach. Only a limited number of organizations are experimenting with this approach, and in most cases, the focus is on the use of platforms and apps. However, little attention is paid to the effect of the skills approach on the recruitment and selection of new candidates.
The skills approach is about being able to use or develop skills in different contexts and functions. Latent skills and personality traits that cannot be captured in formal qualifications or work experience are the starting point of the approach.
From Diplomas to Skills and Opportunities
Diplomas and systems focused on qualifications are still important for many organizations. Sometimes because it is mandatory and sometimes because it provides guidance. Some positions, such as teacher, photo welder, or bus driver, can only be performed if a person holds a specific diploma, certificate, or proof.
Although diplomas and qualifications are mandatory for some positions, they are not necessary for all positions. A critique of the current qualification-oriented labor market is that it does not look at actual skills and the potential for someone's development, which can lead to exclusion, underutilization (mismatch), and missing out on opportunities and capabilities. This would be less the case with a skills-oriented approach.
There are several theoretical discussions that argue from a lifelong learning perspective that the skills approach can contribute to a better match between employer and employee. But how the approach works in practice and whether it actually leads to a better match remains unanswered.
Recruiting and Selecting Based on Skills
In this research project, we will experiment with recruiting and selecting personnel based on skills. The goal is to gain insight into the extent to which skills-based recruitment leads to more qualitative and quantitative responses compared to traditional (non-skills-based) recruitment, and whether skills-based selection leads to different candidates than traditional (non-skills-based) selection.
If you would like to know more about the research or if you would also like to experiment with skills-based recruitment and selection, please contact Hafid Ballafkih.