For some jobs, a candidate’s educational and professional background is of primary importance. It’s not uncommon to rely on factors such as educational degrees, years of work experience, references and professional credentials to make hiring decisions.

But for positions that don’t have such requirements, you might prioritize skills over resumes. After all, having an impressive title is no guarantee of ability. Skills-based hiring emphasizes demonstrated abilities or uses tests to assess a candidate’s potential job performance.

What’s in it for nonprofits

Specific skill testing allows managers to make decisions based on what a candidate can do, rather than how long they’ve held a previous position. But how can it benefit a nonprofit specifically? Consider these potential advantages:

Expanded talent pool: By hiring based on skills, you may attract talent from diverse and nontraditional backgrounds or people who wouldn’t have applied based on a formal list of requirements. This could include individuals who have recently reentered the workforce after working in the home as a caregiver and those who lack formal degrees, yet possess impressive people skills.

Diminished bias: By focusing on objective performance rather than credentials, skills-based recruiting may help reduce unconscious bias and create more equitable hiring outcomes.

Broader age range: Many long-tenured professionals or people looking to change careers midstream will bring a fresh perspective if given a chance. Traditional experience requirements could automatically exclude those people.

Technology: Recent technological advances make it easier than ever to assess skills, for example, by asking candidates to provide samples of their writing.

Don’t exclude other methods

Although skills-based hiring offers you flexibility, don’t exclude other evaluation methods. Many roles require soft skills, adaptability and a genuine alignment with your nonprofit’s mission and values. These traits may not be measurable through skills assessment. Additionally, for mission-critical roles (such as legal or clinical services), professional credentials aren’t optional — they’re usually required by law or best practice.

Also, recognize that traditional hiring practices aren’t inherently flawed. Degrees, experience and personal networks continue to provide strong evidence of a candidate’s suitability, especially when combined with direct skills consideration.

Seeking balance

Nonprofits don’t need to abandon traditional hiring methods to benefit from a skills-based approach. The most effective strategies often combine both. Try using skill assessments to gauge job-specific capabilities and leverage interviews and references to evaluate cultural fit, collaboration, and communication. And be sure to tailor your hiring decisions to the demands of the role, the team’s dynamics and your organization’s mission.

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