By Suzie Coen
Gone are the days when a university degree was the golden ticket to career opportunities. Now, in boardrooms and HR departments across the world, a new paradigm is emerging, that questions the long-held supremacy of academic credentials.
ADVERTISEMENTCompanies are recognising the value of real-world experience, certifications and demonstrably acquired abilities, making skills the new currency of employability.
Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of companies now use skills-based assessments throughout their hiring process, according to TestGorilla’s The State of Skills-Based Hiring report, which surveyed 3,000 employees and employers worldwide. This is an increase of 26 per cent compared to last year.
In the United States, the uptick in skills-based hiring comes as degrees have slipped down the priority list for employers. Google, Microsoft, IBM and Apple have all eliminated their long-held degree requirements to remove entry barriers and recruit more diverse talent.
Hiring for skills
Meanwhile, recruiters globally are five times more likely to search for new hires by skills rather than higher education.
What’s driving this seismic shift in Europe's talent landscape? The European labour market is currently facing a double whammy: a growing demand for skilled professionals and a shrinking pool of readily available talent.
ADVERTISEMENTCompanies are struggling to find and hire the workers they need, while current employees are also heading for the door. According to a World Economic Forum report, employers will need to rethink their limited focus on using educational achievement and previous experience as proxies for the skills they need.
The shift towards skills-based hiring is more than a trend; it's a fundamental change in how we define and value competence in the workforce.
Skills-based hiring throws open the door to a wider pool, ensuring companies tap into the full potential of the workforce. By using this hiring approach, it’s proven that companies find the right talent faster, reduce their recruitment costs, and build more diverse and engaged teams.
That’s good news for many European workers as bias in the hiring process has become a significant problem in the wake of increased immigration across Europe.
But at the same time, skills-based hiring can often be associated with only technical skills rather than soft skills and cultural fit, which are equally important attributes in a potential candidate.
Degree-based hiring maintains its relevance, especially in fields such as law, health and other jobs that require a solid theoretical foundation or specialised training. In industries like finance or business, companies might favour candidates with a relevant degree, but most now also place significant emphasis on practical experience and skills such as financial modelling or data analysis.
Skills-based hiring shines through in larger industries (such as tech) where rapid technological advancements and evolving job roles make specific, up-to-date skills more crucial than a broad academic background.
If you’re aiming to remain competitive in the evolving job landscape, it makes sense to seek out opportunities with those organisations that are leaders in skills-based hiring. Your first stop? Head to the Euronews Job Board where you can browse a selection of open roles, many of which feature no mention of degrees or education requirements.
Here are three skills-based job postings worth investigating now.
In Paris, OpenText, a global leader in information management, is seeking an Account Development Executive who will be comfortable with cold calling, cold emailing, and engaging via social media and video. It's essential that you will have a basic understanding of B2B lead generation and business development, and you’ll also need strong interpersonal and effective communication skills in French as well as English, with the ability to understand a prospect’s business challenges.
ADVERTISEMENTAdidas has an Amsterdam-based opening for a Manager of Product Launch and Data EU eCom. This is a wide-ranging role that will see you support the management of all relevant product launches and data processes and content for Adidas, such as enrichment, new season launches, brand campaign launches, horizontal campaigns and reporting and automation. Additionally, you’ll drive standardisation and automation, and be a key EU touch-point for driving and defining product content enhancements. A degree in business administration, economics, information technology or a similar discipline is required as is three or more years of experience in eCommerce.
In Munich, the Hoffman Group, a global manufacturer of professional quality tools and factory equipment, is recruiting for a Senior BI Analyst. You’ll join a team responsible for business intelligence solutions in product management and operations. The ideal hire will have extensive experience in all areas of data analysis (mining and extraction as well as expertise with visualisation tools) plus strong communication and skills working in a team. The Hoffmann Group offers great employee benefits as standard, including flexible working, cross-divisional training and sponsorship programmes, as well as a permanent further education offer in their in-house academy.
Discover hundreds more opportunities on the Euronews Job Board today
