The metrics we use to recruit candidates have changed, and for good reason. We no longer hire purely on merit, as it is rarely an indicator of how a candidate will actually perform on the job. That is why companies are now looking to hire based on competencies over qualifications.
Competency-based hiring gives candidates an opportunity to showcase their skills outside of their resume and help you find better fits for open roles.
Here are four advantages of adopting a competency-based hiring model:
1) Make objective hiring decisions
When you evaluate applicants based on a specific set of criteria, it can make your overall hiring process more objective. This can also help applicants better understand the nature of the job, as well as show you how they might perform on the job. Evaluating candidates through hiring assessments can further highlight their strengths and weaknesses.
2) Create a diverse workforce
By assessing candidates based only on the skills required for the job, you level the playing field and create a more transparent hiring process. This way, people from different age groups and backgrounds can apply given that they are a right fit for the role.
Here are our 5 tips to reduce recruitment bias
3) Better recruitment strategy
When you make the process more objective, your decision making will be more strategic and less reliant on gut feelings. You also reduce time-to-hire and improve the quality of hire, as you don’t waste resources interviewing unqualified candidates.
4) Map candidate competency
Hiring assessments allow you to assess candidate strengths and weakness during the interview process itself, helping you identify where to train them and how they can contribute to the growth of the organization long-term. You can map out an entire career journey for your candidate during recruitment itself.
How do you implement a competency-based hiring process?
Understand your requirements:
Determine the resources and skills you need for the team before setting out to recruit new candidates. Decide which skills are “must haves” and which can be learned on the job. This should be assessed for every role before sourcing candidates.Â
Job description:
Switch the narrative of the job description and talk more about the qualities of the candidate you are looking for instead of the qualifications. Specifying the required and preferred skillsets can also help candidates understand what they need to highlight in their applications.
check out Zoho Recruit’s job templates
Benchmark top performers:
As soon you decide the skills your ideal candidate should possess, rank them from the most to least important. You can also prioritize the ideal attributes by benchmarking top performing employees.
Learn more about how Zia can match the perfect candidate to your job role
Use assessments:
You can test hard and soft skills using screening assessments. A good hire also fits well with the company’s culture, so it is important to ask open-ended questions and explore avenues like one-way video interviews. This can help you assess the candidate’s communication skills and personality.
Learn more about Zoho Recruit’s one-way video interview feature.
Follow best practices:
Consistently assess candidates against your benchmarks to ensure that you treat all candidates equally. Ensure that your tests are compatible with all web browsers and devices, and help candidates prepare better by sharing the time commitment required for each assessment.
Enhance the hiring process with competency based recruitmentÂ
It is easy to bring in high-quality leads when you have competency-based hiring strategies to support your HR expertise. Zoho Recruit has four types of assessments that can give you an objective view of the candidate’s fit for the job and environment. With this feature, you can also create your own assessments and analyze the results to rate and rank candidates.