Evidence-based hiring is here to stay

“But they’ve got 8 years experience” is simply not a strong enough reason why someone would be suitable for a role anymore.

Hiring based on evidence that directly relates to the competencies you want to bring to a role is more than just a trend. Some organisations are calling this ‘skills-based hiring’, whereas I’d liken it to competency-based, but ultimately this is about hiring with as much reliability of high performance - based on tangible evidence - as possible while raising the bar for an inclusive recruitment process.

Note - I've referred above to skills-based and competency-based. Many organisations more commonly refer to it as skills-based hiring, and the links I've shared below do the same. We've taken it a step further and I'll be sharing that in a blog post coming soon. Ultimately, skills-based or competency-based share the same theory - that you look for real evidence in an interview that directly aligns with the competencies or behaviours that you're looking to hire for in the role. I'm broadly referring to this as 'evidence-based hiring'.

Anyway, here’s why I feel that evidence-based hiring is here to stay…

Degrees are no longer reliable predictors

Historically, a degree in the right subject from a top University was viewed as the gold standard. But studies show the correlation between formal credentials and on-the-job performance is weak. For instance, McKinsey claim that hiring based on education is up to five times less predictive of job performance than a strategic skills focus — and even twice less predictive than experience-based hiring.

Why does this matter? Well, “Degree inflation” has led employers to seek qualifications for roles that never required them. Moving to real-life experience, or lived experience, means uncovering true ability, not just academic pedigree.

Hiring for skills drives stronger outcomes

Research highlights clear business benefits:

Better performance and retention

Boston Consulting Group found hires hired via skills-based processes stay 9% longer and are promoted at similar rates.

Wider talent pool

LinkedIn reports job adverts focusing on core skills attract 11% more applicants, expanding reach and increasing diversity.

Higher ROI

Arctic Shores notes candidates screened for skills, not education, met apprenticeship requirements 100% of the time in one case.

It’s better for diversity, equality and Inclusion

Removing degree barriers opens doors to underrepresented talent. McKinsey emphasises that many skilled candidates without degrees are disproportionately people of colour.

Degree requirements risk excluding many very capable applicants, and in turn reinforce biases. It’s no surprise that some of the biggest employers are embracing this approach - IBM, Walmart, Boeing - all report more inclusive, engaged, and resilient workforces

Aligning with fast‑changing skill needs

Digital transformation, AI, automation, hybrid and remote work — it’s a rapidly changing industry where organisations are looking for lived experience and familiarity in these areas to give reassurance of success. Coupling this with my own industry experience - businesses are shifting towards fewer, more experienced hires. There is pressure to get hiring right and see a strong ROI, so gathering that evidence during an interview process is essential.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that 75% of companies now deploy skills-first in recruitment to plug skills gaps and address talent shortages.

It tackles real‑world hiring challenges

Both traditional processes like sifting through CV’s, and new technology that reads applications are full of risks - both in technology and human error - that unintentionally exclude qualified talent. If your criteria is based on length of experience or job titles, how many candidates with relevant experience are you missing out on?

The solution? Align hiring with real capabilities.

Indeed reports 67% of job seekers and 51% of hiring managers now prioritise skills or working experience over educational credentials

Large employers and governments are adopting it

It’s not just startups. Major brands like IBM, Unilever, Google and Cisco are actively rewriting job descriptions to “tear down the paper ceiling”

Google’s hiring is rooted in problem-solving assessments, not degrees

Cisco’s OneTen initiative has put a spotlight on high-performing professionals with non-traditional backgrounds.

So how do you Implement an evidence‑based approach?

Moving from theory to practice requires structure:

Define the required skills

Use competency frameworks to map role-specific abilities and behaviours you want to hire for.

Build objective assessments

Simulations, work samples, behavioural interviews focused on past performance that encourage candidates to talk openly and candidly about what they’ve done, why they made certain decisions and how they reflect on the impact and learning during those experiences.

Ask candidates for evidence

"Can you give me an example of when that happened?"

"Can you tell me a time when..."

"When have you done that?"

These are all questions that require a candidate to prove they have the hands on evidence that correlates with what you're hiring for

Educate internal stakeholders

Share evidence that show hires made with work-related evidence perform better and enhance diversity, and challenge the view that a good degree = a good hire.

Don’t let technology do the work for you

You don’t have to look too far to know that technology isn’t always the way to find the best applicants.

Invest in upskilling

Support employees with clear pathways, mentorship, and reskilling options. These career tracks will allow you to hire a more diverse range of talent.

Final take

In an era of accelerated change, skills-based hiring is not just a flash in the pan, it’s a strategic shift. It delivers higher performance, stronger retention, more diversity and aligns with future skills demands.

It also empowers jobseekers and employers. As roles evolve faster than traditional education, hiring managers that are prioritising what people can do will lead to more successful teams.

Suggested actions

• Audit your job descriptions for outdated requirements.

• Identify core behaviours / competencies for your company and role, while developing related assessments.

• Train hiring teams to use evidence-backed evaluation methods (think about clear evaluation forms that ask for specific evidence). The STAR method for interviewing is a strong use case here (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

• Experiment by hiring in one department or job category, or practice with role plays within your TA team

• Track performance, retention, and diversity metrics to measure impact.