Skills-first hiring on the rise, but job seekers struggle to keep up: report

Employers in Singapore prefer soft skills over hard skills when it comes to skills-based hiring.

Whilst two-thirds (67%) of Singapore’s managers are familiar with skills-first hiring, only 36% of job seekers are accustomed to the approach, according to Indeed’s report.

The report states that more than half (59%) of Singapore’s employers are planning to use skills-first hiring, which departs from traditional strategies by evaluating candidates based on job-relevant skills instead of credentials.

Alignment in the approach could benefit Singapore’s job seekers by saving interviewing time, reducing hiring bias, and surfacing learning and development opportunities.

For employers, the approach increases the incidence of transferable skills, attracts more quality candidates, and produces innovation for businesses.

Employers in Singapore prefer soft skills over hard skills when it comes to skills-based hiring, revealing that 70% of employers who use skills-first hiring believe soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and critical thinking are more important than hard skills when evaluating candidates.

Moreover, employers are shifting away from evaluating candidates purely on credentials, with 70% of employers surveyed in Singapore being more willing to select candidates with on-the-job experience and no degree over those with a degree and no experience.

The report also affirmed artificial intelligence’s (AI) positive impact on hiring solutions, highlighting that 36% of job seekers in Singapore have found AI useful in assisting with cover letters, assessments, and other application items.