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Introduction to Skills-Based Hiring

Skills-based hiring expands our ability to attract qualified, diverse employees, by acknowledging the value of a job seeker's overall skills and experience.

Learn how to hire for skills using this toolkit

Why Hire for Skills?

Introducing Skills-Based Hiring 

With a rich history enabling skills-based hiring and eliminating college degree requirements from most jobs at the Commonwealth, we’re now excited to share resources to help you with all stages of the skill-based hiring process: from writing your job posting to selecting your best candidate.

What is Skills-Based Hiring? 

Skills-based hiring focuses on the "whole applicant," with a comprehensive review of an applicant’s full set of relevant skills, knowledge, and abilities.

How is Skills-Based Hiring Different? 

A skills-based hiring approach begins with a focus on reducing factors that may unfairly influence or bias your recruitment and evaluation of applicants.

Tools for Skills-Based Recruiting

Identifying and Reducing Bias 

A skills-based hiring strategy recognizes that relevant competencies are acquired through a myriad of sources. Skills-based hiring aims to mitigate unconscious biases and ensures all candidates are provided equal employment opportunities.

Writing Your Job Description 

Writing an inclusive, enticing job posting is crucial to attracting a diverse and qualified pool of candidates, and helps your job stand out in a competitive labor market.

Creating Your Recruitment Plan 

A thoughtful recruitment plan is the key to having a productive hiring experience. Identify the places where your candidates are likely to be and how you can best reach them.

Finding Your Best Candidates

Screening Candidates 101 

The hiring process is moving quickly in a competitive race for talent. Having an effective and equitable screening process helps you streamline the process for qualifying your candidate pool.

Conducting Your Interviews 

Developing a structured interview strategy helps reduce the likelihood of bias by ensuring all candidates have the same, equitable experience, from interview panels to evaluation criteria.

Selecting Your Candidate 

Once you have completed your structured interviews and identified your best candidate, it’s time to work with your HR team on all the next steps, from offer letters to onboarding.

Read Skills-Based Hiring Executive Order 627 Instituting Skills-Based Hiring Practices or review our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Executive Department Skills-Based Hiring Policy

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