Breaking down “the plus” in Skills+ and going beyond buzzwords
The recent Hirevue webinar, “The Plus in Skills+, Going Beyond Buzzwords,” brought together three Hirevue team members, Chelsea Kilpack, Director of Communications, Tyler Slezak, Principal IO Psychology Consultant, and Chris Frost, Director of Client Optimization, to uncover the nuances of skills-based hiring and assessment.
From understanding modern approaches to skills evaluation to ensuring fairness in hiring, the session provided essential insights for HR leaders, hiring managers, and talent professionals. Here’s a comprehensive look at the key takeaways so you can maximize the impact of this discussion on your hiring practices.
Skills+ and avoiding oversimplification in TA
As outlined by Frost, focusing on skills in hiring isn’t just a passing trend. It’s a scientifically validated, predictive approach that organizations are increasingly adopting. However, Hirevue challenges the notion that skills alone determine a candidate’s suitability. The concept of “Skills Plus” advocates for a broader perspective, integrating dimensions such as work history, personality, and interests into hiring decisions.
Slezak explained the reasoning behind this framework. While skills are critical, especially job-specific and cognitive skills, exclusively relying on them can result in oversights.
He introduced the “plus” side of the equation, encompassing:
- Work history: Previous roles and career stability can be indicators of future behavior, though Hirevue ensures that gaps, whether due to mental health challenges, family situations, or career transitions, should be evaluated contextually.
- Personality traits: Traits like extroversion, especially relevant in sales roles, are not skills but critical to success. Hirevue uses innovative game-based assessments, like their Portrait tool, to measure personality traits scientifically.
Interests and motivators: Slezak highlighted that possessing a skill means little if the candidate lacks interest or motivation to apply it. Interests are equally essential in predicting long-term role satisfaction.
The takeaway? Skills are important, but hiring professionals need to look at the full spectrum of a candidate’s profile to hire effectively and equitably. This holistic approach leads to better prediction of performance and retention.
Advanced methods for assessing skills: technology meets science
One of the most insightful takeaways from the session was the discussion around methods for assessing candidate skills, emphasizing the need to bridge scientific rigor with technological innovation. Slezak highlighted how advanced tools, like adaptive testing, game-based assessments, and job simulations, have elevated skills evaluation to new levels.
- Cognitive skills: Tools like Hirevue’s game-based assessments enable the evaluation of cognitive skills (e.g., numerical reasoning) through adaptive testing. Slezak explained how these tests dynamically adjust based on the candidate’s responses, creating a unique and cheat-resistant experience that also improves accuracy.
- Job simulations: From warehouse associates to high-level executives, simulations provide an immersive way to evaluate essential role-specific skills. For instance, candidates for call center roles may undergo scenarios requiring multitasking while monitoring customer satisfaction. These simulations ensure candidates are assessed on their real-time responses, leaving little room for cheating or uncertainty.
- Soft skills via AI: Video interview technology powered by AI analyzes responses efficiently and consistently, evaluating traits like communication, leadership, and adaptability. Slezak emphasized how automation helps scale soft skill assessments without compromising rigor.
Both Frost and Slezak underscored the importance of thorough job analysis. Slezak highlighted that organizations need to document these processes meticulously to determine which skills are most critical. This data becomes foundational for selecting the right assessment methods, optimizing systems, and even improving performance management down the line.
Broad vs. narrow skill measurement: A balanced approach
One of the recurring themes in the webinar was the importance of broad measurement in hiring decisions, as opposed to a narrow focus on one or two critical skills. Slezak explained that broad assessments consider multiple skills to produce a comprehensive picture of a candidate’s fit for the role. Narrow scoring still has its place, especially for onboarding and identifying development areas post-hire. However, decision-making should rely on all data points rather than a single skill score.
Frost pointed out a critical balance. While skills are undeniably “a good thing to enhance validity,” hiring decisions benefit when multiple attributes are factored in. He warned against a “throw the baby out with the bathwater” approach, stressing that assessments remain fair when they provide multi-dimensional measurement.
Championing fairness and reducing adverse impact in hiring
A significant part of the session was devoted to how skills-based approaches promote fairness. By moving beyond arbitrary requirements like degrees or undefined experience, organizations broaden candidate pools and reduce biases. Frost emphasized that measuring skills offers all candidates an opportunity to showcase their potential, an essential shift as diversity hiring gains prominence.
Kilpack and Slezak also commented on the need to evaluate tools and assessments continuously. Slezak advised against a static, “set it and forget it” approach, emphasizing that using data incorrectly can perpetuate biases. For organizations, the roadmap involves validating assessments post-hire (connecting performance outcomes back to hiring criteria) and optimizing processes over time.
Technology, COVID-19, and the future of hiring
The speakers agreed that the focus on skills was catalyzed by both the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological advancements. Kilpack pointed out how the pandemic amplified the need for flexible workforces capable of adapting to new challenges. Tyler added that artificial intelligence, job simulations, and other tech innovations have enabled robust methods for validating skills, not just cognitive and hard skills but also softer competencies like collaboration and leadership.
Looking forward, concerns like AI bias and standardization must be addressed to ensure fairness and consistency in processes. The Hirevue team emphasized designing tools driven by IO science first and layering technology to scale capabilities efficiently while keeping candidate experience seamless.
Hiring practices should evolve, not simplify
Ultimately, the webinar aimed to clarify the often fuzzy concept of “skills” in talent assessment. Hirevue advocates for a comprehensive, flexible approach that incorporates skills alongside additional factors like work history, personality, and interests—what they call “Skills Plus.”
Frost summed it up best when he said, “Skills are very important to evaluate, but they’re not everything.”
For organizations, this means avoiding over-reliance on trends, ensuring methods are validated scientifically, and constantly iterating hiring systems to achieve the best outcomes.
If you’re invested in building stronger hiring strategies, this webinar serves as a robust resource grounded in science and expertise. By embracing the power of skills with the practicality of “plus,” organizations can succeed in hiring better, fairer, and faster—in an age where talent is the ultimate competitive edge.
