{"id":16862,"date":"2026-05-06T23:55:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T23:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&p=16862"},"modified":"2026-05-09T00:09:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T00:09:26","slug":"the-rise-of-skills-based-hiring","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/talent-management\/talent-acquisition\/the-rise-of-skills-based-hiring\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the degree: The rise of skills-based hiring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Hannah Mason<\/strong>, Brightmine HR Data Insights Analyst<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As skills shortages persist and roles evolve, employers are rethinking what “qualified” really means. The latest Brightmine research examines the rise of skills-based hiring and how organisations are putting it into practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rigid qualification requirements were once seen as a way for organisations to raise standards and secure the best talent. However, today that thinking is beginning to look outdated. While some roles will always require specific technical or professional qualifications, for many others, a university degree is no longer the differentiator it once was. This is particularly the case where the required skills can be developed outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This shift has been influenced in part by the growing participation in higher education. In the past, postgraduate study was often viewed as a marker of exceptional capability or commitment, but that idea has weakened as participation has grown. Between the 2019\/20 and 2024\/25 academic years, the number of people enrolled in postgraduate study increased by 24%, alongside a 9.5% rise in undergraduate enrolments, according to HESA<\/a>. As higher levels of qualification become more common, they tend to offer less insight into an individual’s readiness for work. The more time spent in education can also mean less time building practical experience, particularly for younger job seekers. This can make skills and experience a more meaningful way for employers to identify potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this piece, we will explore skills-based hiring approaches being taken on at UK organisations, drawing on insights from the\u00a0latest annual Brightmine recruitment research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skills shortages are reshaping recruitment strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Skills shortages are a real and persistent challenge, having featured as a top recruitment issue in the past three annual Brightmine recruitment surveys. Traditional hiring approaches are not always well placed to resolve this issue, particularly as we are in a time of rapid technological change, with AI impacting on the skills that some organisations need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our 2026 research<\/a> found that almost three-quarters of organisations (70.7%) have found some skills hard to recruit for in the past 12 months. Technological and digital skills, alongside operational skills, were the two most commonly reported skills that had been hard to recruit for, highlighting the pressure employers are under to secure employees with skills that are evolving rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chart 1: Skills that have been hard to recruit for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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