As a hiring manager or human resources rep, it’s imperative that you understand how top staffing agency services go about hiring the best candidates for your business. One important differentiation you must recognize is between credentials and skills. With more candidates coming to job interviews qualified in terms of credentials, skills can often slip through the cracks. Let’s dive into the difference between credentials and skills and why it’s so important in today’s hiring landscape.
Credentials
Credentials refer to qualifications a person holds, such as a certificate or a license. However, the most common credential nowadays is a college degree. In fact, according to Statista, there were 19.6 million college students in the United States in 2019. This figure is expected to continually and steadily increase. With more and more people attending college, however, comes the fact that a college degree can become less of a unique credential and more of a commonplace one.
Skills
Because credentials like a college degree are more frequently seen now, staffing agency services may need to look at skills a bit more closely. Hands-on skills and knowledge in a particular industry or field will help a candidate secure employment. For example, if an IT headhunter has two candidates and they both have a college degree in information technology, what makes sense next is to look at experience and skills. If one has more experience in the field and demonstrates they have more advanced IT skills, then the job will most likely go to that candidate. In this case, you can see that once established, credentials may need to be put aside to see the bigger picture when hiring.
Considering Culture and Interpersonal Skills
Another aspect staffing agency services must also keep in mind when hiring is that of company culture and interpersonal skills. While hands-on skills are absolutely vital to performing a job well, interpersonal and communication skills are imperative. How a person meshes with their colleagues, works with their peers, and fits in with a company’s culture all matter now more than ever. In fact, 90% of millennials believe that a company’s success should be measured by more than just its net profit. How a business operates in terms of employee retention and happiness are also key contributors to the overall success of a company.
As you can see, the best staffing agency won’t just look at whether a job candidate has a college degree or a particular certification for a position. They will also ensure they have the best hands-on and interpersonal skills so they fit into your company well. If you need help finding top candidates, look to Kane Partners, one of the best staffing agency services.
