Beyond the filters: Why skills-first hiring still isn’t real

Everyone in recruitment and HR talks about skills-first hiring. Job ads say it. HR panels debate it. LinkedIn celebrates it. But when job seekers were asked about their realworld experiences, the gap between intent and reality was impossible to ignore. WorkPro writes.

Only 40% of candidates believe employers genuinely evaluate their skills Ahead of qualifications

WorkPro surveyed more than 2,400 job seekers across Australia for our whitepaper Skills-First in Theory, Filters-First in Practice.

The findings reveal a disconnect between what candidates can do and what hiring systems actually recognise:

• Nearly 60% had succeeded in roles they weren’t technically qualified for, proving potential often outperforms credentials.

• 88% believe verified skills and experience should come first when employers review applications.

• Yet only 40% feel that skills are consistently valued over qualifications.

So, if the skills exist, why aren’t we seeing them?

The Recruiter’s Dilemma

Recruiters want to hire for potential, but most are working within systems built for speed Applicant tracking systems filter for keywords, job titles, and familiar credentials. Hiring managers, under pressure to fill roles quickly, often favour “safe” candidates..

While many job seekers assume their skills are obvious from job histories, recruiters rarely stop to interpret them. Those newer to Australia are particularly disadvantaged: fewer than one in three with less than 12 months’ local experience feel their skills are valued over qualifications

What needs to change

To make capability visible, employers need to:

• Ask structured, skills-based questions early

• Distinguish between “musthave” and “learnable” requirements

• Use role-relevant assessments to validate ability

• Adopt tools that surface transferable skills, not just filter CVs

The talent is here. The question is: are we ready to see it?

Skills-first hiring already happens informally when recruiters “take a chance” The challenge is making it systematic, consistent, and lower risk.

At WorkPro, we’ve supported over 5 million job seekers and thousands of employers to build clearer, faster, fairer hiring processes.

Our Job-Ready Profile brings together background checks, credentials, eLearning, work history, and skills into one verifiable snapshot It makes skills visible early, helping employers uncover talent that traditional filters overlook.

Overlooking adaptable people could be unsustainable for business in a tight labour market. The best hire may not be the one with the perfect CV, but the one ready to learn, adapt, and grow with your team.

Download the whitepaper for more insights, and contact WorkPro today to take the first step toward smarter, more inclusive hiring.