Talent matchmaking is broken. Even in a crowded job market, 62% of employers can’t find the skilled talent they need, and 72% of job seekers can’t land roles. That’s despite the fact that skills-based hiring is now mainstream and proven to reduce mis-hires.

So why the disconnect? The issue lies in implementation: Six-in-10 employers still screen resumes before assessing skills, letting outdated filters block out great talent. To fix Europe’s talent tug-of-war, we need to put skills first from the start.

As vacancies hit historic lows and skills gaps widen, every hire carries more weight. The pressure is on to adopt future-proof hiring methods that can match skilled candidates to the right roles and accurately verify skills. Screening candidates based on which university they went to or where they last worked simply won’t cut it anymore.

But the real challenge isn’t just adopting skills-based hiring – which most employers now use in some form – it’s implementing it well. Bringing skills in from the start is what builds resilient, adaptable teams at a time when every decision counts.

Here are five tactics to help leaders embrace the skills-first hiring revolution and build high-performing, future-ready teams:

1. Use skills tests first to find a true match

While a polished CV might help a candidate stand out, it isn’t the best measure of job readiness. Too often, strong talent gets overlooked at the start because of such outdated “checkbox” filters. Employers who flip the process and start with skills assessments as their opening filter report better results. In fact, 71% say these tests are more predictive of on-the-job success than CVs, and 84% are happier with the hires they make this way.

It’s a simple but powerful shift – moving skills assessments from the bottom of the hiring funnel to the top. By putting proven ability before presentation, talent teams can reduce bias, save time, and ensure only the strongest candidates move forward. For example, at TestGorilla, our team hasn’t always followed a singular, traditional career path. Our Social Media Specialist was a firefighter, and our Performance Marketing Team Lead trained as a biotechnologist. They excel because they had the skills and perspectives we needed – qualities that came to light through fair, data-driven assessments.

2. Test for the human skills driving performance

Seventy-eight percent of employers say they’ve hired someone with strong technical skills who ultimately failed due to poor soft skills or cultural fit. Without the right human skills, technical ability alone isn’t enough to sustain performance.

What separates top performers are the human skills that can’t be automated – critical thinking, creativity, and learning agility. These are the qualities that drive problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability, especially as AI takes care of more routine tasks.

To reveal them in practice:

• Use structured tests to reveal behaviours: Combine skills assessments, behavioural interview prompts, and real-world job simulations to uncover both hard and soft skills in context. Pair each prompt with a clear rubric so assessors know exactly what qualifies a “good” candidate when assessing empathy, decision quality, and follow-through.
• Score consistently, then debrief deliberately: Independent scoring and structured debriefs keep judgments focused on evidence. Each interviewer should score candidates on the same criteria before comparing notes. Agree on clear examples of what “great” versus “average” looks like to keep everyone aligned, and jot down why you chose hire or no-hire to keep decisions fair and transparent.

When human skills are centred in the hiring process as well as technical ability, you move beyond polished CVs to uncover the candidates who can thrive in uncertainty, collaborate effectively, and deliver lasting performance after the ink has dried on their job description.

3. Unlock better hires with multi-measure testing

Skills-first companies set themselves apart by using multi-measure, holistic testing in the hiring process. They go beyond technical skills to assess soft skills, behaviour, motivation, and personality — building a complete picture of every candidate.

Although only a third of employers using skills-based hiring take this approach, 91% of those who do say it leads to higher-quality hires. By layering different assessments together, employers can predict real-world performance more accurately and identify candidates with the potential to excel in every aspect of a role, not just one.

4. Make every interview count with structured panel interviews

Interviews will always be a powerful step in skills-based hiring – if you do them right. Don’t waste these sessions by asking candidates to recall what they’ve already outlined on their resume. Panel interviews bring diverse perspectives into the room, minimising individual bias to create a fairer process. They also reveal how someone performs in a group dynamic – something a one-on-one interview can’t fully capture.

By using a combination of general, role-specific, and scenario-based questions, you can uncover not only technical expertise but also soft skills, drive, and cultural contribution.

A shared set of questions and scoring criteria keeps the process consistent, ensuring no single opinion dominates. Done well, panels provide deeper insight into how a candidate thinks under pressure, and how they’ll add to your overall team dynamic.

5. Balance AI misuse and authenticity with competency

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now part of hiring – for both candidates and employers. The question isn’t whether candidates are using it, but how. Some lean on AI to game the system, while others use it to genuinely enhance their applications and demonstrate in-demand digital skills.

Suspicion of AI use is high, with 73% of employers saying they’ve noticed more AI-generated resumes. But the reality is more modest, as only 37% of job seekers report using AI to complete their applications, and 55% still spend between one and three hours tailoring each one. The gap between perception and reality shows why chasing AI detection alone is a dead end.

Instead, smart employers combine robust, cheat-resistant assessments with human judgment to filter out surface polish and focus on proven ability. With more companies integrating AI into their workforce, proficiency itself is fast becoming a critical skill. Testing how candidates use AI to solve problems, create content, or streamline workflows ensures you’re not only protecting against AI-generated fluff, but also hiring people who can harness AI as a productivity multiplier. That’s how you build teams that are truly future-ready.

Future success belongs to teams built on proven ability. By combining objective skills data with fair, structured hiring practices, you can spot both the human qualities and technical skills that will ultimately drive long-term performance in the AI age. These five tactics aren’t just about making better hires today; they’re about building resilient, high-performing teams that can thrive through change, harness AI responsibly, and keep your organisation ahead of the curve. Hire for what matters, measure it rigorously, and you’ll unlock the kind of talent that doesn’t just fill roles, but fuels growth.