Skills-based hiring is a must in today’s highly competitive medical industry. Skills form the basis of success in any role, and they also provide a foundation from which team members can build new skills and grow into new positions throughout their careers.

Both skills and diversity are key hiring concerns. Both are linked to better outcomes for companies. Fortunately, it’s possible to hire for both at the same time. Here’s how to deploy skills-based hiring to build both the capabilities an the diversity of your team.

How Can Hiring Boost Your Team’s Diversity?

Focus on skills in the job description.

Instead of emphasizing education or a particular career path, focus on skills. Which skills are necessary to succeed in this position? Which skills are beneficial? Which skills can be learned on the job, and which foundational skills must exist in order for a candidate to learn job-specific information, build necessary relationships, and advance?

By focusing on skills rather than on where candidates might learn those skills, you appeal to candidates who can do the job – no matter how unusual their path to learning those skills may have been.

Use assessment tools to compare candidates’ skills directly.

Assessment tools offer a way to quantify candidates‘ skills so that you can make head-to-head comparisons. By using assessment tools that screen out identifying information, you can also prevent unconscious bias from affecting your decision-making. Both approaches have been shown to improve both the quality and the diversity of hires.

Explore skills growth among your existing team members.

Focusing on skill-building on your existing team has two benefits. First, it allows the diverse team members you already have to expand their careers – and it encourages them to stay with the company. Second, it enriches existing skill sets throughout your team or department, allowing you to focus on hiring for skills that complement those core capabilities.

Looking to Hire Professionals?

If you’re looking for the skills and capabilities your sales or marketing team needs, talk to the recruiting experts at SMR Group Ltd. today. Our staffing partners specialize in connecting our clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries with some of the best sales and marketing talent available nationwide. Reach out to us today to learn more.