December 9, 2025
OneTen’s latest hiring manager survey reveals that belief in skills-first hiring is strong—but consistency and scale remain elusive due to implementation barriers. Two years after our first national survey, new findings show that while 86% of hiring managers personally support a skills-first approach, only about one-third apply it consistently across their teams.
In today’s job market, hiring managers sit at the center of one of the most important shifts in talent: moving from credential-based hiring to skills-first hiring. They feel the pressure to fill open roles, compete for scarce talent, and build teams that can adapt to rapid change. Increasingly, they’re beginning to see the power of skills-first hiring as one of the most effective ways to combat these shifts. And here’s the encouraging part. Our latest research shows that most hiring managers already believe in the power of hiring for skills. They know it opens wider talent pools, improves retention, and reduces mis-hires. They know it reveals qualified people who can excel, whether or not they earned a four-year degree. But belief on its own doesn’t drive change. Today, belief and behavior often do not align. Our follow-up hiring manager survey, “Insights from Hiring Managers: How Employers Can Turn a Skills-First Mindset into Sustained Impact,” shows that while commitment to skills-first hiring is stronger than ever, day-to-day reality looks different. Managers continue to run up against outdated job requirements, rigid processes, and organizational barriers that make it hard to fully apply the skills-first mindset they support. This implementation gap isn’t only a disconnect. It is a missed opportunity for businesses working to keep pace with a rapidly shifting talent landscape. Download the Report

What the Data Makes Clear

Hiring managers overwhelmingly believe that skills-first hiring is the future. They see its value, and many say they have adopted the approach in some capacity. Yet significant inconsistencies remain in how skills-first practices show up across organizations. Several findings from this study and our earlier research are especially revealing:
  • Hiring managers say they benefit from skills-first practices, including stronger candidate pools, more efficient hiring, and better long-term outcomes.
  • Many report using skills-first techniques, yet the consistency of application varies, especially for roles that have traditionally defaulted to degree requirements.
  • Managers continue to feel pressure to rely on degree signals, particularly when systems, job descriptions, or internal processes haven’t been updated to support skills-first decision-making.
  • Even when hiring managers want to lean more heavily on skills, they often do not have access to the tools, training, or organizational alignment to confidently put skills-first into practice.
Hiring managers aren’t resisting skills-first. They’re navigating systems that were never designed for it.

What’s at Stake for Employers

When skills-first belief doesn’t translate into skills-first behavior, companies miss out on real value. Organizations that fail to modernize hiring practices limit their access to talent at a time when competition is intense. They risk overlooking skilled candidates who could thrive in critical roles. They carry higher risks of mis-hires and turnover. And they make it harder for hiring managers to operate effectively. Companies that close the belief–behavior gap will be better positioned to hire efficiently, retain high performers, and build a workforce that reflects the full spectrum of skills available in the labor market.

Why the Gap Persists

This gap is not about skepticism. It is about barriers.
  • Hiring managers consistently pointed to several barriers preventing them from fully implementing skills-first practices.
  • Job descriptions that automatically list degree requirements
  • Applicant tracking tools and workflows that prioritize candidates with credentials
  • Minimal training on how to assess skills with confidence
  • Misalignment between leadership expectations and front-line hiring processes
  • Organizational norms that still associate degrees with professionalism or readiness
Managers aren’t choosing old habits because they prefer them. They’re working within systems built for a different era.

Three Actions Employers Can Take Now

A skills-first strategy does not require starting over. It requires intentional shifts that free hiring managers to act on what they already believe. 1. Update job requirements so they reflect the work, not traditional degree defaults Replace degree requirements with the core skills that drive success. Hiring managers who make this change report better-quality candidates and more effective hiring. 2. Give managers systems and incentives that reinforce skills-first hiring If managers are asked to hire differently but evaluated on outdated expectations, the shift will stall. Applicant filters, interview formats, and decision criteria should all support skills-first practices. 3. Treat skills-first as a full talent strategy, not a hiring tactic Skills-first strengthens everything from onboarding to promotions. Companies that apply it across the employee lifecycle see higher retention, stronger performance, and a more adaptable workforce. Managers are ready for this shift. They simply need the infrastructure to support it.

This Is a Moment for Leadership

The talent landscape continues to evolve quickly. Skills shortages are growing, automation is accelerating, and workers’ expectations are shifting. Organizations that cling to legacy hiring practices will feel these pressures more intensely. Those that embrace skills-first will tap into broader talent pools, find more motivated candidates, and build resilient, future-ready teams. For hiring managers, the belief is already there. We applaud those who are striving to put skills-first into practice in ways that open doors and strengthen teams. For leaders, the responsibility is clear: Create the conditions that allow your teams to hire for what truly matters. When you do, you don’t just improve hiring. You strengthen your business.

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