Skills Over Degrees: How to Hire for Real-World Competencies

The Degree Dilemma

Would you rather hire:
A) A self-taught coder with 5 successful apps?
B) A fresh grad with a computer science degree but no projects?

If you picked A, you’re part of a global shift. Companies like Google, Apple, and Safaricom are dropping degree requirements to find:
🔹 Faster learners
🔹 More diverse talent
🔹 Better problem-solvers

Why Skills-Based Hiring Works

1. Expands Your Talent Pool

• 72% of African workers are skilled through alternative routes (STARs)

• Opens doors to:

  • Career changers

  • Self-taught professionals

  • Returning parents

2. Reduces Hiring Bias

Degrees often reflect:
❌ Family wealth (who could afford university)
❌ Gender barriers (STEM access)
❌ Age discrimination (“overqualified” candidates)

3. Improves Retention

Skills-hired employees:
✅ Stay 34% longer (LinkedIn data)
✅ Show 22% higher engagement

How to Implement Skills-Based Hiring

Step 1: Rewrite Your Job Descriptions

❌ Old Way: “Bachelor’s degree in Marketing required”
✅ New Way: “Need someone who can:

• Grow Instagram followers from 0-10K in 3 months

• Write converting ad copy

• Analyze campaign metrics”

Pro Tip: Use Textio to remove degree-coded language

Step 2: Design Skills Assessments

Instead of CV screening:

• For developers: 2-hour coding challenge

• For sales: Mock pitch presentation

• For customer service: Live email response test

Step 3: Try Blind Hiring

Hide:

• Universities attended

• Years of experience

• Names/gender indicators

Judge purely on:
✔ Test results
✔ Portfolio quality
✔ Problem-solving interviews

3 African Companies Doing It Right

1. Andela (Nigeria)

• Uses coding tests & project reviews

• Hired 400+ engineers without degree requirements

2. SweepSouth (South Africa)

• Assesses cleaners via practical home trials

• 89% customer satisfaction rate

3. M-KOPA (Kenya)

• Trains field agents based on aptitude tests

• Reduced training time by 6 weeks

Skills-Based Hiring Toolkit

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Still requiring degrees “just in case”
❌ Using vague terms like “fast learner” (test it instead)
❌ Ignoring soft skills (communication matters!)

Next Steps for HR Teams

1. Audit 3 job descriptions this week – remove degree filters

2. Pilot one skills assessment next month

3. Train hiring managers on bias-free evaluation

Need Help Transitioning?
Bliss HR Africa specializes in skills-based hiring strategies for African businesses. Book a free consultation!