How To Find Hidden Talent In Your Organization Through Adjacent Skills

In the modern and dynamic job market landscape, traditional hiring methods that rely heavily on rigid job descriptions and keyword-based screening often overlook hidden talents within and outside the organization.

Automated systems, while efficient, can filter out highly capable candidates who don’t perfectly align with a job’s listed job-specific skills but possess valuable transferable skills.

Relying too much on rigid criteria can create skills shortages limit access to untapped talent pools, and narrow opportunities for job seekers.

What Are Adjacent Skills?

Adjacent skills are abilities that, while not an exact match for a job’s listed requirements, are similar, complementary, or transferable to the role.

Hiring for adjacent skills allows companies to see beyond surface qualifications and focus on the underlying competencies that make someone effective in a new position.

Here are examples of adjacent skills across different industries:

• Tech: A front-end developer with strong UX/UI skills can transition into product design, where user experience is crucial. Their ability to bridge design and development offers a valuable career asset in the tech industry.
• Marketing: A social media manager with expertise in content strategy could easily shift into a digital marketing role, applying their understanding of audience engagement and data analytics to broader campaigns.
• Creative: A graphic designer who has honed their motion graphics abilities can move into video content creation, tapping into their artistic talent while expanding their range of skills.

Recognizing these natural overlaps empowers employers to find hidden strengths in candidates, enabling better alignment with evolving business needs.

Why Hiring Adjacent Skills Expands Your Talent Pool

Hiring adjacent skills expands your talent pool through time savings, untapped potential, fresh perspectives, and talent retention.

Time Savings

When organizations focus on adjacent skills rather than exact experience matches, they significantly reduce time-to-hire.

By broadening search criteria, hiring managers tap into a wider range of qualified candidates who can hit the ground running with minimal training.

This approach is especially critical during periods of skills shortages, where waiting for the “perfect” resume can lead to missed opportunities.

Untapped Potential

Strict role definitions often overlook untapped potential in both internal and external candidates.

Individuals may possess the right combination of soft skills and technical knowledge that, when recognized, can fill gaps within teams.

By exploring untapped talent pools, organizations can discover real talent that automated systems might bypass, leading to more dynamic and resilient teams.

Fresh Perspectives

Hiring for transferable skills brings fresh perspectives into the organization.

Individuals from diverse professional backgrounds contribute unique problem-solving approaches and creative solutions, encouraging innovation.

This diversity of thought enhances team performance and fosters a more inclusive workplace culture.

Talent Retention

Investing in employees’ individual growth aspirations by promoting them into roles aligned with their adjacent skills increases talent retention.

When team members see opportunities for growth within the company, they’re more likely to stay, reducing turnover.

By offering clear career paths and the chance to expand their current role, companies build loyalty and long-term engagement.

How to Identify Adjacent Skills in Candidates

Identify adjacent skills in candidates by moving beyond keywords, asking strategic interview questions, leveraging assessments, refining your search strategies, and checking your bias at the door.

Move Beyond Keywords

Traditional skills-based hiring often relies on strict keywords, but this can unintentionally exclude candidates with transferable skills.

Instead, create job descriptions that emphasize capabilities, problem-solving abilities, and a growth mindset over specific tools or software.

This approach ensures that hidden talents aren’t missed in the screening process.

Ask Strategic Interview Questions

Interviews should go deeper than surface-level qualifications. Ask questions that assess adaptability, learning agility, and the ability to apply skills in new contexts.

Examples include:

• “Can you describe a time you had to learn a new tool or skill quickly?”
• “How have you applied knowledge from one role to solve problems in another?”

These insights help uncover hidden strengths and potential talents that aren’t always evident on a resume.

Leverage Assessments

Skills-based assessments and real-world project evaluations are powerful tools for gauging a candidate’s true capabilities.

These methods go beyond theoretical knowledge, allowing hiring managers to see how individuals handle tasks relevant to the current role.

Platforms that offer career aptitude tests or adaptive learning scenarios help identify adjacent skills and highlight candidates with strong potential.

Refine Your Search Strategies

Using AI automation tools and partnering with staffing agencies can optimize your recruitment process.

Staffing experts specialize in identifying candidates with the right blend of basic skills, transferable skills, and a growth mindset, ensuring that hiring managers have access to the best talent available.

Check Your Assumptions at the Door

Avoid assumptions that candidates from non-traditional backgrounds lack the necessary experience.

Instead, focus on evaluating problem-solving abilities, soft skills, and learning potential.

By doing so, you can avoid bias and tap into untapped talent that brings diversity and innovation to your organization.

How to Nurture and Develop Adjacent Skills in Your Workforce

Nurture and develop adjacent skills in your workforce by investing in upskilling, prioritizing internal mobility, and encouraging continuous learning.

Invest in Upskilling

Implement upskilling and cross-training programs to help employees expand their range of skills and explore new career paths.

Adaptive learning platforms and continuous education opportunities encourage personal development and help employees grow into new roles, filling skill gaps internally.

Prioritize Internal Mobility

A structured internal mobility program, complete with mentorship and career mapping, provides employees with a clear view of how they can advance within the company.

This focus on professional growth strengthens retention and fosters a culture of growth, where employees feel empowered to explore new opportunities for growth.

Encourage Continuous Learning

Building a culture of growth means valuing continuous learning as part of employees’ daily life and professional life.

Encourage participation in workshops, certification programs, and peer-led training sessions.

Creating time and space for continuous development helps employees align their personal life with their professional life, leading to well-rounded, engaged team members.

Discover Hidden Talents in Your Workforce

In today’s competitive market, hiring based solely on rigid qualifications is no longer enough.

Recognizing adjacent skills allows organizations to uncover hidden talents, create more diverse teams, and foster a workplace that supports individual growth aspirations.

By focusing on transferable skills, soft skills, and a candidate’s potential for personal growth, hiring managers can align with modern workforce trends and future-proof their organizations.

It’s the perfect time to rethink traditional hiring strategies and embrace a more flexible, adaptive approach.

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