Staffing firms today face a paradox. Candidate pools have never looked bigger, yet critical roles remain stubbornly unfilled. Recruiters are spending hours screening applications—many of which are inflated or even AI-generated—while genuine, qualified candidates are getting buried. The traditional filters of resumes, degrees, and past job titles are no longer enough to deliver results. 

As Katie Breault, Chief Delivery Officer at YUPRO Placement, put it: “Recruiters are flooded with applications right now and some are real, some are AI generated. Meanwhile, our true entry-level roles are getting harder and harder to find.” She noted that degree requirements and keyword searches often reward resume crafters rather than true performers, creating inefficiencies and eroding trust with clients. 

This is where skills-first hiring offers a new path forward. Instead of focusing on where a candidate has worked or what credentials they hold, the approach zeroes in on what candidates can actually do—verified through projects, certifications, assessments, and past performance. 

“Hiring managers aren’t looking for resumes, they’re looking for talent,” Breault explained. “Proof of performance is the most credible signal. You submit fewer candidates but with stronger proof, and that builds client confidence.” 

Building Sustainable Talent Pipelines 

Eric Westphal, Chief Operating Officer at Year Up United, emphasized that the real differentiator in preparing candidates isn’t just technical training—it’s pairing skills with readiness. “We are providing them with a proprietary career readiness training and assessment,” Westphal said. “Employers can be confident that these individuals not only have the technical experience, but also the durable skills—the ability to network, navigate professional environments, and persist from day one.” 

Year Up United’s model, serving thousands of young adults annually, blends intensive training with real-world work experience through internships at major companies. The outcome: 80% of participants secure sustainable careers or continue their education. Westphal stressed that these results prove the value of combining technical skill-building with intentional support and coaching. 

“What we’ve learned over 25 years is that the real differentiator is the work-based experience,” he added. “That internship, that opportunity to learn on the job and continue to have this high support, makes all the difference.” 

Consistency, Scale, and Client Confidence 

From a staffing firm’s perspective, skills-first hiring only works if it can be delivered consistently. Ainsley Castro, National Director of Strategic Partnerships at YUPRO Placement, pointed out that partnerships with training providers create access to ready talent at scale. 

“Partnerships widen our reach and help lower sourcing costs. Firms that lean into these pipelines spend less time chasing volume and more time delivering,” Castro said. With new graduates entering the workforce every year from programs like Year Up, firms can tap into a steady stream of trained, vetted talent in markets across the country. 

What staffing leaders value most, Castro emphasized, is predictability. “Wherever clients operate, the same level of preparation and readiness is available. This is proof that skills-first hiring works at scale across industries and geographies.” 

Real-World Growth Stories: Case Studies of Two Staffing Firms 

For staffing firms and clients, the proof ultimately comes from how candidates perform on assignment. James Rowbotham, Senior Director at PrideOne, has seen firsthand how job-ready alumni succeed inside top corporations. 

“They understand how to do the job, but they also understand how to work in that environment as well,” Rowbotham explained. “They understand how to give and receive feedback, how to work with teams. Those soft skills are rarer than many people imagine, and that’s what really sets them apart.” 

Rowbotham noted that adaptability is especially critical in today’s rapidly changing workplaces. “We’ve seen folks start in one role, then be asked to jump into something completely different—and they not only adapt, they thrive. Because of where they’ve come from and what they’ve gone through, they’re just incredibly resilient.” 

Adaptability, professionalism, and loyalty also stood out to Martin Thurmann, Service Delivery Leader at Milestone Technologies. Having managed many alumni directly, he described their mindset as “ready to go from day one.” 

“They’re not only technically skilled, they have communication skills, they show up on time, they follow through—and that matters a lot in the corporate world,” Thurmann said. 

One of the strongest examples he shared was of a candidate who joined six years ago as an AV technician and is now an operations manager. “What sticks out for me is he wants to get things done,” Thurmann recalled. “Leadership is about growing together and giving feedback, and he had the confidence to not only identify problems but also present solutions. He’s grown into a top member of my management team.” 

For Thurmann, this growth underscores why skills-first candidates aren’t just good hires—they’re long-term assets. “They’ve proven they can learn fast, work hard, and adapt to different environments. Their loyalty reduces turnover, which saves money and strengthens teams. That’s an advantage every staffing leader is looking for.” 

Moving Forward with Skills-First 

Across all perspectives, the themes are clear: speed, readiness, and reliability. Skills-first hiring allows firms to place candidates who are prepared to contribute from day one, strengthening client relationships while reducing the cycle of backfills and turnover. 

The path forward doesn’t require staffing firms to overhaul everything at once. As Breault advised, even piloting skills-first hiring with a single role can demonstrate its impact. “If you shift just one role to skills-first this quarter, it builds momentum. And momentum is what builds real change.” 

The staffing industry is at an inflection point. Traditional resume-driven filters are proving less effective, while client expectations for faster, stronger placements are only rising. By focusing on what candidates can do—not just what’s on paper—firms can deliver the talent their clients need today and build pipelines that last into the future. 

To view the webinar that dives into the benefits of skills-first hiring, please click here.