Skills-based hiring has a new companion trend, and it may help employers and employees get hiring closer to perfect. Job candidates are “skills flipping” — turning what might be considered negative traits into strengths — and it’s causing employers to reconsider how those traits could actually work for a role.

The shift is already visible in job postings: 51% of Indeed listings no longer mention formal education requirements. To counter that drop in degree requirements, organizations have leaned into assessment — more than 75% of employers used personality and skills tests for hiring in 2025, according to data from TestGorilla.

Skills Flipping for Skills-Based Hiring

Both sides of the hiring equation are still figuring out how to make it work, says Adam Stamm, Managing Partner at Online DISC Profile. Hiring managers feel pressure to fill roles faster than ever, yet they’re short on candidates they feel confident inviting to interview — the formal qualifications may be there, but behavior patterns and practical skills don’t always align.

That’s where skills flipping comes in: candidates work to make their skills — the good and the bad — fit the role they want. And that’s not a bad thing, since hiring managers generally want adaptable employees.

What Skills Flipping Can’t Replace

Of course, not everyone can or should adapt. Stamm is clear that truly toxic or difficult behavior can’t be explained away as a secret strength — but there’s a middle ground where a trait that once caused friction can be reset as valuable. Even when balancing skills, role and personality, three questions stay constant: Can they do the job? How do they behave on a team? And will their working style help or hinder the existing team?

---

Reimagine Candidate Traits & Behaviors

Take a contrary perspective on behavioral signs. The candidate who seems a bit too chatty may turn out to be a great communicator at a time when AI is making soft skills a lost art. The apparent introvert may be signaling exactly the attention to detail that compliance, quality assurance, finance or operations roles demand.

Look Beyond Resumes

Plenty of resumes look perfect — often because candidates use AI to tailor them precisely to the job description. Don’t let a flawless resume sway you toward the wrong hire. Jason Rodgers, a content writer at PepThrive, has watched biology graduates outperform marketing graduates in content roles; in his last hiring round, candidates who passed a written test on an unfamiliar topic hit full output in three weeks, while stronger-resume hires took twice as long. When possible, have candidates produce work samples or demonstrate their skills through simulated tasks.

Consider Alternative Work Arrangements

Some employers discard applications the moment a candidate doesn’t fit the standard schedule. But a part-time applicant with exactly the right skills may bring more to a role than a full-timer who lacks them. As Tabby Farrar, Head of Search at marketing agency Candour, notes, people who balance multiple jobs, caregiving or passion projects often develop time management skills and resilience that others can’t match — and can help teammates build those same strengths.