Beyond the degree, skill-first hiring has become the new year's resolution for HR agencies
Introduction:
As we switch to the new year 2026, it has become the prime time for the emerging landscape of the employment market in Gujarat. For decades, degrees and academic credentials have served as the primary qualification for employees to serve their employers. However, according to a recent survey conducted by the excellent HR agency Quarec Resources Pvt. LTD., which has served as the workforce partner in Gujarat for decades and understands that the employment market in 2026 has emerged to follow the pathway towards skill-first hiring.
There was a time when bachelor's and master's certificates were the golden ticket for employees, but it has often been seen that a chasm has developed between theoretical value and practical approaches.
Degrees Are Losing Power: Why HR Agencies Are Betting Big on Skills in 2026
The rise of skills as signals, not a checklist:
In 2026, the skills will no longer be treated as side items. They are the crown of your resume. The more skills you obtain, the higher your survival stake in the employment market will be. The skills show adaptability, improve resilience and improve the problem-solving talent of the employee. Thanks to the AI revolution in 2025, the employment market has changed drastically. In short, your skill is not just a checklist anymore; it is the credit score to let you rise forward and shine in your workplace.
- Why degrees alone are losing their grip :
- Rapid technological change:- Gradually, degrees in the tech-related fields are losing their grip on the employment market. Reason: most of the degrees are theoretically approved, but lose the subject matter to AI and practicality. But skill-based courses like cyber security, data analytics, and cloud computing have evolved with AI.
- Global talent competition:- Why are the degrees, especially the tech subjects, losing faith among the job holders? The reason is global talent competition, which needs a compelling correlation between the practicality and the problem-solving talent. Yes, the subjects we do learn in our degrees are often outdated and compiled with theories that are of no use to the industries we are dealing. These studies can only give us good grades, but cannot be able to give us the salaries we want. Contrarily, the global businesses are demanding practicality that actually solves the problems.
- Gen Z expectation:- The salary is no longer a matter of attraction for new-age employees. They need flexibility, a meaningful work culture that actually solves the problems and the most important growth. This is only possible by skill-oriented education, not a fancy degree.
- Employer needs:- Companies are straight; they want instant solutions that can save their money and solve million-dollar problems at the same time.
- India's skill first moment:- Thanks to AI and cloud computing. It helps Indian students look beyond their IT textbook and helps them find their creativity, combined with technology that supports the skill from the first moment. It has begun by the year 2025, but when we consider the year 2026, the Indian job market represents the global employers with a ratio of 10 to 12 million jobs internationally with a strong reference to skilled based hiring. Today, most Indian employees, especially the Gujarati employees, have redefined their employment standards with the help of skill-based hiring.
Benefit of skill-first hiring:
- Rapid technological change:- Gradually, degrees in the tech-related fields are losing their grip on the employment market. Reason: most of the degrees are theoretically approved, but lose the subject matter to AI and practicality. But skill-based courses like cyber security, data analytics, and cloud computing have evolved with AI.
- Global talent competition:- Why are the degrees, especially the tech subjects, losing faith among the job holders? The reason is global talent competition, which needs a compelling correlation between the practicality and the problem-solving talent. Yes, the subjects we do learn in our degrees are often outdated and compiled with theories that are of no use to the industries we are dealing. These studies can only give us good grades, but cannot be able to give us the salaries we want. Contrarily, the global businesses are demanding practicality that actually solves the problems.
- Gen Z expectation:- The salary is no longer a matter of attraction for new-age employees. They need flexibility, a meaningful work culture that actually solves the problems and the most important growth. This is only possible by skill-oriented education, not a fancy degree.
- Employer needs:- Companies are straight; they want instant solutions that can save their money and solve million-dollar problems at the same time.
- India's skill first moment:- Thanks to AI and cloud computing. It helps Indian students look beyond their IT textbook and helps them find their creativity, combined with technology that supports the skill from the first moment. It has begun by the year 2025, but when we consider the year 2026, the Indian job market represents the global employers with a ratio of 10 to 12 million jobs internationally with a strong reference to skilled based hiring. Today, most Indian employees, especially the Gujarati employees, have redefined their employment standards with the help of skill-based hiring.
Benefit of skill-first hiring:
For employers:- The skill-first hiring brings a vast talent pool from a non-tech background. Employees with competency are far better than the employee with just a degree. By removing the degree barrier, organizations behave more humanely while providing employment. A skill-based workforce is adaptable to all terrains and job conditions.
For employees:- Without worrying about an elite degree, candidates can work for the big companies on the basis of their skills, which is a fair trial.Skill-first hiring will help employees to work with cross-functional jobs. Workers spend each day developing them to become better at their work. The skill-first hiring will prioritize success based on demonstrable ability, not based on expensive degrees.
Challenges ahead:- Employers must verify your skills beyond your resume, as they totally depend on the competency of your skills. An automated AI hiring system will detect your resume based on specific data that might lead to rejection, regardless of whether you are talented or not. Top universities are struggling to change and are treated as lesser being in front of the skill-based education. Employees who are not interested in up skilling are going to be in trouble.
How to thrive in a skill-first world:
For job seekers- Build a portfolio of your work that will represent your work more fluently. Acquire skill-based certification that will boost the opportunity. Employees are gradually learning the problem-solving skills through continuous learning.Use AI platforms to create a resume that will definitely bring you your dream job.
For employers- Employers will focus on outcomes, entrusting employees with the necessary skills. Employers should focus on skill assessment programs to help employees to grow, and their productivity will be relevant to market outcomes. Companies should focus on skills and help their existing employees to transform their degree-based mindset to skill-based hiring. Make sure your company will not totally depend on AI-based automation while hiring a candidate.
The final thoughts:
As 2026 has come with the best surprises, we at Quarec Resources PVT. LTD., as a guardian angel of the workforce culture of Gujarat likes to encourage employees to go beyond their degrees and adopt the skills that not only help them to grow their creativity but also help them to nurture their future with better financial growth.
For employers:- The skill-first hiring brings a vast talent pool from a non-tech background. Employees with competency are far better than the employee with just a degree. By removing the degree barrier, organizations behave more humanely while providing employment. A skill-based workforce is adaptable to all terrains and job conditions.
For employees:- Without worrying about an elite degree, candidates can work for the big companies on the basis of their skills, which is a fair trial.Skill-first hiring will help employees to work with cross-functional jobs. Workers spend each day developing them to become better at their work. The skill-first hiring will prioritize success based on demonstrable ability, not based on expensive degrees.
Challenges ahead:- Employers must verify your skills beyond your resume, as they totally depend on the competency of your skills. An automated AI hiring system will detect your resume based on specific data that might lead to rejection, regardless of whether you are talented or not. Top universities are struggling to change and are treated as lesser being in front of the skill-based education. Employees who are not interested in up skilling are going to be in trouble.
How to thrive in a skill-first world:
For job seekers- Build a portfolio of your work that will represent your work more fluently. Acquire skill-based certification that will boost the opportunity. Employees are gradually learning the problem-solving skills through continuous learning.Use AI platforms to create a resume that will definitely bring you your dream job.
For employers- Employers will focus on outcomes, entrusting employees with the necessary skills. Employers should focus on skill assessment programs to help employees to grow, and their productivity will be relevant to market outcomes. Companies should focus on skills and help their existing employees to transform their degree-based mindset to skill-based hiring. Make sure your company will not totally depend on AI-based automation while hiring a candidate.
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