Redefining Skills-Based Hiring Through GenAI

Hadi Moussa, CEO of Coople, discusses the transformation of the recruitment process through AI and skills-based hiring in "Redefining Skills-Based Hiring Through GenAI."

In a world where the demand for talent is ever-growing, companies are increasingly looking for ways to streamline their recruitment processes and find the best candidates for the job. Traditional hiring methods often focus on resumes, backgrounds, and past experiences, but this approach doesn't always lead to the best matches. That's where skills-based hiring comes in.

Skills Over Experience

Skills-based hiring prioritizes what candidates can do over their resumes, job titles, or educational background. This approach expands the talent pool, fills skills gaps, and ensures a more inclusive and effective recruitment process. Another main advantages is its potential to solve the growing issue of skills shortages. In many countries, companies struggle to find qualified candidates due to a lack of specific skills. In Switzerland alone, 40% of companies report difficulty filling vacancies because of skills gaps. By focusing on skills, companies can find people who can perform the tasks required for the role, even if they haven't done exactly that job before.

💡 Key Takeaway: Focusing on skills over backgrounds creates a broader and more inclusive talent pool, addressing skills shortages.

AI: A Game Changer in Recruitment

The emergence of advanced AI, particularly deep learning models like Gen AI, is a game changer in the hiring process. AI tools can help write job descriptions that focus purely on the skills required for a role, screen resumes for those specific skills, and even design custom assessments to test candidates' abilities. These technologies ensure that employers assess the skills that matter most for the job, rather than getting distracted by keywords or buzzwords.

💡 Key Takeaway: AI ensures precise candidate assessments by emphasizing the skills needed for success in the role.

Reducing Bias, Increasing Diversity

One of the biggest advantages of using AI in the hiring process is its ability to reduce bias. Traditional hiring practices can unintentionally favor candidates based on their background, education, or previous employers. By focusing on skills, AI helps level the playing field, ensuring that hiring decisions are based on candidates' actual abilities, not where they come from or where they've studied.

💡 Key Takeaway: Skills-based hiring with AI reduces bias and promotes diversity by evaluating candidates on ability, not background.

Retaining Talent and Promoting Growth

AI doesn’t just help with finding candidates. It can also predict a candidate’s likelihood of success in a role based on their existing skills and identify any gaps that need to be addressed. By creating personalized learning pathways, AI helps employees develop the skills necessary to succeed, fostering a culture of continuous learning within the organization.

💡 Key Takeaway: AI enhances retention and development by addressing skill gaps and encouraging continuous learning.


Skills-based hiring, supported by AI, offers a faster, fairer, and more accurate recruitment process. It empowers HR to address the pressing skills gap and unlock the full potential of the workforce.

About Hadi Moussa

CEO of Coople

Hadi Moussa brings extensive leadership experience from top digital marketplaces, including Meta, Airbnb, Deliveroo, and Coursera, where he consistently drove growth and innovation. At Meta, he helped expand the company’s presence across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. At Airbnb, he led operations in multiple regions, driving market growth. As Deliveroo’s Chief Business Officer, International, he oversaw expansion in 10+ countries and helped the company scale during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to its IPO. At Coursera, Moussa led the global Consumer business and reinforced its leadership in online education. He holds an MBA from Harvard and degrees in engineering.

Our Sponsors

A big thank you to our main partner FLOW IT, our partner HR Cosmos, our host Coople and video producer Online Recruiter.

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