Skill-based hiring in IT: why 2025 is the tipping point.

The IT market is highly tense. In the Netherlands, there were over 20,000 vacancies open at the beginning of 2025, while organisations are struggling to find the right people. At the same time, degrees and job titles are losing their value. That is why companies are increasingly opting for skill-based hiring in IT. In other words: competency-based recruitment based on demonstrable skills instead of degrees or job titles. 

At Koodin, we believe that skill-based recruitment is a healthy development. Because this way, you do not only bring in knowledge, but also professionals who dare to make choices, communicate, and collaborate. That is what makes projects succeed.

Why skill-based hiring in 2025?

Three developments make skill-based hiring inevitable:

• Scarcity of specialised talent
  In domains such as cloud, AI, and cybersecurity, demand exceeds supply. Recruiting solely based on CVs unnecessarily shrinks the talent pool.

• Pace of technological change
  New frameworks and tools follow each other rapidly. A degree from three years ago often says less than a current certification or demonstrable project experience.

• High costs of a mismatch
  A bad hire in IT costs time, money, and often security too. Skills provide immediate certainty about the value someone can add.

Despite the many vacant positions remaining, many IT jobs are also disappearing. Which jobs will stay? You can read about it here: Which tech jobs will disappear in 2025 and which will remain necessary? 

What is skill-based hiring?

Skill-based hiring is a recruitment approach where companies choose based on skills rather than titles or years on a CV.

LinkedIn also confirms this shift. A recent article states that a university degree is increasingly less likely to be the holy grail. Employers place more value on what someone can actually do and how they develop themselves. See also this article: University degree no longer the holy grail.

This involves not only technical knowledge such as cloud management, AI integration, or cybersecurity, but also skills such as collaboration, communicating with clients, and substantiating decisions. It is precisely this combination that makes the difference.

How does skill-based hiring work in practice?

Skill-based hiring sounds abstract, but this is how organisations put it into practice:

• Technical assessments: assignments that resemble real work.

• Case assignments: collaborating on a realistic problem.

• Certifications and micro-credentials: up-to-date proof of knowledge, such as AWS or security.

• Portfolios and practical experience: showing which projects someone has completed and in which role.

For recruiters and consultancy firms, this means: relying less on CVs, assessing more in practice. This takes time, but leads to better matches and more sustainable partnerships.

What are the benefits of skill-based hiring?

Skill-based hiring in IT delivers three clear benefits:

1. For companies: better matches, productive teams, and fewer mismatches.

2. For candidates: more opportunities, even without a traditional CV.

3. For diversity and inclusion: more focus on skills, less on background.

The result: stronger, fairer teams that add immediate value.

The role of seniority

Skills are key, but seniority remains a decisive factor. Seniority is not (just) about years on the clock, but about how someone makes choices, takes responsibility, and communicates.

At Koodin, we see this every day. Our seniors are technically strong and know how to collaborate, make decisions, and drive projects forward. Skill-based hiring confirms what we have been doing for years: looking at the people who actually add value, not at the job title on their CV.

What does this mean for IT professionals?

For IT professionals, skill-based hiring means you must keep developing and showcasing your skills.

• Keep learning: new tools, frameworks, and certifications.

• Develop soft skills: collaboration, customer contact, leadership.

• Show your work: through portfolios, GitHub, or cases.

Those who do so will stand stronger in a market that is increasingly looking critically at skills.

So…

Skill-based hiring is the new standard in IT in 2025. For companies, it means better matches and less risk. For professionals, it means opportunities, provided you make your skills visible.

Why is 2025 precisely the turning point? Because circumstances are aligning: a persistent shortage of specialised talent, the rapid pace of technological change, and the need to avoid mismatches. 

At Koodin, we already work with skill-based hiring. We look at someone's experience rather than a degree. This is how we ensure sustainable projects and satisfied teams.