Skills-first hiring is a solution to many issues in the job market today — and it's proven to find quality candidates faster, reduce hiring time and improve job fit.

The story: In decades past, a job seeker's academic background was a key qualification when determining whether or not to proceed with a job interview.

• The resume-focused hiring approach left many candidates screened out of certain roles where they otherwise may have been a perfect fit.

The strategy: Today, many employers and recruiters are turning to skills-first hiring, a modality that ensures job seekers are hired for their skills gained through training, professional history and life experience, not where they acquired them.

• It's a revolution years in the making that hopes to democratize the job market.

What's in it for you: This approach can be a win for small businesses and job seekers, simplifying the matching and evaluation process — and hopefully leading to a better fit for both.

Skills-first hiring helps employers:

• Find top talent.
• Build a more diverse talent pool.
• Increase retention.

The positive news: Hiring managers who practice skills-first hiring find it twice as easy to find quality candidates than hiring managers who do not.

• Job seekers prefer this approach, too — 82% say employers should consider overall experience over degrees.*

How it's done: Small businesses need a smarter hiring approach, one that prioritizes skills over resumes and connects them with the right candidates faster. Indeed makes this shift seamless by ensuring job postings reach quality talent when and where it matters most.

• Sponsoring a job on Indeed boosts visibility, helping your listing reach relevant job seekers for a longer period.
• Plus, Indeed's AI-powered matching helps surface job seekers with the skills your business needs — so you can spend less time searching and more time hiring.

The proof: Sponsored Jobs on Indeed are 90% more likely to result in a hire than non-sponsored jobs.*

• Plus, Sponsored Jobs have 2.2X more clicks and are 3.7X more likely to move forward with applicants than non-sponsored jobs.

Hire smarter with Indeed — and take advantage of a free $250 Sponsored Job credit, exclusively for Axios readers. Terms apply.

* Indeed Data U.S.