Fixing Recruitment: A Deep Dive into Tech Layoffs and the Broken Hiring Process

The tech industry has been facing turbulent times. Watching the video game sector stripped down to bare bones and witnessing tech layoffs across the board has been challenging. For many of us in the industry, this upheaval raises a pressing question: how can we make a meaningful difference?

To start small, I decided to reach out and connect with job seekers on LinkedIn. Over two weeks, I spoke to around 40 talented individuals, each with unique skills and valuable experience, but all facing the same difficult job market. One conversation, in particular, resonated with me. I spoke with a test leader with decades of experience who shared insights into how testing should be more closely aligned with the final product. But we also discussed a hard truth: even seasoned professionals are struggling to secure roles right now. The job market isn’t just challenging; it’s misaligned with the talent it claims to need.

Identifying the Root of the Problem: Broken Recruitment Processes

In my career, I’ve developed a reputation for process improvement and optimisation. So when I looked at today’s hiring landscape, it was clear that something fundamental was broken.

Companies claim they’re searching for skilled, adaptable, and innovative people, yet the current hiring process often weeds out exactly those candidates.

To put it in project terms, recruitment fails at the acceptance criteria stage. Companies need candidates who can thrive in dynamic environments, but they’re often using rigid, outdated hiring criteria. From automated filters and restrictive requirements to overly complex interviews, today’s hiring systems focus on narrow checklists rather than genuine skills and cultural fit.

Introducing Standardisation and Skills-Based Routing

One critical solution I see is the standardisation of job descriptions (JDs), backed by certification partners. Imagine a system where job descriptions are standardised across industries, with clear definitions for each role. These JDs could be validated by reputable certification organisations, ensuring that both companies and candidates have a shared understanding of the role’s requirements and competencies.

This standardisation would enable skills-based routing—a smarter, more agile way to connect candidates with the right opportunities. Instead of filtering candidates out based on keyword matching or rigid qualifications, skills-based routing would prioritise practical abilities. When candidates meet a set of pre-defined, certified skill requirements, they could be routed directly to roles that match their qualifications. This system could drastically reduce the time to hire, eliminate redundant interview steps, and improve the quality of matches between candidates and companies.

A People-Centred Approach to Recruitment

With standardised JDs and skills-based routing in place, recruitment could become a more agile, people-centred process. Here’s what I believe needs to change:

1. Realignment of Acceptance Criteria: Companies need to rethink what makes a candidate successful. Instead of focusing on buzzwords or keywords, they should focus on actual skills and capabilities that align with real job performance.
2. Streamlining the Process: Recruitment often suffers from redundant steps that deter even the best candidates. With skills-based routing and JD standardisation, we could simplify and speed up the process, making it easier to capture top talent.
3. Flexibility and Adaptability: Standardised job descriptions would create a more adaptable recruitment system. Skills-based routing could enable companies to adjust to changing needs in the tech industry without having to redesign entire recruitment processes.
4. Candidate Experience Matters: Recruitment should reflect the company’s values and culture. If the process feels overly complex or impersonal, candidates notice—and many lose interest. A recruitment experience that values candidates’ time and effort could attract better talent and improve the company’s reputation in the market.
5. Certification Partnerships: Partnering with certification organisations to validate skills-based criteria could bring credibility and trust to the hiring process. Certification partners could help define, validate, and maintain standardised requirements, keeping the recruitment process up-to-date and aligned with industry standards.

Taking Action: A Plan for Change

These high-level ideas are only the beginning. I plan to take a deep dive into this issue and publish a detailed article here on LinkedIn, exploring both the root issues and offering actionable solutions to fix recruitment. My hope is to create a practical blueprint for transforming hiring practices—one that aligns job descriptions with actual skills and connects companies to the talent they need, faster and more effectively.

This isn’t just about filling jobs; it’s about creating a recruitment system that works for companies and respects job seekers. By offering a solution based on standardised job descriptions, skills-based routing, and certification-backed criteria, I believe we can make the hiring process more effective, agile, and human-centred.

For now, I’ll keep connecting with talented people, sharing ideas, and sparking conversations about how we can fix recruitment for good. Change won’t happen overnight, but with the right vision and approach, we can rebuild the hiring process to meet the needs of today’s tech landscape.

Together, let’s work towards a system that values skills, respects people, and brings talent and opportunity closer together