Using Skills-Based Hiring to Propel Nonprofit Talent Pipeline

Hiring in the nonprofit sector can be really tough. With limited resources, hard-to-fill roles, and growing pressure to retain staff, organizations are rethinking what effective hiring looks like.

For many, this means moving beyond traditional requirements like degrees or years of experience and focusing instead on the skills candidates bring to the table.

According to LinkedIn's Nonprofit Talent Report 2025, more nonprofits are beginning to adopt a skills-based hiring approach. From 2020 to 2023, the number of paid nonprofit job posts on LinkedIn that did not require a degree increased by 14% — a sign that momentum is building, even if the pace is gradual.

Skills-based hiring can help meet today's talent challenges while building stronger, more inclusive teams. Here’s what it means in practice, and where to begin.

What is skills-based hiring?

Skills-based hiring means prioritizing what candidates can do, not just where they've worked or what degrees they hold. Instead of filtering applicants by credentials, this approach looks at their abilities, potential, and how well their skills align with the role.

The impact can be significant. LinkedIn research shows that organizations prioritizing skills over traditional qualifications could expand their talent pools by six times. That's six times the opportunity to find capable, mission-aligned candidates who may have been previously overlooked.

It's also a smart move for employee retention. On average, employees without a four-year degree stay in their roles 34% longer than those with degrees — an important consideration in a sector where turnover can disrupt both operations and community trust.

How skills-based hiring expands the talent pipeline

At the 2025 LinkedIn Impact Summit: Nonprofit Talent Edition, skills-based hiring was a central focus of two breakout sessions exploring how nonprofits can rethink traditional approaches to recruitment. Tori Kendrick and Ebony Thomas of Grads of Life joined as guest speakers at the event in D.C. and NYC, respectively, sharing strategies for identifying overlooked talent and building more inclusive hiring practices.

In both sessions, they emphasized that many nonprofits face a common challenge: filling roles that require specialized, evolving expertise. Fields like digital engagement, community outreach, and data analysis often demand real-world skill, but not necessarily a specific degree or nonprofit background.

When hiring teams center on what candidates are capable of doing, rather than where they've worked, they can surface qualified individuals from other sectors while removing barriers that may exclude strong fits.

"Skills-based hiring enables nonprofits to access a broader and often untapped talent pool, strengthening their ability to find the right people with the right capabilities. This approach not only reduces barriers in the hiring process but also helps organizations build stronger, more resilient teams equipped to deliver on their missions." — Tori Kendrick, Senior Director, Thought Leadership, Grads of Life

How nonprofits can start adopting a skills-based approach

Shifting to a skills-first model doesn't require starting from scratch. It begins with small, deliberate changes: how roles are framed, how candidates are evaluated, and how teams are trained to spot potential. Tools like LinkedIn's Skills Match help organizations better understand the capabilities needed for a role and where to find them.

"A key strategy for any employer adopting a skills-based talent management approach is securing internal buy-in by showing leaders how this model enhances rather than disrupts existing processes. By clearly defining the capabilities needed for success and aligning stakeholders around that vision, organizations can make deliberate adjustments that build confidence and drive lasting change." — Ebony Thomas, Managing Partner, Grads of Life

Evaluate candidates beyond the resume

Resumes often reflect access and opportunity more than ability. They're helpful, but limited. Skills-based hiring calls for evaluation methods that reveal how someone thinks, communicates, and solves problems.

Consider supplementing or replacing resume reviews with:

• Structured interviews that ask every candidate the same core questions

• Behavioral assessments that explore past actions in relevant situations

• Scenario-based tasks or sample projects that mirror the real demands of the role

These techniques can help surface both technical skill and long-term potential while reducing unintentional bias in the hiring process.

Use skills-based hiring to solve specific talent gaps

Many nonprofits face one of two problems: too many applicants without the right experience, or too few applicants for roles requiring niche expertise. Skills-based hiring can help in both cases.

• For high-volume roles, it allows teams to focus on actual capabilities instead of filtering by credentials that may not predict performance.

• For specialized roles, it encourages a closer look at transferable skills from sectors like education, public service, or corporate strategy that often map well to nonprofit needs.

• For long-term retention, it brings in candidates motivated by mission and growth, not just titles.

Looking at what candidates can do, not just what they have done, gives hiring teams in the nonprofit sector more options to work with.

Prepare your team for the shift

Adopting a new hiring approach requires alignment across hiring teams. For many, this means working through internal resistance, especially when long-standing processes are deeply ingrained.

Common barriers include:

• A default preference for degrees or traditional career paths

• Lack of training on how to assess candidates based on skills

• Fear that changing criteria may lower perceived standards

To move forward:

• Offer targeted training for hiring managers on how to identify and evaluate skills, such as the LinkedIn Learning Path Getting Started with Skills-Based Hiring: The What, the Why, and the How

• Pilot the approach on one open role and use the results to refine your process

• Share success stories internally to build momentum

Small wins can help shift perceptions and lay the groundwork for more inclusive, effective hiring practices across your organization. Nonprofit team members can use LinkedIn’s free resources on finding the right candidates to help with this process.

Take one step right now

A skills-based approach doesn't have to be overwhelming. Small, focused actions can help your team build confidence and start to see results. If you're not sure where to begin, try one of the following:

• Audit one open role and rewrite the job description to focus on the skills required to succeed.

• Identify a traditional hiring filter (like a degree requirement or years of experience benchmark) that could be adjusted or removed.

• Start the conversation at your next hiring team meeting about what skills-first hiring could look like across your organization.

Every step toward skills-based hiring is a step toward broader access, stronger alignment, and better outcomes for your team and your mission. Many nonprofits are already making this shift and learning valuable lessons along the way. From rethinking job requirements to investing in upskilling, these changes are helping organizations attract and retain mission-aligned talent.

LinkedIn’s Nonprofit Talent Report 2025 offers fresh data on how organizations are adapting their hiring and development strategies, including where skills-based hiring is gaining traction. Read the report for more insights.