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In this episode of The Hirewell Update, Ryan Ross sits down with Charlie Saffro, founder and CEO of CS Recruiting, ...
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So where do you want to work, anyway? That’s the million-dollar question.
We believe in treating a job search like a sales funnel. You need to start with dozens (and maybe 100+) of opportunities at the top to reach a handful of offers at the end.
One of the biggest challenges in a job search is not knowing what opportunities are even available. Most people default to checking out the job boards. The problem with this strategy is two-fold: every job you see could have hundreds of other great applicants, and some of the best companies never even post their jobs!
We advise people to make your own path in your job search: start with identifying companies doing things you’re passionate about. Do a lot of research and force yourself to identify 50+ companies and track them on a spreadsheet creating a list of companies you want to target (Target Company List). Figure out who you know at these companies and what they are hiring for. Anyone that has done sales knows that you need to track every step with every contact. Nothing can slip through the cracks. This can seem like a daunting process but the good news is we’ve already outlined the process job seekers should follow so that potential job opportunities aren’t missed.
What is a Target Companies List?
A target company list is a working document that will help keep track of organizations and opportunities that you’ve identified as being a potential fit for your next employer. Once complete, the list will comprise of companies that make practical sense and others that are more unconventional and exciting to you as an individual. These could be places that have piqued your interest because they align with your skillset, are known for having an excellent culture, or because their mission is something you believe in. Whatever the reason, these are places that are worth exploring.
Why should I create a Target Companies List?
Simply put, job searching is overwhelming. It’s time-consuming and if you aren’t using your time wisely you’re wasting it. It might seem like a good idea to apply to 100+ jobs but it isn’t if you’re applying to jobs that don’t match your skill sets, goals, or interests. You should be dedicating your time to applying for jobs at companies you believe are a good fit for you. Streamlining the job search process to target companies you’re interested in by narrowing down your search allows you to better track open opportunities, strategically use your network to gain referrals, and ultimately get your resume in front of the right people.
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If you’re hiring in 2026, you’re dealing with two realities at the same time.
First, traditional signals like degrees and pedigree are losing their value.
Second, Gen Z is reshaping expectations around speed, transparency, and trust.
Together, those forces are pushing talent acquisition into its next evolution.
As we outlined in Agentic HR Is Here: What Talent Acquisition Really Looks Like in 2026, recruiting is becoming more autonomous at the execution level. But autonomy alone doesn’t solve the core hiring problem.
You still need a better way to evaluate people.
That’s where skills-first hiring comes in.
The Degree Barrier Is Collapsing
For decades, degrees were used as a shortcut.
Not because they reliably predicted success, but because they reduced perceived risk and simplified decision-making.
That logic no longer holds.
Roles are changing too fast. Job titles mean less than they used to. And in a market where AI can generate a polished resume in seconds, pedigree is an even weaker signal.
Companies need capability, not credentials.
Skills Intelligence Is Becoming the New Operating System
The bigger shift isn’t just skills-based hiring. It’s skills intelligence.
Instead of organizing work around static job descriptions, companies are starting to think in terms of capabilities. Work is assigned based on skill, not hierarchy or tenure.
This is the same evolution happening across workforce planning more broadly. Not headcount planning, but capability planning.
And it’s the only model that holds up in a fast-moving market.
Why Skills-First Hiring Is Accelerating Right Now
Skills-first hiring is gaining traction because it solves multiple problems at once.
It improves quality of hire.
It increases internal mobility.
It reduces bias tied to pedigree.
And it aligns better with how work actually gets done.
But it’s also accelerating for a more practical reason.
The resume is no longer reliable.
As we covered in The AI-on-AI Hiring Arms Race, recruiting teams are now dealing with a flood of highly optimized, AI-generated applications. Many look great on paper and collapse under real scrutiny.
When that happens, skills-based evaluation stops being a “nice to have.” It becomes the only way to restore signal.
Gen Z Is Forcing the Issue
Now layer in Gen Z.
By 2026, Gen Z is one of the fastest-growing segments of the workforce. They are also the least tolerant of slow, opaque hiring processes.
One of the most important data points in the market right now is this:
A majority of Gen Z candidates will drop out if a hiring process exceeds 22 days.
Speed, to them, isn’t about impatience. It’s about competence.
If a company can’t run a clear, efficient hiring process, candidates assume it can’t run the business well either.
Ghosting Is No Longer a Candidate Experience Issue
It’s a trust issue.
A large percentage of job seekers report that looking for work negatively impacts their mental health. The biggest driver isn’t rejection.
It’s silence.
Waiting to hear back. No closure. No clarity on next steps.
For Gen Z, that lack of transparency is a dealbreaker. It signals misalignment, not just poor communication.
In 2026, how you hire is inseparable from how you’re perceived as an employer.
The New Hiring Deal in 2026
For Gen Z, the hiring experience is part of the offer.
They expect:
- speed and clear timelines
- skills-based evaluation
- consistent communication
- honest feedback
- values alignment
If the process feels like a black box, they assume the culture is the same.
This is where skills-first hiring and agentic systems intersect. Technology can speed up execution, but only leadership can ensure the experience remains human.
What Talent Leaders Should Be Doing Now
The companies adapting fastest in 2026 are focused on a few fundamentals:
- Shortening the hiring process
By removing unnecessary steps, not by cutting corners. - Shifting from resumes to proof
Work samples, structured interviews, and skills assessments matter more than pedigree. - Improving transparency
Candidates don’t need perfection. They need clarity and closure. - Designing hiring for humans
Technology should reduce friction, not replace basic respect.
Final Thought
Skills-first hiring isn’t just about fairness. It’s about accuracy.
And Gen Z isn’t asking for special treatment. They’re forcing employers to modernize a hiring process that’s been broken for a long time.
The companies that adapt will hire better, faster, and with less churn. The companies that don’t will keep blaming the market while losing candidates to competitors who simply run a better process.
Most companies agree with skills-first hiring in theory. Very few have operationalized it in a way that actually improves outcomes. If you want help redesigning your hiring process for 2026, especially around skills-based evaluation and candidate experience, we can help. Reach out and we’ll walk you through what’s working right now.
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