Why Skills Tests Miss the Signal in Hands-On Hiring

Skills-based hiring has won.

According to TestGorilla's 2026 State of Skills-Based Hiring report, 85% of employers now use skills-based hiring, and 76% use skills tests to validate candidates. Meanwhile, résumés are losing ground: only 67% of employers report using résumés in 2026, down from 73% the year before.

The shift is real. But in hands-on industries — restaurants, haircare, skilled trades, automotive, construction — employers say the new tools still miss the mark.

Tests have become the new résumé: a filter that doesn't show what matters.

The Rise of Skills Testing

The move away from résumés makes sense.

AI can write polished applications in seconds
Keyword matching filters out qualified people
Traditional credentials don't predict job performance

Skills tests emerged as the fix. They're faster than interviews. They're more objective than gut feelings. And they give employers data instead of claims.

For many roles, this works.

But not all roles are the same.

What Tests Can't Measure

In hands-on, performance-based work, the skill is the job.

And tests — even good ones — can't capture:

Technique under pressure: How someone handles a rush on the line
Physical execution: The precision of a fade, the plating of a dish
Customer presence: How they communicate face-to-face
Problem-solving in context: Walking through a real repair, not a theoretical one

"In roles where performance is physical and customer-facing, a multiple-choice assessment doesn't show how someone handles pressure on the line, communicates with customers, finishes a fade, or walks through a repair."

Tests can help. But they're incomplete.

The Signal Problem

Service and trade businesses often aren't struggling with a lack of applicants.

They're struggling with signal: sorting through volume to find candidates who can actually perform.

Résumés can exaggerate experience. Test results can be difficult to interpret when the job depends on technique, pace, communication, and professionalism — factors that don't translate into a score.

Employers in these industries aren't looking for a number.

They're looking for confidence, technique, communication, and reliability.

Proof-Based Hiring: The Missing Layer

What if hiring combined the best signals available?

Experience still matters
References still matter
Assessments can matter

But in many roles, the clearest signal is still a real demonstration of skill.

A short video showing:

A barber executing a fade
A cook demonstrating knife skills
A technician diagnosing an issue
A server explaining their approach to hospitality

When employers can see the skill, they stop guessing.

Trust Goes Both Ways

Proof isn't just about talent demonstrating ability.

It's about building trust on both sides of the marketplace.

At Vetano, talent profiles are ID-verified. Business and employer accounts are also ID-verified by the business owner. This two-sided verification creates a hiring marketplace where both sides know who they're dealing with.

Businesses can also show their side: culture, standards, workspace. A restaurant can post a kitchen tour. A shop owner can show their setup. Candidates decide faster whether it's a fit — before anyone wastes time.

The Evolution of Skills-Based Hiring

Skills-based hiring is still evolving.

The move from résumés to tests was a step forward. But it's not the final step.

In performance-based work, hiring works best when employers can actually see the skill — not just read about it, and not just see a test score.

"This isn't about eliminating résumés overnight. It's about recognizing that résumés and tests are incomplete signals in many roles. Skills-based hiring works best when employers can actually see the skill."

Skills speak louder when you can see them. — Chris