Studies and sources

The problem is not the CV. It is measuring with poor tools.

Here we collect verifiable data about selection, interviews, skills and practical evidence. If a figure does not appear in a live source, we do not use it.

Data that changes the conversation

You do not need spectacular figures when the evidence is strong. These cards support a simple idea: seeing real work reduces dependence on polished CVs and rehearsed interviews.

CV and verification
1,250+

A CV is not proof; it is a declaration

HireRight surveyed more than 1,250 HR, risk and selection professionals. The report does not say that all CVs lie; it does say that accuracy and discrepancies remain an operational problem.

  • Accuracy of results appears among the most important factors when choosing a screening provider.
  • More than half of respondents cite the cost of a bad hire as a risk to mitigate.
  • In EMEA and APAC, employment and education discrepancies are more common than other inconsistencies.
HireRight Global Benchmark Report 2024
Skills
93%

Assessing skills matters more than reading history

LinkedIn positions skills-based hiring as a central lever for improving quality of hire. The key point: accurately assessing skills matters more than relying only on degrees or previous experience.

  • 93% of selection professionals say accurately assessing aspirant skills is crucial to improving quality of hire.
  • The report links skills-based hiring with better role alignment and hiring quality.
  • The thesis does not remove human judgement; it asks for better signals before deciding.
LinkedIn Future of Recruiting 2025
Work samples
High validity

Evidence works best when it resembles the job

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management defines work samples as tasks that mirror real work. That is the difference between talking about a skill and seeing it applied.

  • Aspirants perform activities identical or highly similar to tasks from the job.
  • OPM highlights high content validity and a strong relationship with job performance.
  • Aspirants also tend to perceive work samples as fair assessments.
OPM Work Samples and Simulations
Interviews
Structure

The interview improves when it stops being improvisation

Interviews can help, but only when they are anchored in job competencies, consistent questions and comparable evaluation criteria.

  • OPM indicates that more structured interviews show higher validity and reliability.
  • Questions based on job analysis improve consistency between evaluators.
  • Structure helps compare evidence instead of rewarding the aspirant who performs best.
OPM Structured Interviews
What employers seek
88.3%

The market asks for problem-solving, teamwork and communication

NACE lists the attributes employers seek on new graduate CVs. The interesting point is that the top attributes are not polished phrases: they are observable behaviours.

  • 88.3% seek problem-solving skills.
  • 81.0% seek ability to work in a team.
  • 77.1% seek written communication skills.
NACE Job Outlook 2025
Skills change
39%

Skills change too quickly to rely only on the past

The World Economic Forum estimates that 39% of existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated between 2025 and 2030. If work changes, history alone is not enough.

  • 63% of employers identify skills gaps as an important barrier.
  • Seven out of ten companies consider analytical thinking essential.
  • Demand combines technology with judgement, resilience, creativity and continuous learning.
World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2025
Hiring noise
38%

AI increased volume, not necessarily signal

Greenhouse describes a market with more anxiety, more mass applications and more workload for recruiters. The problem is not only receiving CVs; it is distinguishing real signal inside the noise.

  • 38% of job seekers say they mass apply to roles.
  • Recruiter workload increased by 26% in the analysed quarter.
  • 57% attribute intensified competition to AI.
Greenhouse State of Job Hunting 2024
Real skills-based hiring
37%

Removing requirements is not enough: evaluation must change

HBS and Burning Glass show that many companies announce skills-based hiring, but few really change who they hire. Evidence has to enter the process, not just the message.

  • Only 37% of analysed firms achieved tangible and sustained change after removing degree requirements.
  • 45% made an "in name only" change without altering real hiring patterns.
  • Non-degreed workers hired into those roles showed 10 percentage points higher two-year retention.
HBS & Burning Glass, Skills-Based Hiring

BUSCOS reading

The reports are not about BUSCOS. This is our interpretation: if companies want real ability, the process should ask for evidence before the first contact.

Less theatre

A CV can open a conversation, but it does not show how someone decides when information is missing, pressure appears or conflict emerges.

More comparable evidence

The same scenario makes it possible to compare judgement, clarity and priorities without turning BUSCOS into an automatic scoring machine.

A better first contact

The company arrives with context and the aspirant arrives with something more defensible than a prepared phrase.

The CV declares. Evidence shows.
If the role requires judgement, a rehearsed interview arrives late.
This is not about hiring without humans. It is about giving better signals to the human who decides.

Sources used

Direct links to reports or public pages. We avoid decorative data without traceability.