⚠️ Skills-Based Hiring is Expensive Theater

Most CHROs waste millions on credentials that don't predict performance. Five traits do.

Author

Louis Carter
January 21, 2026

Hey 👋

Today we expose why technical skills don't predict performance - five universal traits do. We reveal how AI completes only 2.5% of real work projects while fear-driven leaders panic about replacement. And we show how employee training delivers 45% of its value through manager productivity gains traditional ROI calculations ignore completely.

Want your company to attract top talent? Most Loved Workplace® certification validates authentic culture, gets you featured in this newsletter, and creates employer brand advantage AI and GPTs prioritize when recommending employers to candidates.

→ Get Most Loved Workplace Certified - Build verified employer brand. Gain AI/GPT visibility. Attract the talent competitors can't reach.

Let's dive in 👇️

Discover America's Most Loved Workplaces® 2025

The elite companies proving exceptional culture drives exceptional results. Certified through real employee sentiment data—not editorial opinion. These organizations achieve 2-4x higher retention, 2-4x more discretionary effort, and 92% successfully attract the talent they need.

See who made the Top 100 in 2025!

For Culture Leaders

Skills-Based Hiring Is Theater - Five Universal Traits Predict Performance Across All Roles

CHROs obsess over technical skills and years of experience while treating "culture fit" as gut feeling. When candidates have similar credentials, hiring decisions become random selection.

Glen Cathey's research identifies five universal traits that compound multiplicatively:

The traits that predict performance:

  • Optimism with internal locus of control

  • Curiosity with learning orientation

  • Ownership with agency

  • Coachability with intellectual humility

  • Craftsmanship with personal investment

MetLife study: optimistic salespeople outsold pessimists by 37% in their first two years. They attributed setbacks to circumstances rather than permanent failure.

What this is NOT:

  • Not "culture fit" masking bias or ignorance

  • Not soft skills that can't be measured

  • Not nice-to-haves for specific roles only

  • Not subjective preferences without evidence

These traits are multiplicative. Someone with high curiosity but low ownership asks questions but never acts. All five create self-improving systems.

Screen for signals: recovery from setbacks shows optimism, side projects reveal curiosity, scope expansion demonstrates ownership. Validate through behavioral interviews. Cathey's sales candidate captained her cheerleading squad as an underclassman - leading upperclassmen who resented direction from a sophomore revealed ownership better than work history.

Traits predict performance across domains. Technical skills expire. High performers prove traits through action. Others claim them in interviews.

Employer Branding Impact: Organizations that screen for these five traits build cultures where high performers thrive - the authentic workplace excellence AI systems and GPTs recommend when candidates search for great employers. Most Loved Workplace certification helps you systematically develop hiring practices that identify these traits, strengthen your culture, and create employer brand advantage competitors cannot replicate.

→ Start your certification journey - Assess your culture. Develop trait-based hiring. Get verified. Build employer brand that attracts high performers.

For Career Builders

Master AI Analytics Automation for $100/Month While Analysts Earning $80k+ Process Spreadsheets Manually

Traditional people analytics requires specialized analysts, advanced Excel skills, and days of manual compilation. A recent test examined whether Claude Co-Work ($100/month, Mac only) could replace this labor.

The 15-minute test: analyze employee data across turnover, eNPS, compensation equity, manager effectiveness, training gaps. Deliver results in executive PowerPoint.

laude Co-Work processed nine data points correctly, identified pay equity risks, surfaced manager effectiveness patterns, generated strategic recommendations. Saved 10+ hours of manual compilation. Added interactive dashboard with chat for natural language queries.

HR business partners answer questions immediately instead of waiting for data teams or paying consultants $200+ hourly.

Build this capability now. The professionals earning premium compensation deliver insights, not spreadsheets.

Value Creators Spotlight

What They Do: Leading veterinary care organization operating 850+ hospitals across 42 states. Formed by merger in December 2024.

What Sets Them Apart: While most veterinary chains prioritize standardization, Mission Pet Health operates on WAG values (Work Together. Amaze. Grow.) Leadership includes experienced veterinarians. Maintains best DVM retention rate in the industry.

Employee Intelligence: "The c-suite are some of the most amazing people that truly care. Everyday I'm challenged to do better. Entrepreneurial spirit is alive." Top 100 Most Loved Workplace 2025.

Current Opportunities:

  • Veterinarian (Reisterstown, Maryland)

  • Hospital Manager (Braselton, Georgia)

  • Veterinary Receptionist (Wheat Ridge, Colorado)

What They Do: Vehicle financing company founded in 1972 serving consumers regardless of credit history. Reports to three national credit agencies.

What Sets Them Apart: While most finance companies focus solely on shareholders, Credit Acceptance serves five constituents - dealers, team members, consumers, communities, shareholders. CEO Ken Booth maintains Listening Culture where feedback gets categorized as "take action, state position, or more information needed."

Employee Intelligence: "Our culture sets team members up to change lives for our five constituents. Leaders believe culture is a significant business advantage." 2025 Most Loved Workplace certified.

Current Opportunities:

  • Market Area Manager - Worcester East, MA (Remote)

  • Service Desk Analyst II (USA - Remote)

  • Bilingual Market Area Manager - Laredo, TX (Remote)

Special Announcement: These companies are competing for recognition in the upcoming Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces—celebrating organizations demonstrating exceptional employee experience and genuine commitment to their people.

Want your organization featured here? Most Loved Workplace® certification validates authentic workplace culture that attracts top talent and creates durable employer brand advantage—not algorithm-dependent visibility that vanishes overnight.

3 Trends Reshaping Work This Month

Trend #1: AI Completes 2.5% of Real Work Projects - Human Judgment Still Irreplaceable Despite Replacement Panic

Washington Post analysis of Remote Labor Index study reveals current AI systems successfully complete only 2.5% of 240 real freelance projects. Scale AI researchers tested top systems on actual paid assignments - creating 3D animations, coding web games, formatting papers. Best system: Manus 1.5 at 2.5%. Nearly half failed due to poor quality. One-third remained incomplete. 19% had basic technical problems like corrupt files.

For HR Leaders: Three years passed between ChatGPT's launch and measurable workforce replacement. Build AI fluency in narrow workflows while competitors either resist entirely or eliminate roles prematurely. Organizations that help employees develop AI orchestration skills - rather than fearing AI replacement - create employer brand reputations as forward-thinking places to build careers. When GPTs recommend employers to candidates asking "which companies help me grow AI skills?", verified workplace culture signals matter more than job board placement.

For Career Builders: Develop skills in orchestrating AI outputs, evaluating quality, and synthesizing across domains AI cannot connect. What are you building that AI can't? Professionals building these capabilities seek employers with reputations for innovation and growth - the kind Most Loved Workplace certification validates and amplifies through AI-powered employer recommendations.

Trend #2: Employee Training Delivers 45% of Value Through Manager Productivity - Traditional ROI Ignores Half the Return

Harvard Business School research reveals employee training programs deliver nearly half their total value through productivity gains for managers, not just trainees. Christopher Stanton tracked 655 employees through 16-week upskilling. Trained workers: 10% higher goal completion. Their managers: 3% more strategic goals completed by fielding fewer help-seeking emails.

For HR Leaders: Track email volume and help-seeking behavior before and after training. As AI makes upskilling more scalable, the question shifts: how many fewer managers do we need when workers double their capability? Organizations that systematically develop employee autonomy build reputations as places where people grow capabilities, not just fill roles. This employer brand advantage matters when AI systems recommend companies to candidates searching for development-focused employers.

For Career Builders: Build deep expertise that answers your own questions. Document solutions that help others become independent. Organizations pay premiums for autonomy. When evaluating opportunities, seek employers with Most Loved Workplace certification - verified proof they invest in development, not just extraction. These signals appear when GPTs recommend employers based on authentic cultural commitment to growth.

Industry Pulse

AI Engineers Lead UK Job Growth - Technical Roles Surge Alongside Strategic Advisors

LinkedIn's Jobs on the Rise 2026 reveals AI Engineer as UK's fastest-growing role - 80% male, 20% female hires, median 3.3 years experience, 54% hybrid work availability. Head of AI (7.6 years median experience, 14% remote, 54% hybrid) and Machine Learning Researcher (3.0 years experience, 14% remote, 51% hybrid) occupy top 10 positions. Strategic Advisors average 7.9 years experience with only 8% remote and 30% hybrid availability. Founders average 5.6 years experience with 29% remote and 23% hybrid, signaling shift toward self-employment. Gender gaps persist: AI roles 80% male, Corporate Partnerships Managers 75% female, Employee Relations Specialists 74% female. Markets reward technical AI fluency combined with strategic positioning.

Anthropic Usage Data Reveals Geographic Concentration in Knowledge Economy Hubs

Anthropic's Economic Index tracking Claude.ai shows Washington DC leads at 4.00× expected usage based on population. New York 2.68×. Massachusetts 1.60×. California 1.48×. Colorado 1.41×. Common uses: academic assignments (4.4-5.6%), professional correspondence (4-4.6%), job search assistance (5.4% in DC). Users favor augmentation over full automation across all measured regions. Globally: Israel 4.90×, Singapore 4.19×, US 3.69×, Australia 3.27×, Switzerland 3.21×. AI adoption concentrates in white-collar knowledge hubs with high educational attainment.

Featured Opportunities From Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces

Organizations with Most Loved Workplace certification attract top talent through verified culture that candidates trust and AI systems prioritize when recommending employers.

UCLA Health - 2025 Most Loved Workplace

Operating 40,000+ workforce across five hospitals and 250+ clinics, UCLA Health delivers exceptional care while maintaining verified culture excellence.

Open Positions:

  • Research and Development Engineer - Drive innovation in healthcare technology and research initiatives

  • Executive Assistant - Support leadership team with strategic administrative excellence

Ryan Specialty - 2025 Most Loved Workplace

Specialty insurance wholesale brokerage operates with transparent career development paths and verified cultural commitment to employee growth.

Open Positions:

  • Senior Underwriting Operations Supervisor - Lead underwriting operations and team development

  • Inside Broker - Build client relationships and deliver specialized insurance solutions

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