How It Works
Skillfishing
Presenting skills, credentials or capabilities that do not translate into real work performance. Employers use the term for candidates who look highly qualified on paper or in interviews, often with help from AI tools, but cannot do the job once hired.
Origin
Coined in 2026 by Alexander Alonso, chief knowledge officer at SHRM, in a LinkedIn post, as a play on "catfishing." SHRM defines it as "the act of presenting skills, credentials, or capabilities that do not translate into real execution."