Degrees Don’t Mean Success – Why Companies Are Moving Away From College Requirements

Measuring the competence of future professionals has historically come in the form of education level, SAT scores and degrees. However, companies are increasingly rejecting this established recruiting tactic when seeking new talent.   

The new year will mark the beginning of the pivot away from measuring worth through degree. Rather, Gartner expects that skills will speak volumes in the recruitment process. 

“To fill critical roles in 2023, organizations will need to become more comfortable assessing candidates solely on their ability to perform in the role, rather than their credentials and prior experience,” Gartner stated.    

Many organizations have already started taking this approach, with research from Burning Glass institute showing that only 41% of U.S job postings required a bachelor’s degree. 

Google also implemented its own internal upskilling program called Grow with Google to open job opportunities for those who may have not had the privilege of completing higher education. Using this method, companies can help close the gap between the number of job openings that require a degree (70%) and the number of workers that actually have one (50%).  

In short, creating an inequitable workforce means more than meeting specific quotas — it also means giving workers from a variety of backgrounds an opportunity to expand upon their existing skills.