by The results from a 2023 survey by Intelligent.com confirm what many recruiting professionals have observed. More U.S. employers are dropping the four-year college degree requirement for jobs. According to the survey of 800 employers, 55% of the companies had eliminated B.A. degree requirements for some positions in 2023, and 45% planned on removing similar degree requirements in 2024.
Why the Change?
Commentators have identified several reasons for the trend:
An employee’s experience and skill are more valuable to the employer than the employee’s college degree: Companies recognize the value of job-related skills and experience over formal education in many jobs. The Intelligent.com survey found that 80% of the respondents identified experience as more important than formal education in hiring the right person for a job.
Requiring a college degree narrows the potential talent pool without improving the applicant pool quality: Screening out candidates or even ranking candidates based on whether they have a four-year degree narrows the talent pool without proof that the pool has been refined. According to available U.S. workforce statistics, more than half of the U.S. workforce does not hold four-year degrees. Just over a third of the U.S. population born before 2000 have a four-year college or higher degree.
More companies are focusing on the concept of “Skilled Through Alternative Routes” to expand their talent pool: Companies focusing on candidates who are skilled through alternative routes have two recruiting techniques in common. The first is that the employer is using skills-based hiring. Candidates are initially screened, and consistently assessed through the recruiting process, based on skills rather than specific educational attainment. The second technique is the recognition of alternative pathways to gaining foundational skills often associated with college training. Many candidates have earned credentials and certifications through independent and on-the-job credentialing programs, technology boot camps, multi-month community college programs, military training, and other pathways to proven job qualifications. Companies include screening and interview questions to draw out these alternative confirmation of skills and experience. For more information on the “Skilled Through Alternative Routes” movement, see https://opportunityatwork.org/.
Tips from Employers Who Are Considering Removing Degree Requirements
If you are thinking about eliminating the four-year degree job requirement from a position or group of positions, consider:
- Are there any contractual or regulatory requirements to have staff with specific degrees?
- Can your automated or artificial intelligence-driven resume screening technology be easily adjusted to reflect the change in process?
- Will the change affect your ability to hire skilled foreign workers whose visa status requires a degree to prove they have a ‘highly specialized knowledge’?
