4 Times Your Small Business Should Make A Degree Based Hire

Does your social media manager need an advanced communications degree? Could your IT gal provide effective Helpdesk support without going to MIT? If you, (like many other small business owners) are struggling to find the right fit for your open position, it could be worth a second look at that “degree required” qualification.

To be frank, college graduates cost more, they’re less likely to be job hunting, and they’re a less diverse pool of applicants to draw from. This study and this article about it provide some great context on switching from degree based to skills based hiring if you’re interested.

Since this blog is geared towards simplifying HR for small business owners, I’ve complied a list of 4 times you’ll need to post a degree requirement when recruiting for a new hire.

1.You work in an industry where degree requirements are set in stone. State and federal standards, contracts, laws, accreditation and licensing bodies all have some skin in the “degree required” game. If you are beholden to these bodies, you often find yourself with very little wiggle room. Many healthcare, education, nonprofits etc are regulated within an inch of their lives. You may know for a fact that someone without a degree can do the same if not better work in a particular position, but there are miles of bureaucratic red tape you’d have to get through to get those requirements reversed. In some cases it’s worth lobbying to get these requirements reversed at the source. However, it doesn’t change the fact that right now today… you have to hire a person with a specific degree in order to meet those requirements.

2. The training requirements for the position are such that you cannot meet them within your budget or your timeframe. For example, most engineers are required to have a degree… but companies who can afford it will teach and promote their non-degreed technicians up through the ranks into an engineering position. Those companies have budgets that make that possible. And they have a long term view that makes it possible as well. Small business owners are often strapped for time, cash, and qualified trainers which makes it faster and easier to require a degree. That degree essentially proves that somebody somewhere tried to impart a necessary body of knowledge into this applicant and they have a paper and a pile of student loans to prove it. You may need to take advantage of that.

3. If the risk is too great. As a business owner, you’re responsible for your hires and for the work they do in your company’s name. If a calamity happens… (a real one, not like a two star review) all the scrutiny and liability will come crashing down on you, the business owner. You’ll want to be able to say that you did your absolute best. That you required all the things that were necessary, you verified those things, and you only trusted people who met your rigorous standards. This is your best and sometimes your only defense.

4. If available data convinces you that a college degree will lead to better outcomes. For example: This study is interesting because it correlates a bachelors degree in nursing with better outcomes for patients. Now I’m not saying you need to be an expert at reading and interpreting study results… I’m saying make the effort, do the googling, look for reliable sources who are doing research about the type of work that your business does. More often than not, the data isn’t there to support a degree requirement. But you should check. Just in case.

If you don’t fall into the four categories above… give that degree requirement some serious consideration. Instead of requiring a degree, simply have candidates demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities, needed to be successful in the job. Stay tuned for more on skills based hiring!

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