September 4, 2018 at 08:46When hiring large international companies refuse diplomas
- Transfer
The topic of having a diploma in the recruitment process has become almost anecdotal in large companies. Skills are now values that matter most than anything else.
This is not a new trend, but it shows that in large international companies, the value of the diploma is significantly reduced. In some cases, the column on the availability of a diploma is absent in personal profiles. Glassdoor's job search site has published a list of fifteen companies this season for which a higher education diploma is not required for candidates. However, having a diploma from a prestigious university or business school will also be a plus.
This list, relayed by the US Quartz website, includes both large tech giants such as Google, Apple or IBM, but also multinational companies such as the audit firm Ernst & Young or Starbucks. The diploma of Stanford or the Polytechnique School ( École Polytechnique ) has not lost its value, especially for responsible and leadership positions.
“Academic preparation is always taken into account, and it will remain an important criterion in the hiring process, but it will not be an obstacle,” says Ernst & Young, Maggie Steelwell's companion, to the American newspaper Huffington Post.
Google was one of the pioneers of this trend. The American giant quickly realized that the connection between mental abilities at work and a university diploma is insignificant and the reason for this is not that they only hire candidates who have graduated from prestigious universities and demonstrate high rates of productive activity. Quartz clarifies that at IBM about 15% of the new employees did not even graduate. IBM CEO Virginia Rometti even mentioned that for technology giants, professional tasks and on-the-job training will provide more experience than a diploma.
In France, a study by the state employment agency Pôle Emploi has noticed a similar trend over the past few months. 59% of employers believe that a degree is not an essential criterion for employment. The study also notes the importance of “behavioral skills”, the so-called “soft skills” in the personnel language. For 60% of employers, these behavioral skills are considered more important than technical ones. For example, we are talking about adaptability, ability to organize, or even independence. In particular, a Pôle Emploi study noted that 20,000 people in 2018 will benefit more from the communication skills development allowance, and their number will be increased to 80,000 in 2019.
“The identity of the candidates, their emotional intelligence, their empathy are becoming increasingly important elements in the recruitment process,” explained Charles Le Dumont, founder and owner of the recruitment agency Morgan Philips, to Le Figaro. Including for engineers and other professions, a priori not implying constant communication. He also agrees with the allegations made in Pôle emploi's research on the diploma: “A programmer with empathy is a gold worker. On the other hand, the qualities of an educated and highly qualified specialist should also be rewarded. ”
This is not a new trend, but it shows that in large international companies, the value of the diploma is significantly reduced. In some cases, the column on the availability of a diploma is absent in personal profiles. Glassdoor's job search site has published a list of fifteen companies this season for which a higher education diploma is not required for candidates. However, having a diploma from a prestigious university or business school will also be a plus.
This list, relayed by the US Quartz website, includes both large tech giants such as Google, Apple or IBM, but also multinational companies such as the audit firm Ernst & Young or Starbucks. The diploma of Stanford or the Polytechnique School ( École Polytechnique ) has not lost its value, especially for responsible and leadership positions.
“Academic preparation is always taken into account, and it will remain an important criterion in the hiring process, but it will not be an obstacle,” says Ernst & Young, Maggie Steelwell's companion, to the American newspaper Huffington Post.
The concept of “competency” is crucial
Google was one of the pioneers of this trend. The American giant quickly realized that the connection between mental abilities at work and a university diploma is insignificant and the reason for this is not that they only hire candidates who have graduated from prestigious universities and demonstrate high rates of productive activity. Quartz clarifies that at IBM about 15% of the new employees did not even graduate. IBM CEO Virginia Rometti even mentioned that for technology giants, professional tasks and on-the-job training will provide more experience than a diploma.
In France, a study by the state employment agency Pôle Emploi has noticed a similar trend over the past few months. 59% of employers believe that a degree is not an essential criterion for employment. The study also notes the importance of “behavioral skills”, the so-called “soft skills” in the personnel language. For 60% of employers, these behavioral skills are considered more important than technical ones. For example, we are talking about adaptability, ability to organize, or even independence. In particular, a Pôle Emploi study noted that 20,000 people in 2018 will benefit more from the communication skills development allowance, and their number will be increased to 80,000 in 2019.
“The identity of the candidates, their emotional intelligence, their empathy are becoming increasingly important elements in the recruitment process,” explained Charles Le Dumont, founder and owner of the recruitment agency Morgan Philips, to Le Figaro. Including for engineers and other professions, a priori not implying constant communication. He also agrees with the allegations made in Pôle emploi's research on the diploma: “A programmer with empathy is a gold worker. On the other hand, the qualities of an educated and highly qualified specialist should also be rewarded. ”