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You might not need a degree to get a job at these big companies. Here’s why they’ve opted for an unconventional approach to hiring.
Last year, the massive multinational accounting firm, Ernst & Young, announced that they were removing academic qualifications from their entry criteria.
South African students who have been chasing down a degree at universities were probably confused. They were no doubt hoping their hard work would improve their job opportunities.
While the likelihood of those students finding employment still remains positive, it might not be enough anymore.
The company has noted that academic performance is still an important factor when deciding on candidates.
They , however, added that they’ve found no evidence to conclude that people who achieved success in higher education were guaranteed to achieve the same success in the workplace. Instead, research shows that there are positive links between certain strengths and future success.
You’ve either got it or you don’t. So, they’ve opted to pick applicants based on a system of online assessments and numerical tests.
Now, other top SA companies are following suit.
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Why the Change?
How students are being taught has now become more important than what they are being taught. Business leaders are frequently saying that jobs are available, but there’s a lack of skilled talent to do them. There are two commonly cited explanations for this.- Capital and infrastructure constraints have had a negative impact on the range and quality of skills students graduate with.
- The detachments between what universities teach us. The skills that are actually required in the market aren't being acknowledged.
- Students must be able to reflect on what they are learning, which helps them assess what they know and what they don’t.
- Active Participation. True learning happens when students stop being passive recipients of information and become active experimenters.
- Learning happens when students apply new concepts or skills. Learn by doing.
“To produce graduates with the appropriate skills and ways of thinking, they will have to change the way they see, design and assess learning,” said the duo. Who are the most attractive employers in South Africa? Here is the list
No Degree? No Worries
E&Y is just one of many companies that are offering well-paying jobs to applicants with non-traditional education. By transforming their recruitment policy, they intend to create an even, fair playing field for all candidates. Every applicant, therefore, is given the opportunity to prove their aptitude. The actual requirements they’re looking for may differ, depending on the specific job. Academic qualifications have by no means been rendered redundant, though. So, of course, having a degree will certainly help you, but these companies have committed to looking at other talents beyond academics when deciding on candidates. They include huge international companies such as:- Previously mentioned Ernst & Young;
- Penguin Random House Publishers;
- Hilton Hotels;
- Apple;
- Google;
- Starbucks;
- IBM, and;
- Nordstrom.