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Do All Your Employees Need College Degrees?

Brian Neese

February 13, 2014

It is hard to overstate the importance of a college education. 

In a number of career paths, it is a simple necessity. Yet, as a manager or small business owner, it is not always an easy question as you ponder whether all of your employees need college degrees.

Follow along as we look at how to gauge must-haves for a position.

Exceptions to the Rule

When looking at a candidate, education is undoubtedly a major factor in the person's ability to perform a job.  It may be number one or two on your list of assets to the position.

Certain roles simply don't require a college degree. 

Secretarial positions are one example of this, where employers are much more likely to look at experience and relevant skills.  In some fields, such as online marketing, degrees can't even keep up with the rapid state of social media and search engines - making a relevant college degree a bit irrelevant in these types of cases.

It's also tough to argue against experience. 

Some employees have taken advantage of opportunities to learn their industry while on-the-job, which can replace traditional education with such valuable experience.  From professional experience to quality internships, there are many who learn a great deal without a traditional college degree. 

A number of students are wondering how important is a college degree in 2014 - and choosing this route to avoid sizable debt.

Unless a job is inseparable to the college degree that is explicitly required, there will always be exceptions that are worth considering.

Finding the Complete Employee

On the outside, many people may mistakenly think that hiring new employees is simple.  After all, you can simply weigh education, experience, and talent - and simply pick the best candidate, right?

It's not so simple. 

In any given workplace environment, there are several industries that require a special approach when hiring a valuable employee.  After all, your approach to hiring a secretary, marketing specialist, and accountant surely wouldn't be the same!  There are important attributes in each case that must be balanced.

When valuing a college education, it is vital here to recognize where it falls on the totem pole. 

You must also realize how important the intangibles are for the secretary, the ability for the marketing specialist to conceptualize and work on his or her own, and the accountant to stay organized. 

All of this involves education, experience, and talent - but also brings in the intangibles, work ethic, and even style-based items to the picture.

Don't forget to include these areas when you look at new employees. 

Through the interview process, references, and other tactics, you can gain important insight that goes well beyond the black-and-white on a resume.

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