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Why a Top Tech Company No Longer Requires University Degrees

The simple answer is this; organizations are only interested in what candidates have to offer, degree or not. If candidate ‘A’ without a degree can offer more value to an employer, over degree holding candidate ‘B’, candidate A becomes the obvious choice. To expand further, there is an increasing mix-match between academic education and market needs.

Companies begin to lay less emphasis on university degrees because they have identified skills that are more important in the workplace. If candidates have these important skills, they can learn on the job and deliver a great job.

A Tech Talent Shortage Has Employers Rethinking Their Priorities 

By now, you have surely heard about the industry-wide demand for tech talent. Indeed, there are simply not enough skilled workers to meet demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is forecasting the employment of computer and information technology professionals to grow by 13% by 2030 – faster than the average for all occupations. Meanwhile, a recent report from G2 Crowd found that 80.8% of employers reported that it’s more difficult to fill positions now compared to 2015, while 51% said that the difficulty is owed to a lack of talent.

With a glaring shortage of talent in tech, it would be self-defeating for companies to exclude so many skilled workers because they don’t have a credential that might not even be relevant to their job.

A Passion for Personal Development at a Top Tech Company

It’s not just the hard skills acquired in certificate programs that appeal to employers. Increasingly, companies are putting a premium on the intangibles associated with continued education. A research report found that employers are placing an increasing emphasis on finding employees with a “mindset for growth.” In other words, that means people who – among other things – have an “orientation toward lifelong learning.” 

Job seekers need to possess basic technical skills, adaptability, and mindsets for growth that empower them. Mindsets for growth enable workers to respond to the constantly changing forces in this new economy.

Making the Shift 

In making the switch to a more skills-based hiring approach, employers are considering both short- and long-term strategies. Employers can encourage more skilled candidates to apply if they make changes, even subtle ones, in the job descriptions they post. 

For instance, LinkedIn has data that shows that U.S. job posts that mention ‘responsibilities’ without mentioning ‘requirements’ received 14% more applications per view than those jobs that prioritize ‘requirements.’ Doing this flips the script and encourages applicants who believe they can deliver the results the employer wants, as opposed to just fitting a set of requirements an employer thinks the prospective employee might need.

Win the Tech Talent Search Competition Today

For top tech companies, getting tech talent is challenging. To stand out, introduce apprenticeship programs in your company and make the atmosphere appealing to employees. Don’t forget to invest in modern hiring tools and offer your team attractive perks. 

Are you a tech company struggling to recruit top tech talent? WOZ Enterprise apprenticeship could be all you need to put your business on track. Contact us today to discuss options for building an apprenticeship, a train-to-hire, or a direct hire program.