Should You Expand Your Candidate Searches Beyond College Graduates?

Aside from being technology icons, what do Apple, Google and IBM have in common? They are among the growing number of businesses that no longer require a four-year college degree for many of their jobs.

At the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board Meeting held at the White House last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook made an interesting point: “Our company, as you know, was founded by a college dropout. So we’ve never really thought that a college degree was the thing that you had to have to do well. We’ve always tried to expand our horizons.”

About half of Apple’s U.S. employment now includes individuals who do not have a four-year degree, Cook added. “And we’re very proud of that, but we want to go further.”

So how does this trend in the technology sector translate for you, the small business owner?

A Move to Skills-Based Hiring

Among the most popular white-collar jobs that require no degree are marketing representatives, mechanical designers, and electronic technicians. This reflects a move toward what’s referred to as skills-based hiring, as opposed to the education-based hiring model that companies have tended to use in the past.

So, why are so many businesses no longer requiring a college degree for many of their white-collar jobs?

Perhaps the biggest reason is the fact that taking a skills-based hiring approach often increases the chances that businesses hire candidates who can perform the job, as opposed to candidates who might look good on paper but have no demonstrable ability to actually do the work they’ve been hired for.

Instead of making hires based solely on whether candidates have a piece of parchment with the name of a university on it, these employers are taking a hard look at how qualified candidates are to fulfill the tasks required. Often, the best indicator of this is a candidate’s real-world experience, not the level of education he or she has attained.

Offering jobs that require no degree can also broaden the universe of candidates you have to choose from to fill open positions. With the rising cost of college tuition and soaring levels of student loan debt, many young people are deciding to opt out of college and go right to work after high school, gaining valuable real-world experience. A number of them are just as qualified for some white-collar jobs, if not more qualified, than college graduates.

More Benefits of Not Requiring a Degree

Widening your candidate search to non-college graduates can also help you broaden diversity in the workplace. Increasing workplace diversity has become a high priority for many businesses today, especially large public companies that are accountable to shareholders and closely scrutinized by the investing public.

Hiring the right candidates the first time — regardless of whether or not they have a college degree — helps reduce turnover and keep your hiring costs down. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the average cost of employee turnover is between six and nine months of an employee’s salary. So replacing a white-collar employee earning $50,000 per year could cost your business between $25,000 and $37,500 — money that could be saved if you hire a qualified non-degree employee who doesn’t turn over.

All too often, job requisitions will say they require a four-year degree, when in fact there’s nothing about the job that truly requires a four-year degree.

The CEO of Siemens USA Barbara Humpton, who also participated in the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board Meeting, added: “All too often, job requisitions will say they require a four-year degree, when in fact there’s nothing about the job that truly requires a four-year degree. It merely helped our hiring managers sort of weed through the crowd and get a smaller qualified candidate group.”

Instead of stating degree requirements in job postings, consider specifying professional skills or experience levels needed to perform the job. This can be just as effective in narrowing down qualified candidates as requiring a college degree.

Top 10 No-Degree-Required Jobs

CNBC performed an analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to find out which jobs pay the most money without a college education. Each job pays an annual salary of more than $79,000, which is more than double the average annual salary of an individual with a high school diploma. Here are the 10 highest-paying jobs that require no degree:

Transportation, storage and distribution manager — While the only educational requirement for this job is a high school diploma, it does usually require at least five years of hands-on experience in a similar field. The median annual salary is $94,730 and the BLS projects annual job growth of 7 percent between now and 2026.
Nuclear power plant reactor operator — These employees must pass a license exam administered by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The median annual salary is $94,350 and the BLS projects annual job growth of -10 percent between now and 2026.
Police and detective first-line supervisor — These are primarily law enforcement professionals who have worked their way up to patrol sergeants, police captains and police sergeants. The median annual salary is $89,030 and the BLS projects annual job growth of 7 percent between now and 2026.
Power plant distributor and dispatcher — Candidates for this job may need a certification through the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s System Operator Certification Program. The median annual salary is $86,410 and the BLS projects annual job growth of -3 percent between now and 2026.
Commercial pilot — All that’s usually required for this job is a commercial pilot’s license and high school diploma. The median annual salary is $82,240 and the BLS projects annual job growth of 4 percent between now and 2026.
Detective and criminal investigator — Some college coursework may be required for this job, though not a college diploma. The median annual salary is $81,920 and the BLS projects annual job growth of 5 percent between now and 2026.
Powerhouse, substation, and relay electrical and electronics repair specialist — This job usually requires that applicants take electronics courses at a technical school or community college. The median annual salary is $80,200 and the BLS projects annual job growth of 4 percent between now and 2026.
Elevator installation and repair specialist — This job requires a four-year apprenticeship program, ongoing training and licensing in most states. The median annual salary is $79,780 and the BLS projects annual job growth of 12 percent between now and 2026.
Power plant operator — Like the power plant distributor and dispatcher, this job may require a certification through the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s System Operator Certification Program. The median annual salary is $79,610 and the BLS projects annual job growth of 1 percent between now and 2026.
Media and communications equipment worker — This job is in high demand in the film industry and pays a median annual salary of $79,580. The BLS projects annual job growth of 8 percent between now and 2026.

Is a Degree Really Required?

Before creating a job description for the next position you need to fill, think about whether or not a college degree is really required. Broadening your candidate search beyond college graduates could result in benefits to your business — and to the person you ultimately hire for the job.

Small Business