“Historically here, there’s been a tremendous amount of weight that’s been given to four-year university degrees and not nearly enough weight in my opinion is given to vocational training facilities and vocational training certifications.”

Jeffrey Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn Corp.

Does your organization require all job applicants to have a Bachelor’s degree in order to be considered for a vacant position? Will an applicant be considered without a degree if they have extensive experience and a successful track record in a similar role? How much weight do you personally (as a hiring manager) put on a candidate’s educational background?

These are all questions that we ask our clients regularly when working on recruitment and executive search projects. And although a college education is not something to scoff at, it is not always the very best indicator of success in every single job role. As the CEO of LinkedIn stated, when more weight is given to the educational background versus the training in a particular field, there may be a problem with future success in the job itself. Knowing someone performed well in an institution of higher education can give employers a clue as to whether or not those employees will be successful in taking direction, completing tasks on deadline, communicating effectively, and working cooperatively with a team. But, it may not give the employer clear insight as to whether specific tasks can be performed up to standards within the organization.

So how should employers reconcile these two pieces of the pie? We all want a well-rounded individual who can come in and own the role and take innovative approaches to thrive and bring new ideas and accomplishment to the team. According to Jeffrey Weiner, “We would do much better if we stopped ensuring that everyone had to have a four-year degree to get certain types of jobs and started being open to the fact that there’s a much broader array of talents and skills and perspectives and experiences that people can be successful.” I actually agree with this statement, although I myself have a graduate degree which I value very much.

A few solutions, which LinkedIn has already tapped into, is to offer certain courses and certifications to job seekers who are looking to improve their skills in business, basic administrative duties, accounting, social media, and much more. There is so much technology available to job seekers and employees alike that learning how to perform a specific job at a vocational facility might be of more value than knowing how to write a critical essay on postwar American authors of the eighteenth century. Then again, knowing how to tackle a project, take ownership of a new job, and succeeding with challenges and obstacles is also a great tool that employers are looking for in new hires.

Personally, I think there is a certain amount of value that should be placed on both an education and experience. It is up to the hiring manager to figure out what is most important for each specific job, and to build their job specs on that philosophy. Every employer is going to do things a bit differently based on each organization and the roles within the company, but it is critical for each hiring manager within the organization to have a game plan and to make sure it is in line with the company culture and overall organizational goals.