On Tap from the Pub

On Tap from t he Pub

By Tom Field

Executive Summary: College should not just be an expensive wristband for admission to the festival of job interviews. Jack, the unqualified

Reasons why we can’t hire Jack:

• He doesn’t have a college degree. (And HR has a mile high stack or resumes of individuals who DO have their degrees. Number one, they’ve paid their dues, shown they can complete a goal. Number two, it’s our company position to prequalify the best pool.) • There might be other reasons; but with no degree, there’s no need to interview.

Reasons why we can hire Jack:

• He shows competency in the skills we need. • He’s willing to learn, train and adopt our processes (which even a college graduate doesn’t know yet). • He’ll attend college or other training programs after hours if it helps our business. • He’s demonstrated a passion and commitment to our industry and will likely advance in it. • He shares good ideas, thinks independently, exercises reason. • He’s a living example of our belief in the individual, not the paperwork. • He’s likeable, reliable, honest, upstanding. • He wears nice shoes.

Maybe the last qualification isn’t required. But you’re as likely to get a great employee from someone with nice footwear as you are from someone who just has a college degree.

Did you know it is not up to—nor was it ever up to—the education system to determine the necessity and value of a college education? When we point at higher education as the culprit for issues like exorbitant costs and mounting high pressing student debt, we’re pointing in the wrong direction. Colleges and universities may fail at matching programs to our labor market, but the rising costs and necessity for employment only happens by the permission of one entity: the job market.

Yes, college is valuable. Today, it’s often necessary to even enter many professions and vocations. Some programs are incredibly worthwhile. But there are overwhelming examples of folks in the workplace who could be in the same position whether they “served” those four years or not. Let’s be honest. You and I know them… if we are not one of them. Have you been hoodwinked on the precise value and necessity of that $100,000 degree (typical four year public institution cost today) demanded from your job applicants?

If so, it’s possible you don’t know Jack.