Would You Hire Someone Who Didn’t Go to College?

Why you should consider hiring people without degrees

You should never feel pushed into hiring someone who doesn’t have the proper qualifications for the role. However, there are many reasons to consider hiring someone even if they don’t have a college degree.

Real-world experience is valid experience.

Cesar Cruz, a fashion designer and co-founder of Sebastian Cruz Couture, said professionals can gain valuable experience in the workforce without a college degree.

“For example, a professional who has worked their way up into managerial and lead roles will have more hands-on experience and will probably fare better in a similar role in a large company than a fresh graduate,” Cruz said. “That’s why it’s always best to evaluate candidates on a case-by-case basis and not judge purely on education requirements.”

Indeed, experience is often more important than college for many roles, said Kyle Clements, founder and CEO of Quipli, an equipment rental software company.

“College can be an incredibly enriching experience, but with the barrier to entry so high and with so many alternatives out there, it’s just no longer necessary,” Clements said. “What’s more important is the candidate’s previous job experience and how they’ve spent their professional life.” 

Skills can be learned on the job.

Patricia Roberts, chief operating officer at Gift of College, said businesses should consider hiring individuals without a degree if the skills needed can be mastered on the job or acquired outside the classroom.

“There are many qualified individuals who have not had the opportunity or inclination to pursue or complete formal post-secondary education because of cost, access or other circumstances,” Roberts said. “Oftentimes, the skills that are needed for certain roles can be developed on the job, and employers should keep an open mind with respect to candidates lacking formal post-secondary education and recognize the value they can bring.” 

Opening up the candidate pool brings diversity.

Applicants without a college degree can add value and talent to your company by contributing skills they’ve acquired in unique ways. In addition, broadening your candidate pool to applicants without a degree can help with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Roberts noted.

“The more diverse minds at the table, the better for business,” Roberts said. “Those lacking credentials typically sought may appreciate being able to pursue education while on the job. Helping employees to pursue or complete various forms of higher education can lead to more engaged and loyal employees — which can lower the cost of turnover and improve workplace culture.”

You gain a fresh perspective.

People who don’t possess a college degree sometimes bring new perspectives and ideas to a business. All graduates may approach a problem the same way because they were taught the same way. 

In contrast, a nongraduate may use their critical thinking skills to take a completely different route that leads to a more creative and effective outcome. That innovation may make your business more agile.

It encourages employee engagement.

Nongraduates are often grateful for the chance you’ve given them, leading them to adopt a great work ethic and motivation to rise to the challenges you’ve set. Better still, their enthusiasm may spread to their co-workers, thus creating a happier work environment.

Hiring nongrads sends an important message to your other team members about diversity and fairness. It may encourage other staff to skill up because they work for a company that rewards employees’ efforts.

What to do when you’re hiring someone who didn’t go to college

If you decide to hire someone without a college degree, these best practices can help you select a candidate who’s a good fit for both the role and your company.

Find someone with the right skills, experience and attitude.

When you’re filling a position, it’s important to find someone with the right skills and attitude, regardless of whether they have a college degree. The most important factors to consider are whether the job seeker is a good cultural fit and whether they have the right skills for that job, according to career expert Vicki Salemi.

Although a college degree is helpful and important, hands-on experience is typically more valuable, Salemi said. “If a candidate earned a degree in one area but doesn’t have any work or internship experience, and another candidate didn’t earn a degree but has worked in the type of role they are interviewing for, a company may be more inclined to go with the latter,” she said.

Dana Case, director of operations at MyCorporation, agreed that if an applicant has the right skills, experience and knowledge, it doesn’t matter if they have a degree. “Yes, a college degree proves that a candidate is committed and has a well-rounded education, but that should not trump or invalidate their professional experience if they didn’t receive a diploma from an educational institution,” she said.

Look for soft skills, and check references. 

When you’re interviewing candidates, it’s important to get a full picture of who they are, including their soft skills and performance in previous jobs.

“For candidates who don’t have a college degree and need to prove themselves to employers, it’s important to highlight their teamwork, communication skills, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, work ethic and flexibility/adaptability,” Salemi said.

Josh Rubin, owner of PPC Pilots, said not all of the employees he’s hired have degrees related to their jobs. When he’s choosing employees, the most important factor for him is their character.

“If you’re looking to hire someone who did not attend college, talk to their previous employers and get a sense of what they’re like to work with,” Rubin said. 

He also recommended not limiting hires based on what they studied in college. “Find out a candidate’s long-term goals and what they want to do in the future, and hire based on that,” Rubin said.

Pay employees the same, regardless of their degrees.

If you decide to hire an employee without a degree, pay them the same as candidates who did go to college.

“They are not less valuable, nor worth less than someone who did [graduate from college],” Salemi said. “When a candidate is the right fit for a company and its needs, they should be paid equally, not based on degree or which school they did or did not attend.”

James De Roche, managing partner at Lead Comet, said his company bases salaries on potential team members’ abilities and the value they can provide for the client and the organization. [Read related: How the Best Companies Develop Better Employees]

“Degrees do not influence this process,” he said. “Can the candidate think independently? Do they take initiative? Do they care about the success of the client? Do they think outside of the box? These are the kinds of people we want on our team.”

Five companies that don’t require college degrees

If you’re thinking about implementing a no-degree-necessary hiring process at your company, look to these famous companies for inspiration. Here are five household names that hire people without college degrees and what they require instead.

• IBM: IBM trains people all over the world to work for the company, regardless of whether they have a college education. By providing training for the skills necessary to do the job, IBM makes it less important to have a formal college education. IBM is proof that the necessary skills can be learned on the job or with proper training.
• Google: Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin dropped out of college and still built one of the world’s most successful companies. Therefore, they prioritize hiring people with the right skills over a college degree. 
• Tesla: Elon Musk announced that college degrees would no longer be needed for most positions at Tesla and that even the roles that do require a specific degree could sometimes be substituted with exceptional previous experience. 
• Apple: Some roles at this tech giant do not require a college degree. CEO Tim Cook said in 2019 that the skills learned in college don’t always translate to the working world, especially when it comes to coding. 
• Penguin Random House: This big-time publisher proves that tech jobs aren’t the only roles you can snag without a college degree. In fact, Penguin Random House eliminated its higher-education requirements before many tech companies did. 

Mark Fairlie contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version.