A growing number of firms are realizing that graduates don’t always make the best hires and that alternative routes to training can be just as equitable.
One survey by recruitment firm Hays conducted in August 2023 found that 45% of more than 13,000 employers across 21 industries, from accounting to procurement to tech, don’t believe a university education to be important to a job application. Just 39% said that a degree is “quite important but not essential” and one in six (16%) said that they wouldn’t consider a job application without one.
Furthermore, three quarters (73%) indicated a preference to hire based on a candidate’s willingness to learn rather than their existing skillset. Four in five (80%) would rather hire a candidate who is underqualified so that there’s room for professional growth, compared to 73% last year.
Despite the shift in attitude, there are still plenty of employers that will be hesitant about taking on new hires that haven’t gone down the traditional route of university
Three non-graduates who have built successful careers in the tech industry speak to ITPro to discuss the experience they gained elsewhere and explain why businesses shouldn’t be reluctant to take on non-graduate employees.
Non-graduates can bring innovative ideas and practical experience
Kevin Fitzgerald is UK managing director at people management software provider Employment Hero. He left school at 16 without qualifications and, after an apprenticeship at an accounting firm, later moved into tech recruiting. Before landing in his current role, he spent four years helping to build Xero Asia as the accounting software’s regional managing director based out of Singapore.
“University never really appealed to me,” he tells ITPro. “If my [accountancy apprentice] boss hadn’t taken a punt on me, I don’t know where I’d be – not leading the UK market at a tech unicorn, that’s for sure.”
Fitzgerald explains that if you want to build a successful business, you’ll need a range of hires. “There’s no point hiring five people with the same background and experience because you’ll soon face challenges that require different perspectives to solve,” says Fitzgerald. His focus at Employment Hero is to bring in people who get the company’s mission and “have innovative ideas” that aren’t taught at university and “the practical experience that can make a quicker impact in a high-speed environment”.
He adds: “We encourage our team to continually test and upgrade their skills through self learning and creative problem solving. Invest in your own growth, don’t wait for others to serve it to you.”
Non-graduates have a curiosity and willingness to learn
Kieran Cornwall is principal consultant for Alliances and Partnerships at PA Consulting. Soon after starting his A-levels, he realized that the academic route wasn’t for him and went on to work various jobs, including five years in data entry positions, before eventually breaking into the tech industry through software testing roles. He has found that being flexible and adaptable is key to having a successful career in the industry.
“What’s more valuable than a degree is a commitment to lifelong learning and adaptability,” Cornwall tells ITPro. “The tech industry thrives on these qualities – and they can be learned outside of traditional education. Skills like problem-solving, self-management, and critical thinking are developed through practical experience.
“In my own journey, I’ve discovered that passion, curiosity, and a willingness to learn are far more important than a degree.”
Smaller companies usually offer a better environment for non-graduates to learn and develop. “They allow employees to take on a whole host of responsibilities and gain exposure to different areas of the business,” adds Cornwall.
Non-graduates can help address the industry’s diversity problem
Anton Roe is CEO of MHR. He joined the HR and payroll software provider in the late 1990s as an apprentice and has gradually risen the ranks, taking the helm in 2017.
“Different pathways into the working world offer different skills,” he says. “While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to hiring talent, it’s critical for business leaders to understand that it isn’t just a degree that can provide the skills needed to make it to a senior position. The reason I hold the position I do today is because I spent two decades working across and learning every part of the business, being supported by great people, and taking the opportunities when presented with them.”
Roe stresses that while he doesn’t advocate for the removal of degree requirements – saying “there will always be certain jobs that require them” – he believes it’s important that the tech industry improves its talent management and retention practices to adopt a skills-first approach. Business leaders should be working with HR departments and recruitment teams to ensure the right hiring processes are in place and that candidates aren’t being overlooked simply because they didn’t go to university.
“As an industry, broadening where we hire from will bring substantial benefits. It will remove a huge barrier to entry and significantly improve the sector’s diversity and equality. A tech industry which better represents society can only be a good thing.”
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