While GPAs and alma maters have long been used to filter potential job candidates, meta-analysis after meta-analysis has found no evidence of college success as a predictor of career achievement. As a result of this lack of evidence in their own internal research, UK-based accountancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) has removed the requirement of the 2:1 degree (a rough equivalent of a 3.2 GPA) for candidates to apply to a position. EY hopes that changing this hiring practice will extend their reach to more talented individuals.
Though they still take account academic performance, they won’t be using it as a strict cut-off, according to Maggie Stilwell, EY’s managing partner for talent. This was, in Stilwell’s words, “too blunt an approach to recruitment.” They will be using online assessments to judge the potential of candidates.
If your organization uses college performance as part of its recruiting process, it may be worth rethinking how your organization hires and evaluates job candidates—otherwise, you might be missing out on top talent.
How does your organization evaluate job candidates? Let us know in the comments. If you’d like more tips on hiring, see how Google conducts structured interviews.