Survey Shows Hiring Managers Believe These 2 Things Are More Valuable In Job Candidates Than A Degree
It turns out that a college degree isn't everything.
insta_photos | Shutterstock Recently, there has been much debate regarding the importance of college degrees. With the outrageous cost of higher education and the ever-evolving job market, many people are questioning whether receiving a college education is as necessary as it once was. And according to a new survey, even hiring managers are prioritizing certain skills over degrees.
A new survey found that hiring managers believe 2 things are more valuable in job candidates than a degree.
In May 2024, ResumeTemplates surveyed 1,000 hiring managers in the U.S to understand how valuable college degrees are in today’s job market. They learned that 1 in 4 companies will soon stop requiring a bachelor’s degree for some roles.
Relatedly, 42% of the hiring managers surveyed said that Gen Zers should develop work experience and focus on practical skills, rather than earning a bachelor’s degree. "When choosing between a Gen Z candidate with strong soft skills but no degree and one with a weak degree but weak soft skills, 53% prefer the candidate without a degree," ResumeTemplates reported. "Just 24% choose the degree-holder, and 23% say both are equally strong."
Specifically, hiring managers want younger candidates with soft skills and AI experience.
Investopedia’s Will Kenton defined soft skills as "character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s ability to interact effectively with others." Some examples are communication skills, the ability to work well with others, troubleshooting, and emotional intelligence.
As for artificial intelligence, 35% of the hiring managers said that developing AI skills was more important than getting a college degree, while 27% were neutral, and 28% disagreed. In a world in which AI tools are becoming increasingly popular, it’s unsurprising that workplaces would want candidates to be skilled in this innovation.
This could be welcome news for those who are wary of investing in college. The Education Data Initiative estimated that college, with everything it entails, like supplies and housing, costs about $38,270 per year. As the economy worsens, some Gen Zers will surely find hope in the fact that many hiring managers are looking beyond college degrees when they see a resume.
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The results were quite different for Gen X job candidates, however.
For Gen Xers, the focus was not on soft skills or AI ability. Instead, hiring managers looked carefully at company culture. "When asked to choose between a Gen X candidate without a degree who fits the company culture and one with a degree who doesn’t, 79% choose the candidate who fits the culture," ResumeTemplates said. "Only 11% prefer the degree-holder, and 10% say both are equally strong."
You might assume that AI skills could set Gen Xers apart; however, that isn’t the case. For Gen X job candidates, 51% of hiring managers preferred a candidate who had a degree but no experience with AI, compared to 28% who would pick a Gen X candidate who had no degree but ample AI skills. Just over 20% felt that the two were roughly equivalent.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
