Read Me Before College

To employers

Let's say you own a business, or you're responsible for highering people. Your role in improving the state of education is pivotal. In fact, one of the largest problems with higher education today is the belief that education and occupation are actually two different things. Employers have the unique opportunity to correct this misconception and help people go from needing skills to exercising them. No one can say what skills employers want most more than employers themselves. So, how can employers best modify their hiring and business practices to remedy the current education-to-workforce dysfunction?

1. Recognize that there are no shortcuts

Unfortunately, there is no number, no test, no credential or certificate that can quickly bring you the best candidates. There are always ways to artificially boost your rating in whatever system, be it college, standardized tests, or anything else. Ultimately, these things don't really tell you, as an employer, who will be the best person to hire for your company. Instead, they are just shortcuts to achieve smaller applicant pools, and they don't serve your business in the end. So, what should be done instead?

2. Invest in people

In reality, the best way to learn something is through hands-on experience. Even for people who gravitate toward traditional education styles, when it comes to doing a thing, there's no replacement for experience. Therefore, it would benefit employers to abide by what is now a kind of cliché: invest in your people. Take the people at the bottom of your company and grow them internally. Appreciate their knowledge of your company's processes and fuel their growth, instead of staking their worth on what letters come after their name. Examine whether or not applicants really need whatever degree or credential to do the job, and invest in infrastructure that will prepare your employees to meet the company's long term challenges. Training up your employees like this reduces turnover and increases satisfaction. It's great, but it's hard. This requires a level of investment and commitment that is difficult to scale. But, while we maintain the delusion that degrees are a shortcut to the best people, we will ignore these better methods of job training. Many successful businesses today, prioritize on-the-job training and internal promotion, but not to the degree that is necessary. It's a monumental challenge, but in the end, it will help businesses and their employees grow and be more productive.  

But, sometimes you really need a position to be filled right away and lack sufficient time to train someone internally. And, there is also the question of how to choose an entry-level candidate. In these instances, what should employers do?

3. Prioritize the interview

Employers are generally savvy. They know that a degree isn't everything, and most already value work experience above all else. That's what they should do. Additionally, employers lean on their connections to find people in whom they feel a greater degree of trust. Unfortunately, for the young, inexperienced applicant without connections, these metrics will exclude them every time. So again, I advocate adherence to old clichés:  look for a person who is a good fit for your company, and look for a person who is teachable. These traits don't show up on a person's resume per se, but you can find them in the interview. Ask questions that will reveal the applicant's attitudes toward the company's mission and culture. Determine if the candidate is willing to learn and is likely to flourish in the company's environment. I know many employers feel like there are so many candidates that they can afford to be choosy and demand high attainments in education, specific work experience, and assimilation into company culture and practices. But, employers do have priorities. If you exclude every applicant without a degree or the relevant experience right off the bat, you're not prioritizing the applicant's values and teachability. Valuing those things above the quick number checks (degree; GPA; 5+ yrs experience) is harder and more time consuming, but I believe it will lead to employees who will work harder, better, and longer for your company.

4. Engage in volunteerism

I believe every business should have some philanthropic branch that provides a charitable service to the community. In so doing, employers find another opportunity to meet enthusiastic young people and test their potential as future employees through volunteerism. Imagine if, in order to work for an IT company, you had to first volunteer at one of their local charitable outlets, teaching senior citizens how to interact with technology. Or, what if before qualifying to work on the line at one of your city's best restaurants, you must first volunteer at their Saturday soup kitchen? How great would this be for our cities and towns? Businesses could gain goodwill in the community and grow individuals to be ready and qualified to work at their company. Efforts such as these would obviously take time and investment, but in examining the return, I find it to be very worthwhile.