Written by John Angelo B. Liwanag
Pubmat by Jenina Marie V. Vergara
Ever since we were young, our parents had always imprinted in our minds that we need to have a high educational background in order to have a good and stable job and, consequently, to achieve the status of being financially stable. This belief has been engraved in the students' minds that they misinterpreted that educational background alone can be a basis for recruitment and selection. Before proceeding further to the article, Let us first know the definition of Recruitment. It has been defined as the process in which recruiters identify, attract prospective employees, and interview and screen them. Recruitment is vital in any organization since the employees are the backbone of any company, no matter the size of the company. This is the main reason this process should be taken seriously, and recruiters should look at other factors in recruiting a future staff member, not just their educational background.
Still, having an excellent educational background is a good indicator for recruiters to know that an applicant is diligent and can excel in future tasks given to them. In some circumstances, talent acquisition specialists look for applicants with an excellent academic background since it is necessary for managerial positions up to top management posts. For freshly graduated applicants, having a degree can also manifest to a recruiter that the future employee already possesses the ample skill and technical knowledge needed for the position with minimal training to prepare the applicant for the job. However, the academic background cannot be the only basis for recruitment because, as mentioned earlier, there are other factors that are needed to be considered in this process.
Knowledge, skills, and abilities should be the most important factors in the recruitment process. Certain benefits can be derived from using this approach; it can be useful in attracting and finding the right and eligible candidates that are required for the job. It can also ensure that those who will be recruited and hired are competent for the position and will become an asset to the company. Lastly, it can be an effective training tool to nurture and improve the skills of the existing employees.
There is a popular approach in recruitment that is widely used today. This method is called skill-based hiring. In this design, future candidates are being attracted and screened based solely on their skills and abilities— rather than their educational background. This approach has been created since many talent acquisition specialists have observed that some degree holders lack the skills that are essential to meet the job description. Looking at their skills can also help candidates who don’t have the privilege of attaining a high educational background. In return, this can expand the talent pool of candidates, making it easy to attract and find the right candidate needed for the position. Rather than focusing on a candidate’s educational background or skills or vice versa, there should be a perfect balance between these two perspectives to ensure that future applicants are competent for the position.
Aside from the knowledge, skills, and abilities of an individual, talent acquisition specialists should also look at whether the future candidates' attitudes and goals fit the organization, in general, to ensure that not only they are the right candidate that is suitable for the position, but they are also suitable for the company. Hence, they can be a worthy asset. By all means, a candidate’s KSA is still the top basis for recruitment; however, these are still the other factors that are needed to be considered in the recruitment process.
In conclusion, talent acquisition specialists should not have biases about candidates' educational backgrounds. They should always be objective. Hence their rationale for recruitment is still their KSA. They should remove this prejudice since the recruitment process is a delicate operation that can heavily impact an organization if they do not discard this belief that educational background can entirely be a basis for recruitment. Then their actions and decisions can put a heavy toll on the company.
References:
Credly Team. (n.d). Skills-Based Hiring: Why It's Important and Why Verifiable Skills Are Key. Retrieved from:
Hamilton, J. (2021, May 11). Evaluating education in recruiting. Retrieved from: https://recruitee.com/articles/education-in-recruiting
Indeed for employers. (n.d). What is KSA? (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Model). Retrieved from: https://www.indeed.com/recruitment/c/info/what-is-ksa
Smart Recruiters. (n.d) Recruitment Hiring Success Glossary. Retrieved from: https://www.smartrecruiters.com/resources/glossary/recruitment/
Mueller, A. (2022, October 17). Education vs. Experience: Which One Gets the Job?. Retrieved from:https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0511/work-experience-vs.-education-which-lands-you-the-best-job.aspx
