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Skills, experience more valued than degrees: Survey

posted on August 25, 2014

Canadian HR Reporter | Link to Article

Fifty-one per cent of Canadian CIOs said they prioritize skills and experience over college degrees when making hiring decisions, according to a survey by Robert Half Technology.

Canadian HR Reporter | Link to Article

Fifty-one per cent of Canadian CIOs said they prioritize skills and experience over college degrees when making hiring decisions, according to a survey by Robert Half Technology.

Another 32 per cent said they place a little weight on the prestige of a job applicant’s university when evaluating job applicants; only 10 per cent are heavily influenced by an impressive alma mater, found the survey of more than 270 CIOs.

“When evaluating a candidate for an IT position, what value do you place on the prestige of their college or university?”

  • I place a little weight on university prestige – 32%
  • I place a lot of weight on university prestige – 10%
  • University prestige doesn’t matter to me – 6%
  • I place more weight on skills and experience than college or university education – 51%

“When recruiting top talent, IT employers prioritize a candidate’s ability to demonstrate the practical application of skills over education,” said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of Robert Half Technology. “Although a quality education establishes a foundation, applicants who have real-world IT experience are better able to transition into a role with less ramp-up time.”

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