IBM exec says half of open job roles don't require four-year college degree

Fortune

IBM Chief Impact Officer Justina Nixon-Saintil explains the company's hiring approach, which prioritizes experience, skills, and outcomes over solely relying on college degrees.

Transcript

00:0050% of our job roles do not require a four-year degree and as you move

00:06higher up of course in the ranks at a company no one is actually asking if you

00:11have a four-year degree they start looking at your experience they start

00:14looking at whether you're a lifelong learner you know problem solving so many

00:18other types of skills that they're looking for and your results right what

00:22you've done so I as you move up in the company I don't think that makes a

00:26difference definitely for entry-level you know opportunities we work with

00:31community colleges as well because IBM is looking for very specific skill sets so

00:36it may not be that you need a four-year degree but they may be looking at

00:39whether you have a cyber certificate an AI certificate are there some specific

00:43skills that you're getting along the way and as I mentioned are have you been a

00:47part of an apprenticeship apprenticeship program so I think those are the basic

00:51things that we look at even when I interview today we're not really looking

00:56at the four-year degree we're asking very specific questions about behaviors

00:59and skill sets right hard skills power skills you know however you want to look

01:04at them and those actually are the ones that tend to rise to the top

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