Hi All,
I needed your views on a matter. Actually, the thing is that I am the only person in my organization looking after the recruitments for the whole organization on a PAN India basis. However, the main issue is that I am quite upset with the views of my management. According to them, education weighs more than experience. It doesn't matter whether the person has numerous years of experience; the main thing is that he should be from a B School.
Another thing is that they are very particular about degrees and diplomas. They only want degree holders. According to them, a diploma doesn't carry any weight against a degree. They reject candidates just because they have diplomas.
In my opinion, education does matter until the mid-career level, but after that, experience speaks. Secondly, a diploma provides more technical exposure while a degree focuses on theoretical concepts.
My question is: do you guys really feel that education carries more weightage than experience?
From India, New Delhi
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1I needed your views on a matter. Actually, the thing is that I am the only person in my organization looking after the recruitments for the whole organization on a PAN India basis. However, the main issue is that I am quite upset with the views of my management. According to them, education weighs more than experience. It doesn't matter whether the person has numerous years of experience; the main thing is that he should be from a B School.
Another thing is that they are very particular about degrees and diplomas. They only want degree holders. According to them, a diploma doesn't carry any weight against a degree. They reject candidates just because they have diplomas.
In my opinion, education does matter until the mid-career level, but after that, experience speaks. Secondly, a diploma provides more technical exposure while a degree focuses on theoretical concepts.
My question is: do you guys really feel that education carries more weightage than experience?
From India, New Delhi
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Dear Gurleen,
Freshers are not a substitute for experience. I strongly feel that on critical assignments, the sheer power of judgment and the ability to execute conflict resolution is necessary.
It is said by a famous critic author that God took 7 days to create an Entry Level Professional [Freshers]. On the 8th day, he rested, and on the 9th day, God started answering complaints from their bosses.
Gurleen, regarding the statement that 'Experience Speaks,' I would like to continue that this totally depends on the learning and successful strategy execution done by the experience holder.
From India, Mumbai
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Freshers are not a substitute for experience. I strongly feel that on critical assignments, the sheer power of judgment and the ability to execute conflict resolution is necessary.
It is said by a famous critic author that God took 7 days to create an Entry Level Professional [Freshers]. On the 8th day, he rested, and on the 9th day, God started answering complaints from their bosses.
Gurleen, regarding the statement that 'Experience Speaks,' I would like to continue that this totally depends on the learning and successful strategy execution done by the experience holder.
From India, Mumbai
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Dear Gurleen,
I strongly agree with you. Also, I do not see much difference between a Diploma holder with seven years of experience and a graduate with five years of experience. However, it varies based on the institution that offers the degrees and the organization where the diploma holder worked.
Thank you.
From India, Tiruppur
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I strongly agree with you. Also, I do not see much difference between a Diploma holder with seven years of experience and a graduate with five years of experience. However, it varies based on the institution that offers the degrees and the organization where the diploma holder worked.
Thank you.
From India, Tiruppur
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Experience is more valuable than education because anybody having a lot of education and no experience, what's the value of it? Practically, experience is more important. Though education has value and is needed to explore our internal morals and studies (especially education in foreign countries), experience counts more. If anybody has experience and less education, he can negotiate his value in the market.
EXPERIENCE IS THE GURU
From India, Nasik
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EXPERIENCE IS THE GURU
From India, Nasik
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Can we compare apples to oranges? I don't think there can be a common yardstick to measure the competence of a fresher and an experienced person. Depending upon the realities of the industry (factors like attrition, profitability, stage in product life cycle for cash cows and stars of BCG Matrix, etc.) and the vision, an organization can identify the right mix of freshers and experienced people.
A fresher, through higher education, may have developed some talent that is likely to convert into strength in the future. If the organization, after factoring in attrition details, feels that there is a possibility of a sizable return on investment from a fresher, then it should embrace them. Similarly, there can be pros and cons in hiring experienced people. While the pros are not too tough to guess, the cons can be related to higher wage bills, adaptability issues, etc.
We know that there is a difference in the curriculum of a diploma and that of a degree. Being rich in practical knowledge is not the only thing that matters. It will only demonstrate one's performance and may hardly enhance the performance capability of an individual. One has to continuously keep making new inroads into the field of theory to stay competitive by increasing one's performance capability. Had practical knowledge been everything, then the theory of relativity would have never been developed. So, an organization needs to have the right mix of people with practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge.
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A fresher, through higher education, may have developed some talent that is likely to convert into strength in the future. If the organization, after factoring in attrition details, feels that there is a possibility of a sizable return on investment from a fresher, then it should embrace them. Similarly, there can be pros and cons in hiring experienced people. While the pros are not too tough to guess, the cons can be related to higher wage bills, adaptability issues, etc.
We know that there is a difference in the curriculum of a diploma and that of a degree. Being rich in practical knowledge is not the only thing that matters. It will only demonstrate one's performance and may hardly enhance the performance capability of an individual. One has to continuously keep making new inroads into the field of theory to stay competitive by increasing one's performance capability. Had practical knowledge been everything, then the theory of relativity would have never been developed. So, an organization needs to have the right mix of people with practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge.
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Allow me to share my experience (no pun intended).
As I was starting my career many years ago, everywhere I went, people asked for experience and did not care about my hard-earned knowledge and strong foundation. So, for years that followed, I fought the "experience vs. knowledge" syndrome and hired people for their knowledge, assessing what they had to offer, rather than just their number of years of experience.
Now that I have been around for over 16 years and seen much of what there is to see, I have a slightly different view. Experience matters! What experience offers, knowledge alone does not offer. What I learned by being there and swimming through those rough waters, no book, no schooling, no education could have given me!
So, based on my experience of life and work, the following is my (the experienced me) view:
1. There is no substitute for a strong knowledge base.
2. There is no substitute for experience.
3. Good schools are not a measure of knowledge and application of such knowledge (nor are they a substitute for experience) - I have seen far too many grads from good schools falter due to a lack of experience.
4. The number of years of experience alone is not a measure of true knowledge or experience (I have seen people with 3 years of experience handling situations better than their 10-, 15- or 20-year experienced counterparts).
Here is a hiring method that worked for me and most hiring managers in the US:
1. Review the resume.
2. Does the candidate have more than 3 to 5 years of experience? Focus the interview on the experience, frame questions to verify his/her experience (can they handle the situations that they said they handled in their resume?).
3. Does the candidate have less than 3 years of experience? Focus the interview on the experience as well as the schooling.
4. Focus the interview on what the candidate has to offer the company and the position, rather than what the candidate has done in the past (forward-looking).
As far as I am concerned, in today's fast-paced world, people forget what they did last year. So, how does it matter what I did 16 years ago in my school/college? What matters is this. Does my recent experience (last 5 to 10 years) map to your job requirement? Do my attitude and responses support what I said in my resume? Do my attitude and responses translate to a good fit for the job and the company? If the answers to these three questions are yes, then why should you care what I did 16 years ago? If you do, you are trusting a piece of paper given by a school over a decade and a half ago more than you trust yourself (plain and simple)!
This is my approach towards hiring. Does hiring you make good business sense? Can I verify (in the interview) what you have to offer? Great! Formal Education? Fill it in the job application. I will verify if you have lied or told me the truth. I am going to hire you regardless of your educational background, so long as you are capable (unless you lied on your job application or your resume).
From United States, Woodinville
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As I was starting my career many years ago, everywhere I went, people asked for experience and did not care about my hard-earned knowledge and strong foundation. So, for years that followed, I fought the "experience vs. knowledge" syndrome and hired people for their knowledge, assessing what they had to offer, rather than just their number of years of experience.
Now that I have been around for over 16 years and seen much of what there is to see, I have a slightly different view. Experience matters! What experience offers, knowledge alone does not offer. What I learned by being there and swimming through those rough waters, no book, no schooling, no education could have given me!
So, based on my experience of life and work, the following is my (the experienced me) view:
1. There is no substitute for a strong knowledge base.
2. There is no substitute for experience.
3. Good schools are not a measure of knowledge and application of such knowledge (nor are they a substitute for experience) - I have seen far too many grads from good schools falter due to a lack of experience.
4. The number of years of experience alone is not a measure of true knowledge or experience (I have seen people with 3 years of experience handling situations better than their 10-, 15- or 20-year experienced counterparts).
Here is a hiring method that worked for me and most hiring managers in the US:
1. Review the resume.
2. Does the candidate have more than 3 to 5 years of experience? Focus the interview on the experience, frame questions to verify his/her experience (can they handle the situations that they said they handled in their resume?).
3. Does the candidate have less than 3 years of experience? Focus the interview on the experience as well as the schooling.
4. Focus the interview on what the candidate has to offer the company and the position, rather than what the candidate has done in the past (forward-looking).
As far as I am concerned, in today's fast-paced world, people forget what they did last year. So, how does it matter what I did 16 years ago in my school/college? What matters is this. Does my recent experience (last 5 to 10 years) map to your job requirement? Do my attitude and responses support what I said in my resume? Do my attitude and responses translate to a good fit for the job and the company? If the answers to these three questions are yes, then why should you care what I did 16 years ago? If you do, you are trusting a piece of paper given by a school over a decade and a half ago more than you trust yourself (plain and simple)!
This is my approach towards hiring. Does hiring you make good business sense? Can I verify (in the interview) what you have to offer? Great! Formal Education? Fill it in the job application. I will verify if you have lied or told me the truth. I am going to hire you regardless of your educational background, so long as you are capable (unless you lied on your job application or your resume).
From United States, Woodinville
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Both go hand in hand with each other. It might be possible that you select a candidate with a higher degree (and with theoretical concepts) without hands-on practicality of the matter. It is also possible that you select a candidate with a century of useless (and negative) experiences. Be cautious before selection; one hour of positive experience is better than a century of negative and bureaucratic experience.
Have a nice day!
From Pakistan, Karachi
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Have a nice day!
From Pakistan, Karachi
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Dear Friends,
I feel that for senior positions, experience does matter a lot. However, the fact remains that for an entry level position, a fresher is preferable. In case you are seeking a committed long-term employee, this is because they have never worked before, making them open to anything and more adaptable. A first job holds great significance; therefore, individuals are more likely to be enthusiastic and willing to prove themselves. If, as HR professionals, we are able to harness that potential and enthusiasm, the individual is likely to stay with us for the long term and contribute their best.
Thank you.
From India, Hyderabad
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I feel that for senior positions, experience does matter a lot. However, the fact remains that for an entry level position, a fresher is preferable. In case you are seeking a committed long-term employee, this is because they have never worked before, making them open to anything and more adaptable. A first job holds great significance; therefore, individuals are more likely to be enthusiastic and willing to prove themselves. If, as HR professionals, we are able to harness that potential and enthusiasm, the individual is likely to stay with us for the long term and contribute their best.
Thank you.
From India, Hyderabad
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Dear Som... I do agree with you. Experience matters! One who knows swimming practically than who knows swimming therotically, matters a lot!
From India
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From India
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Dear all,
Education is the foundation that provides the knowledge to perform tasks. However, when it comes to doing a job, the individual's grasping power, capability, interest, and the subject they have learned matter more than the school they attended. Experience serves as the backbone for senior positions, though not necessarily for all positions. It is crucial for the smooth functioning of an organization.
It is important to remember that you can shape a newcomer as per the requirements of your organization. All the experts we see today were once beginners in the past; it was the opportunities that made them experts. In my opinion, a successful organization requires a blend of experienced professionals and fresh talent in the workforce.
James
From Qatar, Doha
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Education is the foundation that provides the knowledge to perform tasks. However, when it comes to doing a job, the individual's grasping power, capability, interest, and the subject they have learned matter more than the school they attended. Experience serves as the backbone for senior positions, though not necessarily for all positions. It is crucial for the smooth functioning of an organization.
It is important to remember that you can shape a newcomer as per the requirements of your organization. All the experts we see today were once beginners in the past; it was the opportunities that made them experts. In my opinion, a successful organization requires a blend of experienced professionals and fresh talent in the workforce.
James
From Qatar, Doha
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Hello all,
I think both go simultaneously. Engineer work will be done by an engineer if you ask 10th or 12th standard people; some do, some don't because of their knowledge. That one thing is much clearer: a fresher can only become experienced directly; you can't become an expert. Everyone learns at every stage. Regarding study, it gives theoretical knowledge; simultaneously, they think in that way. If a person doesn't know the basic things to keep in mind while swimming, how can that person start and become an expert? At that time, they apply their knowledge, and then they become experienced in that. So, education does matter; even true experience in the right way matters.
From India, Pune
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I think both go simultaneously. Engineer work will be done by an engineer if you ask 10th or 12th standard people; some do, some don't because of their knowledge. That one thing is much clearer: a fresher can only become experienced directly; you can't become an expert. Everyone learns at every stage. Regarding study, it gives theoretical knowledge; simultaneously, they think in that way. If a person doesn't know the basic things to keep in mind while swimming, how can that person start and become an expert? At that time, they apply their knowledge, and then they become experienced in that. So, education does matter; even true experience in the right way matters.
From India, Pune
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Dear Som,
I agree with your view, but the top management is formed by the middle management, so the person who has the degree from a renowned B-school and a good number of years of experience will matter. Only experienced candidates without a proper educational background will at most reach a position with good compensation for their daily needs rather than achieving the desired position. The organization will recruit candidates while keeping in mind that the candidate would contribute their full knowledge and help in expanding the organization. On the other side, the candidate expects that the organization will promote based on their hard work. This can be fulfilled if the candidate deserves the position.
Please feel free to ask for any clarification.
Regards,
Umadevi
Recruitment Consultant
From India, Mumbai
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I agree with your view, but the top management is formed by the middle management, so the person who has the degree from a renowned B-school and a good number of years of experience will matter. Only experienced candidates without a proper educational background will at most reach a position with good compensation for their daily needs rather than achieving the desired position. The organization will recruit candidates while keeping in mind that the candidate would contribute their full knowledge and help in expanding the organization. On the other side, the candidate expects that the organization will promote based on their hard work. This can be fulfilled if the candidate deserves the position.
Please feel free to ask for any clarification.
Regards,
Umadevi
Recruitment Consultant
From India, Mumbai
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Of course, experience does matter a lot, especially in handling statutory matters, etc. No school can provide the exposure that real-world experience offers. Whether it is experience or education, the application of knowledge and analytical capability is important. This varies from person to person regardless of their knowledge and education levels. Hence, we should not have a mental block or prejudice towards education or experience. Whatever the case may be, we should assess whether the required knowledge is present.
Regards,
Govind
From India, Bangalore
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Regards,
Govind
From India, Bangalore
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Education vs. Experience should not be treated with a North Pole vs. South Pole approach; rather, we should look forward to a perfect synchronization between these two aspects because under no condition can one outweigh the other.
Just consider a simple truth: people are not born with education or experience. Every 'experienced' person must have been a 'fresher' once.
Similarly, the purpose of any kind of education, whether degree or diploma, is to prepare the person to apply the skills learned in practical work situations. Thus, if a person is a great performer and knows his/her job well, then what's the need to overemphasize the qualifications aspect?
We need to aptly assess whether a person is the right fit for the job and the organization. A good organization is a judicious mix of people with different strengths, and we should respect each individual for the value they offer to the organization, without falling prey to judging people solely based on their education or years of experience.
Please review the revised text for any further changes or adjustments.
From India, Delhi
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Just consider a simple truth: people are not born with education or experience. Every 'experienced' person must have been a 'fresher' once.
Similarly, the purpose of any kind of education, whether degree or diploma, is to prepare the person to apply the skills learned in practical work situations. Thus, if a person is a great performer and knows his/her job well, then what's the need to overemphasize the qualifications aspect?
We need to aptly assess whether a person is the right fit for the job and the organization. A good organization is a judicious mix of people with different strengths, and we should respect each individual for the value they offer to the organization, without falling prey to judging people solely based on their education or years of experience.
Please review the revised text for any further changes or adjustments.
From India, Delhi
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I feel both are important. Like education helps in getting a required break, and from there on, your experience counts and how you take it forward. I cannot have an engineer-skilled person do a marketing job; there should be a fitment. We will not look at the resume firstly, so here education plays its role.
Likewise, we cannot have a senior management position person hired by a fresher/without much experience. We need real-time experience to do the job, and you will get more refined once you get the taste of it. Over to you.
From India, Hyderabad
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Likewise, we cannot have a senior management position person hired by a fresher/without much experience. We need real-time experience to do the job, and you will get more refined once you get the taste of it. Over to you.
From India, Hyderabad
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Dear Friends, I believe that experience is more important for senior positions. For entry level positions education is more important.
From Canada, Hamilton
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From Canada, Hamilton
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Dear friend,
Experience is an art of doing predetermined things, whereas education always brings new ideas, new thoughts, and fresh perspectives. Individuals with a higher education level may exhibit an attitude of embracing diverse thoughts. Perhaps this aligns with your management's strong viewpoint regarding the recruitment of fresh graduates.
From India, Bangalore
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Experience is an art of doing predetermined things, whereas education always brings new ideas, new thoughts, and fresh perspectives. Individuals with a higher education level may exhibit an attitude of embracing diverse thoughts. Perhaps this aligns with your management's strong viewpoint regarding the recruitment of fresh graduates.
From India, Bangalore
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I agree with the opinions expressed. You cannot generalize such issues. Qualification merely 'qualifies' you to do a particular type of job. Competence and skill come ONLY through experience, which gives you the practical answers to the questions you actually face. So it has to be a good balance of qualifications and experience.
I also agree that experience does not only mean 'number of years' in a particular job. It also includes the level of involvement, innovation, initiative, motivation, etc., during those years. Recruiters often look for freshers because they can be hired for less pay, can be expected to toe a particular line of working, and can be fired more easily. It is also true that a fresher is more likely to be looking around for a better option from day 1 and would take no time in quitting if he gets a better option.
An experienced person not only expects better compensation but also has a higher level of self-esteem and independent thinking. They are an asset in problem handling and problem-solving and are likely to stay on a long-term basis.
From India, Gurgaon
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I also agree that experience does not only mean 'number of years' in a particular job. It also includes the level of involvement, innovation, initiative, motivation, etc., during those years. Recruiters often look for freshers because they can be hired for less pay, can be expected to toe a particular line of working, and can be fired more easily. It is also true that a fresher is more likely to be looking around for a better option from day 1 and would take no time in quitting if he gets a better option.
An experienced person not only expects better compensation but also has a higher level of self-esteem and independent thinking. They are an asset in problem handling and problem-solving and are likely to stay on a long-term basis.
From India, Gurgaon
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I would lean towards experience when recruiting. A degree is great, but without any experience, it's just paper/book knowledge. Look at the 'urgent' requests that appear each day on this forum! Some of them are from managers, etc., who have the degree but do not know how to draft a letter or manage a problem or... I can go on and on...
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
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From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
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I do agree with Neha.
When someone is a "fresher," just starting his/her career, organizations look for the kind of education the candidate has. Here, education matters a lot because if you have been taught well and learned the insights of the subject, you will be able to apply your learnings given the situation.
When we have more than 5 years of experience, it is experience that speaks about our profile. There is no need to focus on education at that point. If a person has performed well during the last 5 years (supported by other evidence), why should we consider his/her education background a lot? Of course, we should consider education, but the weightage should not be more than experience. It can never be.
As humans, if we are working as a math teacher, we are experts in A-Z (whatever we learned from childhood to adult age), but simultaneously, we may not be that expert in other subjects even though we were taught them in schools and colleges. The only reason is that we didn't experience them after leaving school and colleges.
Regards,
From India, New Delhi
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When someone is a "fresher," just starting his/her career, organizations look for the kind of education the candidate has. Here, education matters a lot because if you have been taught well and learned the insights of the subject, you will be able to apply your learnings given the situation.
When we have more than 5 years of experience, it is experience that speaks about our profile. There is no need to focus on education at that point. If a person has performed well during the last 5 years (supported by other evidence), why should we consider his/her education background a lot? Of course, we should consider education, but the weightage should not be more than experience. It can never be.
As humans, if we are working as a math teacher, we are experts in A-Z (whatever we learned from childhood to adult age), but simultaneously, we may not be that expert in other subjects even though we were taught them in schools and colleges. The only reason is that we didn't experience them after leaving school and colleges.
Regards,
From India, New Delhi
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I agree with you all that experience is more important than education. However, nobody likes to conduct interviews if a person is not educated. So, I guess education is the base, and experience helps in it.
From India, Shimla
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From India, Shimla
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I think education matters, but it is not applicable everywhere. Sometimes we can really have a better candidate even if he or she is a diploma holder.
If a person has an MBA and is not as perfect as a person who is not holding an MBA degree (suppose only a graduate), why should one refuse the person only because of not having an MBA degree?
So I think it is not a matter of education or experience. It is the person that matters.
From India, Delhi
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If a person has an MBA and is not as perfect as a person who is not holding an MBA degree (suppose only a graduate), why should one refuse the person only because of not having an MBA degree?
So I think it is not a matter of education or experience. It is the person that matters.
From India, Delhi
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Diploma is also a level of education. When we refer to a diploma, we are referring to education. It is similar to one person having 2 years of experience and another person having 5 years of experience. Sometimes, both are equivalent when a degree and a diploma have the same duration. In this case, the college and institute matter as it becomes a question of the quality of education provided.
I believe that even top institutions like IIMs do not provide a degree in MBA; instead, it is a PGDPM. However, it holds more weight than degrees from other colleges and universities. Ultimately, we should focus on the quality of the profile, regardless of whether it is a degree or a diploma, or if the experience is 3 years or 5 years.
What if a person has worked for 10 years in the same organization, on the same process, in the same department? Would that be considered as 10 years of experience?
Regards,
From India, New Delhi
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I believe that even top institutions like IIMs do not provide a degree in MBA; instead, it is a PGDPM. However, it holds more weight than degrees from other colleges and universities. Ultimately, we should focus on the quality of the profile, regardless of whether it is a degree or a diploma, or if the experience is 3 years or 5 years.
What if a person has worked for 10 years in the same organization, on the same process, in the same department? Would that be considered as 10 years of experience?
Regards,
From India, New Delhi
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I feel that both should go hand in hand because experience is a must for doing anything. Even if you have ample degrees, you are still not good enough to do work that an experienced person with fewer degrees can do. The problem arises with company policy as today every company needs to register themselves for ISO or CMMI. Therefore, it is essential that a person should have a degree, which is important today. You have to think practically and tackle every situation.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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Dear Gurleen,
Do you prefer a 10-year experienced "Ass" or a 10-month experienced "Horse" to pull your cart? An experienced person will have a practical approach, while an educated person will have a technical and scientific approach to a problem. Both will solve problems differently, but the accuracy and efficiency will vary. Diplomas have limitations, but a degree carries weight.
Preferably, education and experience together will make a better combination.
M M Nair
From India, Ahmadabad
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Do you prefer a 10-year experienced "Ass" or a 10-month experienced "Horse" to pull your cart? An experienced person will have a practical approach, while an educated person will have a technical and scientific approach to a problem. Both will solve problems differently, but the accuracy and efficiency will vary. Diplomas have limitations, but a degree carries weight.
Preferably, education and experience together will make a better combination.
M M Nair
From India, Ahmadabad
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In the wake of responses I have read so far, I thought some clarification to my original response is warranted. So, here it goes.
The only true measure of a person's ability is her/his performance on the Job. The job performance, to the most part, depends on application of the knowledge than the presence of the knowledge itself.
Just the educational background (regardless of the level - entry or experienced) is not a true measure. Educational background only proves that the individual has (or had at the time of the examination) the ability to study the prescribed material, retain the content (remember what was studied), write the correct answers in the exam, and pass the test with flying colors.
Just the number of years of experience projected in a resume is not a true measure of one's ability either. I graduated out of college (bachelors) in 1993, started working a year before that (1992). Based on that, my total experience is over 16 years. Am I qualified to be a VP of a small company or senior manager of a large company?
There are three (and only 3) ways to actually assess that. They are, in order of incremental assessment,
1. My resume – read my resume and find out what I am publicly willing to admit I have done in past 16 to 17 years. If you see my resume suitable for the position you are looking to fill, then call me for an interview
2. The Interview – talk to me, ask me questions on what I am stating in my resume to verify whether I cooked up my resume or actually did what I have claimed on my resume, and if we are a mutual fit. If you like my responses and believe I am talking out of my experience and not out of my hat, then make me a job offer
3. Job performance – Once you make a viable offer and I accept it, we are in an employee/employer relationship. Now I am on the job, dealing with real life situations to deliver on the promise as outlined in my resume and in the interview.
Every employee (regardless of the level) is (and must be) constantly on the performance appraisal path (on daily basis). If I am not fulfilling my job description and role, as my manager, you are entitled to give me fair warnings (three at most) and fire (terminate) me if I still do not deliver. This can occur within first 3 months of my joining or 3 years or 13 years.
The above three are the only incremental measures of my true abilities. My graduation from a top school with honors could be an indication of what I “could” deliver. But it cannot be a measure of what I “will” deliver. This is even truer when I have over 16 years of experience and success to speak for my ability.
Assessing a fresh college grad is a little different. (S)He does not have any such experience to show. In this case, while the school/college (s)he attended could be one of the measures as to what they are capable of, there is no substitute for a thorough interview process. Focus the interview on verifying two things – (1) her/his theoretical knowledge base, (2) her/his ability to apply that knowledge in a hypothetical situation. I strongly believe that these two measures must be applied to any candidate, regardless of the school/college (s)he attended. Once you like the levels on these two measures, make a job offer (with either internship, or probation or such), tag him/her with a more experienced person in the same job domain (junior PM with mid- or senior PM, junior analyst with mid- or senior analyst) and help them learn the “practical” and “experience” aspects of the job. See how they perform in the smaller independent tasks (typically for about 6 months to a year). During the next performance appraisal, bring them out of mentee/mentor situation and make them independent in their role (or fire/terminate them if they become a severe burden/drag on the company despite the mentors they are working with).
This, I believe, is a good way of hiring talent. I have seen many companies in the US apply these tactics and attract/retain excellent talent. Yes, today with the highly expensive war that has been dragging and draining the economy for over 8 years, US economy/job market is not very good. But remember, that US economy has been world’s strongest economy generating millions of jobs and attracting talent from across the world for over 5 decades (since the close of WWII). I don’t see why the management in India cannot adopt similar techniques that served well for the world’s last surviving super power. (Don’t worry… I also believe that by the end of Obama’s first term, US economy will be back on trackJ. Less than a year later, it has already started turning around, although slowly. Come’on, it’s a HUGE ship – the turning around of the direction is always going to be slowJ).
Regards,
-Som G
From United States, Woodinville
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The only true measure of a person's ability is her/his performance on the Job. The job performance, to the most part, depends on application of the knowledge than the presence of the knowledge itself.
Just the educational background (regardless of the level - entry or experienced) is not a true measure. Educational background only proves that the individual has (or had at the time of the examination) the ability to study the prescribed material, retain the content (remember what was studied), write the correct answers in the exam, and pass the test with flying colors.
Just the number of years of experience projected in a resume is not a true measure of one's ability either. I graduated out of college (bachelors) in 1993, started working a year before that (1992). Based on that, my total experience is over 16 years. Am I qualified to be a VP of a small company or senior manager of a large company?
There are three (and only 3) ways to actually assess that. They are, in order of incremental assessment,
1. My resume – read my resume and find out what I am publicly willing to admit I have done in past 16 to 17 years. If you see my resume suitable for the position you are looking to fill, then call me for an interview
2. The Interview – talk to me, ask me questions on what I am stating in my resume to verify whether I cooked up my resume or actually did what I have claimed on my resume, and if we are a mutual fit. If you like my responses and believe I am talking out of my experience and not out of my hat, then make me a job offer
3. Job performance – Once you make a viable offer and I accept it, we are in an employee/employer relationship. Now I am on the job, dealing with real life situations to deliver on the promise as outlined in my resume and in the interview.
Every employee (regardless of the level) is (and must be) constantly on the performance appraisal path (on daily basis). If I am not fulfilling my job description and role, as my manager, you are entitled to give me fair warnings (three at most) and fire (terminate) me if I still do not deliver. This can occur within first 3 months of my joining or 3 years or 13 years.
The above three are the only incremental measures of my true abilities. My graduation from a top school with honors could be an indication of what I “could” deliver. But it cannot be a measure of what I “will” deliver. This is even truer when I have over 16 years of experience and success to speak for my ability.
Assessing a fresh college grad is a little different. (S)He does not have any such experience to show. In this case, while the school/college (s)he attended could be one of the measures as to what they are capable of, there is no substitute for a thorough interview process. Focus the interview on verifying two things – (1) her/his theoretical knowledge base, (2) her/his ability to apply that knowledge in a hypothetical situation. I strongly believe that these two measures must be applied to any candidate, regardless of the school/college (s)he attended. Once you like the levels on these two measures, make a job offer (with either internship, or probation or such), tag him/her with a more experienced person in the same job domain (junior PM with mid- or senior PM, junior analyst with mid- or senior analyst) and help them learn the “practical” and “experience” aspects of the job. See how they perform in the smaller independent tasks (typically for about 6 months to a year). During the next performance appraisal, bring them out of mentee/mentor situation and make them independent in their role (or fire/terminate them if they become a severe burden/drag on the company despite the mentors they are working with).
This, I believe, is a good way of hiring talent. I have seen many companies in the US apply these tactics and attract/retain excellent talent. Yes, today with the highly expensive war that has been dragging and draining the economy for over 8 years, US economy/job market is not very good. But remember, that US economy has been world’s strongest economy generating millions of jobs and attracting talent from across the world for over 5 decades (since the close of WWII). I don’t see why the management in India cannot adopt similar techniques that served well for the world’s last surviving super power. (Don’t worry… I also believe that by the end of Obama’s first term, US economy will be back on trackJ. Less than a year later, it has already started turning around, although slowly. Come’on, it’s a HUGE ship – the turning around of the direction is always going to be slowJ).
Regards,
-Som G
From United States, Woodinville
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Thanks guys for your support, atleast it made me realised that I am right. I also feel that both go hand in hand, and only focusing on education and not experience is not the right move. Thanks,
From India, New Delhi
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From India, New Delhi
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plse understand something, we only looking at one side of the coin, i understand the difference in opinion and i appreciate it. First thing that the corporate heads have devised is quality scores for specific posts. This decision is quiet accurate, through this they are picking up few factors in human beings not merely candidates.
The Scores are usually segmented into 3 categories: Good, Fair, and Poor. These three segments give an accurate picture of an individual’s mental stability and assurance to the company as to whether he would perform well or not, and at the same time whether he would continue for a considerable time or not. Human being’s personality traits are at the peak in their Education time (10th, 12th,, Graduation, etc.) since competition is the highest. That time one undergoes a mixed state of emotions as stress, tensions, failure and success. Though we also undergo the same in our working period but the intensity in comparison to our age that time is higher. Just imagine when so ever we go for selection or recruitment we seek for education or qualification details, which so ever the person may be. Plse understand that ur intuition always makes u take decisions based on ur past experience which right away starts from the time of ur education, at a certain point of time one always evaluates others with self or any selected model as for any specific post. Because u r selecting the candidate you are the best model of comparison with the candidate at that point of time, and we don’t want any flaws in our decision. Knowingly or unknowingly we do the same which we don’t actually have thought of, that’s the part which is not visible to us and so is same to others, i.e. the blind side. Thus making us feel that we are making the decisions as per what we had thought of, where as we add up something extra unknowingly.
Our Subconscious mind always leads us to something which we are not always aware of, that’s the way we always are able to take any decision to a certain level of our and others satisfaction.
From India, Mumbai
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The Scores are usually segmented into 3 categories: Good, Fair, and Poor. These three segments give an accurate picture of an individual’s mental stability and assurance to the company as to whether he would perform well or not, and at the same time whether he would continue for a considerable time or not. Human being’s personality traits are at the peak in their Education time (10th, 12th,, Graduation, etc.) since competition is the highest. That time one undergoes a mixed state of emotions as stress, tensions, failure and success. Though we also undergo the same in our working period but the intensity in comparison to our age that time is higher. Just imagine when so ever we go for selection or recruitment we seek for education or qualification details, which so ever the person may be. Plse understand that ur intuition always makes u take decisions based on ur past experience which right away starts from the time of ur education, at a certain point of time one always evaluates others with self or any selected model as for any specific post. Because u r selecting the candidate you are the best model of comparison with the candidate at that point of time, and we don’t want any flaws in our decision. Knowingly or unknowingly we do the same which we don’t actually have thought of, that’s the part which is not visible to us and so is same to others, i.e. the blind side. Thus making us feel that we are making the decisions as per what we had thought of, where as we add up something extra unknowingly.
Our Subconscious mind always leads us to something which we are not always aware of, that’s the way we always are able to take any decision to a certain level of our and others satisfaction.
From India, Mumbai
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