By requiring a degree and not focusing on a candidate’s skills or experience, employers are substantially shrinking their potential talent pool. While U.S. employers say they’re facing a talent crisis that’s threating their business sustainability and growth, the reality is that employers are contributing to the talent crisis with the majority (62 percent) requiring degrees for entry level jobs, and more than a quarter (26 percent) admitting they do so to “filter the candidate pool” or because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Exposing this outdated mindset, Cengage Group’s 2022 Employability Report (Part 2) of 1,000 U.S. hiring decision makers reveals that one of the biggest drivers causing the talent crisis is the skills mismatch between the current workforce and employers’ needs.
