Heera: ‘Qualifications bring credibility to the job’.
WHEN
it comes to hiring suitable talents, it would be ideal to have a
potential employee with the relevant qualifications as well as one that
has practical experience.
But what if there was just one vacancy
available – and the organisation had to choose between the two
candidates? In a hypothetical situation between a candidate that’s “book
smart” (has the relevant qualifications) and one that’s “street smart”
(has the practical experience), who would be the more likely choice?
More
importantly, is a high-paying job unattainable for those without formal
education? Or is there still a chance for a candidate that does not
have that oh-so-important diploma or degree?
The book smart candidate
Heera
Training and Management Consultancy principal consultant Heera Singh
believes a candidate with the relevant qualifications would generally be
“technically competent” in that job.
“It certainly brings
credibility to the job. For example, if someone has a Masters in Human
Resources (HR) Management, then the qualification enhances his
credibility,” he tells
StarBizWeek.
“It also assists
greatly in the recruitment and selection of employees. For example, if a
job is advertised and does not specify technical qualifications, but
only states practical experience required, then every Tom, Dick and
Harry will apply and this will ensure lots of extra work for the HR
department,” Heera says.
Leaderonomics finance and human
resources leader Ang Hui Ming concurs that having the right
qualifications adds more credibility to an individual seeking employment
– at least on paper.
“Generally, the employee might probably
have a wider knowledge-base theoretically of the function he is hired
for and has some form of certification of his ability to understand at
least the basic concepts of the function,” she says.
However, it has often been said that what one learns in theory can be quite different in practice.
Heera
believes that the “book smart” candidate, though technically qualified,
still lacks experience – an important element that may be vital in
certain jobs.
Ang: ‘Being technically qualified doesn’t mean they can do the jobs well’.
“Being
technically qualified does not mean that they can do the jobs well.
They may be more academically inclined rather than hands-on.
“They
may be technically qualified but may not like the job. Many people, for
example, go to university and do courses that their parents want them
to do, or courses which their friends are doing. All they want to do is
to get their qualifications.”
Ang, meanwhile, feels that not
having the relevant experience is not a big deal – as it is something
that can be acquired over time.
“There is no real disadvantage, experience is to meant to be built anyway.
“At
most, it’s the lack of reality. If a person is all academic, it is
uncertain how he or she will handle real life situations where the
theories they learn needs to be adapted to the situation, environment
and culture of any given place and time.”
The street-smart candidate
The
advantage of hiring an employee with experience means that they can do
the job straight away with minimal disruptions, says Heera.
“There
is minimum need for any job orientation and at interviews, you can
ascertain the type of practical experience they have and see if it suits
or meets your job expectations.”
Ang concurs: “Generally, the
employee might have deeper expertise in the function and would have
experienced real-life situations in the function. This makes the person
more adaptable and adept to handle similar natured situations more
wisely and calmly.”
“The type of experience is important. If they
have the wrong type of experience, then it is of no use to the company.
For example, if a person has worked in a HR capacity in a government
department, then his experience may not necessarily gel with what is
wanted in the HR department in the private sector.
“Experience
can be a bad teacher as it is always difficult to mould a person who has
the experience but has picked up some bad habits along the way.”
Ang feels there’s no real disadvantage to hiring someone that has no paper qualifications but is oozing with experience.
“At
most, probably a possible lack of what’s new in the market, or what’s
happening on a global scale or what new technology is out there that can
better equip him or her in the function.
“This is only an
assumption as people that are hands-on can still learn market trends and
future technology if they read up and do research on their own. There
is just no paper qualification – that’s all.”
Does it really matter?
According to an article on online investment site
Investopedia,
“Is It Better To Be Book Smart Or Street Smart,” its author, Tim
Parker, points out that one does not need to have the relevant paper
qualifications to be truly successful.
“Steve Jobs, co-founder of
Apple, is widely regarded as one of the best businessmen of his day. He
didn’t have a college degree and neither did Steve Wozniak, the other
founder of Apple.
“Other successful businessmen without college
degrees include Dell Computer founder Michael Dell, Microsoft founder
Bill Gates and Virgin Brands founder Sir Richard Branson. People all
over the world have found success without a college degree,” he writes.
But is that the rule or the exception, he then asks.
“Unemployment
data shows that more than 8% of the population looking for a job (in
the US) can’t find one.
However, for those with a bachelor’s degree, the
unemployment rate is only 3.9%. The unemployment rate is 13% for people
without a high school diploma.
“A college degree doesn’t
guarantee success, but Bureau of Labour Statistics unemployment
statistics show book smarts more than double your chances of finding a
job.”
Of course, having an employee with both the relevant paper
qualifications and practical experience would be the optimum choice,
naturally.
“This would definitely be an ideal combination,” says Heera.
Ang
says having both qualities would indeed be a plus point, adding however
that having both relevant qualification and practical experience does
not make one a best employee.
“It’s a person’s character, values
and attitude that makes him or her a good employee. Qualifications and
experience are all things that can be accumulated as long as one has the
right attitude and desire.”
By EUGENE MAHALINGAM eugenicz@thestar.com.my