A TikToker posted a snippet of a conference in which a Google executive said a majority of Black and Latinx people and people who live in rural areas are eliminated from job searches when companies require a bachelor’s degree for applications. Some commenters think that requirements should change, while others disagree.
The TikTok was posted by @undocuprofessionals.net on May 23 and shows a conference about job access put on by Handshake, a company that helps college students find jobs. On Wednesday, the video had over 77,000 views.
The statistic shared in the video is that 80% of Latinx Americans, 70% of Black Americans, and 70% of people who live in rural areas are excluded from the job application process when there is a bachelor’s degree requirement.
“I think that is just a call, you know, to have conversations like this one that we are having today,” says Jesse Haines, director of Grow with Google.
@undocuprofessionals.net #greenscreenvideo #representation #fyp #futurejobs #careers #immigrants #undocuprofessionals ♬ original sound – www.undocuprofessionals.net
A 2018 report on a survey of 600 human resource managers by the Society of Human Resource Managers states that 90% of employees would have been open to hiring applicants without bachelor’s degrees. A 2022 report from the Burning Glass Institute says that degree requirements are being waived from “many middle skill and even higher skill roles.”
The women in the TikTok video nod at the statistic Haines shared, but not everyone in the comments agreed that degree requirements should be waived.
“As a Latina I worked really hard to get my degree and worked a part-time job to not take any loans out,” @isagar555 commented. “I don’t think we should disregard degrees.”
“I struggled to get the degree,” @criminalho, who also identified themselves as Latina, wrote. “Let me have SOMETHING!!!!”
“A degree also shows your dedication, your ability to meet deadlines, prioritizing,” @zoonigaa commented. “There’s lots of transferable skills.”
In a comment, @undocuprofessionals.net said that while they don’t think degrees should be disregarded, “These statistics just remind us that underserved [communities] continue to be excluded in general.”
Others disagreed and shared their thoughts on degree requirements undergoing reform.
“Not everyone is lucky enough to get a degree. Those who dont have a degree does not mean they are not smart,” @frijole_soledad wrote. “We need to uplift our communities more.”
“I have a degree & I think people with degrees should be more empathic for their own communities instead of trying so hard to flex,” @brokepapi commented.
“I’m a college dropout and I have a job that ‘requires a bachelor’s degree,’” @c4t4t0n1c wrote. “I think more people should just go for it. You’d be surprised.”
The Daily Dot reached out to @undocuprofessionals.net, Google, and Handshake via email.
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