Skills vs Training the Path Forward

An interesting New York Times article today addressing the downturn in admissions to and matriculations from liberal arts based college programs raised several important questions that impact hiring managers. Are nonspecific educational programs that emphasize critical thinking, information synthesis and historical context relevant in an increasingly technological and regulatory compliance-oriented buisness environment? What would you prefer to hire as an analsyt working for you - a techician with deep training or a smart critical thinker? These questions are especially important for managers trying to position their organizations for success in and after a downturn.

It is inevitable that students will gravitate, especially during a downturn, toward degrees that give them a leg up in the hiring process. Students will also follow the money, which has been flowing away from Wall Street recently, toward more stable career choices.

Even in a seemingly broad-based and non-technical field like human resources management; we have seen the emergence of certification programs designed to train new entrants into the field along with the continuing importance and strength of continuing professional education. If presented with two candidates one with a certificate and one without, most managers are likely to go with the certificated hire. Notwithstanding the pre-hire training aspects, the true value of the certificate may lie in the indication that the candidate is truly interested in the area of work and willing to make a longer term commitment to learning and development. The certificate highlights not the end of the learning journey but simply the beginning.

If carried to its logical extension the programs could yield a workforce that is too narrowly trained and not capable of conducting the broader and more challenging synthesis across disciplines that yields innovation in development and in problem solving. As we conduct opportunity hires and reduce existing headcount the challenge will be to avoid purging the exact but elusive qualities we will need to successfully meet the challenge of the future.