Ernst & Young (EY), one of Britain’s biggest graduate recruiters, has announced in August that, starting next year, it will remove degree classification or A-level results from entry requirements, as there is no evidence that academic achievement is necessary to succeed at work.
Recruiters have long complained that academic results fail to give employers a clear representation of a candidate’s potential.
Maggie Stilwell, EY’s Managing Partner for Talent, hopes the new policy will “open up opportunities for talented individuals regardless of their background and provide greater access to the profession”. She adds, “Academic qualifications will still be taken into account and indeed remain an important consideration when assessing candidates as a whole, but will no longer act as a barrier to getting a foot in the door.”
