I spoke this morning with the ex-COO of a company in which I worked. He is now working at a large (11,000 employees) company known for hiring top candidates from the best schools, often at the master's level. However, he remarked on something that has been of interest to me for years … the fact that the company is finally recognizing that a college education can't replace or provide work experience.

For years I have fought the degree bigots … those managers and VPs who believe every job requires a degree to be done properly. Even my arguments about the illegality of universally requiring a degree, per se, has fallen on deaf ears. The degree bigots don't want to believe that people can learn to do most jobs with or without a degree.

The exceptions to that statement are in the fields of accounting and science. These days, I might also add computer science. These are fields where college classes teach practical information that is necessary for the job. Most other degrees are really making the graduate "well rounded" intellectually but don't add a lot to the practical side of getting a job done. I've met many employees with a master's or even a doctorate degree that have a very difficult time applying the theories they've learned to the goals they're given in a job.

My friend finds himself as a mentor in this company now. He has to give these college graduates lessons in interviewing candidates, managing people, and even day-to-day issues. The company has moved their training toward these subjects so they can now teach the freshly taught.

If you think I'm saying a college degree is useful, you're wrong. There is a lot of value in a degree for both you and the employee. The trick is to make sure your employee has also learned about the realities of running a business and managing people. These are things rarely found in a textbook.

This has also been an issue in HR. When I entered the HR profession, there were no HR degrees available. I had a variety of work experiences though that gave me insight into handling the HR side of things. Many HR people of more recent vintage have gone straight to school for the HR degree and have no work experience.

How can you deal with employees when you've never been a non-HR employee? How can you gain the respect of the management team when you have no business experience? This is the reality.

Other companies are finally realizing that the ideal candidates/employees have a combination of schooling and work experience. Have you bothered to ask yourself which you value more and why?