# Degrees Aren't Proof: Do Your Employees Know Their Stuff?
The traditional hiring playbook is getting a major rewrite. While two-year and four-year degrees remain standard requirements for most office positions, forward-thinking companies are discovering that diplomas don't always translate to workplace competence.
## The Skills Gap Reality
Here's the uncomfortable truth: some degrees bring surprisingly little value to the table, especially for technical roles. Meanwhile, motivated individuals without formal education often outperform their degreed counterparts through focused, practical training.
This shift isn't just about hiring—it's about recognizing talent where it actually exists and developing it strategically.
## Three High-Impact Training Areas Worth Your Attention
### **Google Ecosystem Mastery**
Google isn't just a search engine anymore—it's the backbone of modern business operations. Your potential clients discover you through Google. Your team relies on Google tools for research, verification, and daily workflow management.
Yet most employees barely scratch the surface of what's possible. Consider investing in:
- **Analytics training** for your marketing team to understand client behavior and campaign performance - **Google IT certification programs** available through Coursera when evaluating IT candidates - **Advanced search techniques** that can dramatically improve research efficiency
### **Salesforce Proficiency**
Salesforce is notoriously complex, even when it's supposedly "optimized" for your business. The standard license provides basic functionality, but a skilled administrator can transform it into a powerful business engine.
Look for team members who understand:
- Advanced filtering and automation features - Custom workflow creation - Integration possibilities with other business tools
The difference between basic Salesforce use and true proficiency can revolutionize how your team manages client relationships.
### **Continuous Learning Through Free Resources**
Here's where hiring strategy gets interesting: almost any motivated employee can learn almost any task. The key is identifying candidates who demonstrate initiative and strong work ethic rather than just credentials.
Inexperience and knowledge gaps are fixable. A poor attitude toward learning and growth is not.
## Rethinking Your Approach
When evaluating candidates or developing existing team members, look for:
- **Problem-solving initiative** over academic achievements - **Willingness to learn** rather than existing knowledge - **Practical application** of skills in real-world scenarios
The most valuable employees often come from unexpected backgrounds, bringing fresh perspectives and genuine enthusiasm for mastering new challenges.
## The Bottom Line
The workplace is evolving faster than traditional education can keep pace with. Companies that recognize this shift and adapt their hiring and training strategies accordingly will build more capable, adaptable teams.
At Tangram Interiors, we understand that exceptional commercial design requires exceptional people—regardless of where they acquired their skills. The future belongs to organizations willing to look beyond degrees and focus on demonstrable capability and growth potential.
