By Romy Misra
I never understand why companies have excessive focus on GPA’s during recruiting. My friend is a genius at programming and programs just for fun, fifty hours a week. The rest of the time he attends classes and has a GPA of 2.5. If he has to find a job how do you recruit him?
Dissecting a GPA, what do 4.0 or a greater than 3.8 GPA signify?
1.Hardworking in general
2.Above average IQ
3.The ability to be decently good at anything.
Let’s face it…. no one loves all the courses they take, but to do well despite not loving the course you are taking requires a certain amount of self discipline.
On the contrary here’s what doesn’t necessarily come with the GPA package:
1.Creativity
2.The ability to think independently
A good GPA will do well for a methodical, micromanaged role in a firm. You cannot guarantee innovation from a high GPA. There are people with low GPA’s who are extraordinary and really smart. Why does the recruiting system not give them a chance? Why do companies not go at lengths to find those people? To hire great people you have to get rid of these barriers and not equate GPA with talent. It is worth the effort.
Well put – however, a genius who isn’t hard working won’t do squat for the company. You want someone hardworking AND creative; the GPA fulfills one out of two requirements at a glance. Why waste your time rooting through all the dumb people to find the one genius with a low GPA, when you could root through all the hardworking people to find the one creative and innovative guy?
Crystal, I agree. With the current system, this is the exact right thing to do. And, that is why every company does it.
GPA works because it is quick and numerical. You can’t put a number by an individual’s creativity or original thinking. You are right – it makes sense for an employer to choose a 3.7 over a 3.2 if the other factors are similiar. Resumes and interviews (other current factors) or both terrible predictors of success.
I interviewed at Google senior year and they made me staple a sheet on top of all my papers with two numbers: my gpa and SAT score.
There needs to be a platform where you can identify (numerically) creativity/ability to innovate. That’s exactly why I build groupereye and my team will do this.
Crystal, It behooves the company to “root through all the dumb people” to hire the genius with a 2.5-9 average because, well, that genius can do remarkable things.
You also say that GPA fulfills those two requirements (hardworking and creativity) at a glance. I kindly disagree Ms. In fact, I know many people with 3.6 + GPAs who don’t step foot in the library from noon on Friday till Tuesday afternoon (let a lone pick up a book on their own initiative). As to creativity, well, for some, anything that deviates from the memorization of a textbook might very well not even exist.
However, yes, GPA is a general indicator just like the SAT, the LCAT or GMAT. They work in averages and produce results that suffice.
In addition, what I find a most profound problem with the GPA is that it is not standardized within the school. The level of difficulty between two professors can – and often is – marked by a wide margin. Needless to talk of grade inflation, extra credit, and TA’s giving out “free 100s”.