Major tech companies face a paradoxical crossroads: a talent shortage combined with the need to lay off part of their workforce to increase efficiency.
In this context, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a recent interview with Bloomberg that he believes the company’s hiring policy shouldn’t rely solely on hiring candidates with the most degrees and knowledge listed on their resumes but focus on other skills that don’t necessarily require an academic degree.
Fewer degrees, more critical thinking. During the interview, Zuckerberg emphasized that Meta’s hiring policy values people’s ability to deepen and master specific skills.
Among these skills, Zuckerberg told journalist Emily Chang that he places great value on “learning how to think critically and learning values when you’re young.” He explained that what matters most to him isn’t college degrees or master’s degrees but the ability to solve complex problems and demonstrate a deep understanding of a particular area.
“If people have shown that they can go deep and do one thing really well, then they’ve probably gained experience in the art of learning something and taking it to an excellent level, which is generally pretty applicable to other things,” he said.
Lessons from his daughter. Zuckerberg again used an anecdote about his daughter to explain this concept, as he did earlier during his appearance on the Acquired podcast.
On that occasion, Zuckerberg mentioned that his daughter was very creative and had outlined a novel about “mermaid crystals.” She had already written 40 pages and used AI to generate images. For Meta’s CEO, fostering learning and problem-solving skills from an early age is crucial for future careers. He believes people develop analytical and creative abilities that later become more valuable than any university degree.
Meta’s hiring policy. Meta and Zuckerberg have followed this hiring policy for many years. In 2015, the Facebook co-founder responded to a similar question during a Q&A session with the press after his participation at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. According to CNN, Zuckerberg said the company doesn’t prioritize candidates’ technical preparation but rather their entrepreneurial and leadership skills.
“I will only hire someone to work directly for me if I would work for that person. I think this rule has served me pretty well,” he said.
College degrees are losing value. Zuckerberg’s hiring philosophy has spread to other tech companies, which are increasingly de-emphasizing college degrees and prioritizing problem-solving skills.
In 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook downplayed the importance of a college degree for getting a job at a big tech company. “We never really thought that a college degree was the thing you had to have to do well. We've always tried to expand our horizons,” Cook said during the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board meeting, according to Business Insider. In fact, Steve Jobs, one of the company’s founders, dropped out of college to start Apple.
Downsizing and the “year of efficiency.” For now, despite this approach to hiring, Meta has paused its hiring policy to adjust its workforce as part of its “year of efficiency” plan, which began in 2023.
Following massive layoffs between 2022 and 2023, Meta has flattened its organizational structure by reducing the number of middle-management positions.
Image | Meta edited by Xataka En
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