Fresh Grads Have It Hard Enough. Leave Their GPAs Out of Hiring.
If grades-based shortlisting keeps the rote academic pressure on, who is it actually helping? The post Fresh Grads Have It Hard Enough. Leave Their GPAs Out of Hiring. appeared first on RICE .
Annabelle Chang, an undergraduate at Singapore Management University, argues that employers should not be allowed to request grades during the hiring process. This push could help alleviate the intense focus on academic achievement in Singapore. However, grades are not the be-all and end-all; they only give a limited snapshot of a candidate's abilities.
A meta-analysis found a correlation of just 0.21 between academic performance and job performance, indicating that grades do not necessarily tell employers much about how employees will perform in the workplace. Employers often prioritize GPA as a screening tool, with some requiring a minimum of 3.0 before considering a CV. However, this approach can lead to poor hiring decisions, as it may eliminate candidates who could excel in the role despite having lower grades.
The Singapore job market is currently facing challenges, with fewer graduates securing full-time positions and higher rates of retrenchments among young degree holders. Restricting employers from asking for grades could help shift the focus towards skills-based hiring, which could result in better matches between candidates and jobs.
This shift is already happening, with the Ministry of Manpower stating that academic qualifications are not the main factor in hiring for 79.6% of job vacancies in 2025, up from 78.8% in the previous year. By testing for job-relevant skills, employers can avoid wasting time and resources on candidates who may not be a good fit for the role, ultimately leading to a more productive workforce.
Written by urgent.news from RICE Media's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
