EY scraps academic qualifications for 2016 recruitment

FINANCIAL services firm EY is preparing to remove academic qualifications from their 2016 entry criteria, following an 18 month analysis of their entry requirements.

Talent management firm Capp looked at EY’s approach to recruitment. Their analysis showed EY that there was “no evidence to conclude that previous success in higher education correlated with future success in subsequent professional qualifications undertaken.”

Graduate, undergraduate and school leavers will no longer be required to have a minimum of 300 UCAS points and a 2:1 degree to apply for their programmes.

EY will use online assessments and numerical tests to assess potential applicants.

Stuart Watson, EY’s senior partner in Yorkshire, said: “At EY we want to attract the brightest and most talented individuals.

“The changes we have made to our recruitment process will help us to find the best candidates from a wider range of diverse backgrounds.

“We want to give every candidate the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths and their potential in our selection process.”

EY’s managing partner for Talent, Maggie Stilwell, said: “At EY we are modernising the workplace, challenging traditional thinking and ways of doing things. Transforming our recruitment process will open up opportunities for talented individuals regardless of their background and provide greater access to the profession.

“Academic qualifications will still be taken into account and indeed remain an important consideration when assessing candidates as a whole, but will no longer act as a barrier to getting a foot in the door.

“Instead, the research shows that there are positive correlations between certain strengths and success in future professional qualifications.

“Transforming our recruitment policy is intended to create a more even and fair playing field for all candidates, giving every applicant the opportunity to prove their abilities.”