JOB SEEKER 101: GPA

As college students, we are expected to earn high achievements during our education period to secure our future. There are a number of assignments, tests, and group projects to complete in order to earn a good GPA. College GPA is used as a tool to measure students’ academic achievement, which means that GPA can indicate how well an individual has done in college. With this in mind, students keep trying their best, studying day and night to work on their grades. But in the world of work, does GPA really matter that much?
First of all, we need to understand the role of GPA in job employment. To be hired, a person must go through a selection process where prospective employees will be evaluated. Those who are chosen are those who meet the predetermined criteria so that recruiters can retain only the best individuals. In the selection process, recruiters commonly screen candidates based on the resumes they have submitted, which contain information such as their personal profile, objective, academic background, skills and work experience if there’s any. Of all the information available, one of the information that recruiters often consider when screening is the candidate’s GPA.

From a survey conducted, it’s found that over 80% of professional recruiters use a minimum GPA cut-off when it comes to decision-making. This shows that GPA weighed heavily on hiring decision-making. But why is that? It’s because other than indicating an individual’s academic capabilities, it’s also widely believed by professional recruiters that grades can reflect on one’s motivation to learn, as well as an index of mental ability. It’s also found that recruiters tend to discourage evaluating applicants more thoroughly when candidates have a high GPA. But this is not always the case. It’s found that there are some inconsistencies on when and how GPA influences recruiter’s decision-making.

There is a study that shows recruitment professionals with extensive experience with screening resumes tended to select those with lower GPAs. A recent study also found that the use of minimum GPA cut scores becomes more common when there’s a big size of applicant pool. But, Even though there were a number of positive findings regarding the usage of college GPA in applicant screening such as a cost-efficient and simple way to see candidates’ mental ability and motivation, organizations should reevaluate the usage of GPA to screen applicants. Organizations should be more cautious by considering all of the factors and possible limitations there are to ensure fairness and accuracy.

In conclusion, although GPA is an important factor that needs to be considered. This doesn’t mean other factors such as soft skills and hard skills can be ignored. Each job recruiter has their own criteria depending on the needs of the job so develop all the skills you have. Individuals with many skills will be deemed competent and have a higher potential to give positive contribution to the organizations and thus have a higher chance to be hired. That’s why take all the chances you get to gain more experiences and knowledge. Who knows it might be your ticket to success!

Reference
Imose, Ruth, A., & Barber, Larissa, K. (2015). Using Undergraduate Grade Point Average as a Selection Tool: A Synthesis of the Literature. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 18(1), 1-11. doi: 10.1037/mgr0000025.