GPA meaningless? (was "any research...")

GPA meaningless? (was "any research...")

[W. Wesley Groleau (Wes)]

It's true that GPA is not a reliable indicator of competence or of
incompetence.  _But_ if you need to hire _five_ software engineers,
and you have 1000 applicants, using GPA to cut it to 100 applicants
is not entirely foolish.  You're probably willing to take the slim
chance
of missing the best candidate (of 1000) and getting the second best,
rather than having to interview all 1000.  It is highly unlikely that
_all_ the good candidates have low GPAs.  If the difference between 
99.1 percentile and 99.2 percentile is critical, then your company is in
too much trouble for anyone to rescue.

Same argument probably holds for a lot of factors, not just GPA.

If you need five people and have five applicants, then looking at 
GPA may indeed be foolish....

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W. Wesley Groleau (Wes), Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne, IN
USA
Senior Software Engineer - AFATDS                      Tool-smith
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Re: GPA meaningless? (was "any research...")

[Roy Grimm]

W. Wesley Groleau (Wes) wrote:
> 
> It's true that GPA is not a reliable indicator of competence or of
> incompetence.  _But_ if you need to hire _five_ software engineers,
> and you have 1000 applicants, using GPA to cut it to 100 applicants
> is not entirely foolish.  You're probably willing to take the slim
> chance
> of missing the best candidate (of 1000) and getting the second best,
> rather than having to interview all 1000.  It is highly unlikely that
> _all_ the good candidates have low GPAs.  If the difference between
> 99.1 percentile and 99.2 percentile is critical, then your company is in
> too much trouble for anyone to rescue.

I will agree with that assessment.  I haven't meant to come off sounding
like GPA is completely meaningless.  I simply contend that you are doing
yourself a disservice if you don't consider other factors in hiring
someone.

> Same argument probably holds for a lot of factors, not just GPA.

I would agree with that as well.

-- 
Voicing my own opinion, not speaking as a company representative...

Roy A. Grimm
Rockwell Collins Avionics
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
ragrimm@cca.rockwell.com