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Kellogg’s announces potential employees no longer need to have a degree

Kelloggs

Kelloggs embraces inclusivity Degree no longer required for prospective employees

Kellogg's has made a significant change in its hiring practices by eliminating the requirement for prospective employees to hold a degree.

The company says the decision reflects its commitment to fostering inclusivity and acknowledging that a degree may not always correlate with an individual's potential contributions to a role.

Following a successful trial within its field sales team last autumn, Kellogg's is now implementing this policy across its wider business.

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The company aims to attract a more diverse and extensive pool of talent, recognizing people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may have limited access to higher education, as highlighted by research from the Office for Students.

Kellogg's emphasizes imposing a degree requirement for entry-level positions often overlooks talented individuals based on the assumption that a degree guarantees success in the role.

However, it is important to note certain regulated professions, such as legal counsel or engineers, may still necessitate a degree due to specific qualifications.

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Chris Silcock, Kellogg’s UK managing director, told BusinessLive: "At Kellogg, we believe everyone should have a place at the table.

"And, by ditching the need to have a degree we hope more people from different backgrounds will consider Kellogg as somewhere for their career, not just those who went to university."

On why he decided not to go to university Sam Thornton, Kellogg’s sales director, said: ‘"I spent a while deliberating on whether university was right for me.

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"When you’re surrounded by friends who are accepting places it can be tough not to follow suit, but I knew it wasn’t the path I wanted to go down.

"I chose to pursue a career in FMCG and started out by working in my local supermarket on the shop floor, I was then fortunate enough to take part in a management training program.

"Knowing I was interested in commercial roles, I began to look for opportunities in head office.

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"This took a while as there wasn’t a formal pathway without a degree, however, I eventually secured an entry-level role in buying and my career has gone from there.

"I was once approached directly for a role at a retailer where I had all the right experience but was unfortunately turned down due to not having a degree.

"On the whole though, I like to think deciding not to go to university gave me a head start and I have been very lucky that all of my previous employers have recognised it as such.

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"Still now people are surprised to hear I haven’t got a degree and assume I must have gone to university.

"It’s always stood out to me how many companies still ask for a degree as part of job requirements, so it’s amazing to see Kellogg remove that barrier."

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