Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County recently identified 84 job classifications where the requirement to hold a higher education degree could be removed. This decision was made after an extensive review of all Boulder County classifications with degree requirements by the county’s Human Resources team. This review was part of the county’s ongoing recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts, and further efforts to support and sustain equity, cultural responsiveness, and inclusion which is part of the county’s Guiding Values and Strategic Priorities. The degree requirements removed were found to be unnecessary for essential performance and not regarded as necessary according to the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Job postings for these 84 positions will now require any combination of education and experience in specified skill sets as part of the job requirements. Some examples of the types of classifications that are included within this change are Volunteer Coordinators, Law Enforcement Records Managers, GIS Managers, Web Applications Developer, and many more.

By removing degree requirements in these classifications, Boulder County increases advancement opportunities for current staff, and attracts a more diverse pool of applicants. It allows individuals who have extensive knowledge and experience in their fields equal opportunity to apply for positions they are otherwise qualified for and to advance and succeed in their career.

“We think this is an important step to take in today’s competitive job market to help our departments attract larger pools of qualified candidates for their open positions,” said Commissioner Deb Gardner. “We also believe that this change will allow a more diverse group of highly capable candidates to apply who may have extraordinary experience and were previously excluded from applying simply because they are lacking a degree.”

To help the county’s hiring managers adapt to screening and hiring candidates without degrees, the Human Resources division will be supporting those hiring managers in:

• Rewriting job postings with required and preferred competencies and skills.
• Identifying true competencies absolutely required for positions.
• Providing training and/or coaching to help hiring managers conduct skills-based interviewing and hiring.

For more information about these changes, please contact Julie Yager, HR Director, at jyager@bouldercounty.org or 303-441-3589.