[traviswingo]

I think your grandfather was a wise man. I have frequently noticed the best employees I’ve hired are not the top students. They’re self starters, independent, and “street smart.” I actually never ask about education, simply because true intelligence doesn’t come from a classroom.

The valedictorian will frequently bother me for the next task or to sign off on something, the 3.0 gpa figures it out on her own. Obviously this isn’t always the case, but it’s what I’ve observed in my mere 28 years on this earth, and happens to match my beliefs.

[lev99]

I think 2.9-3.3 is the ideal range. I pass on anything less than a 2.5 or more than a 3.7 unless there is something else in their resume that makes up for it.

GPA signals a lot about a candidate.

If they graduate with a low GPA it means they are okay staying with a path of life they are not succeeding in. I'd prefer if they dropped out and did something nonacademic, because that signals they noticed something wasn't for them and searched for a better fit.

If they graduate with a very high GPA it signals they are a perfectionist, that they do well in highly structured settings, that they are obsessive about stats, and that they highly value authority.

A 3.0 with a good attitude and success in life outside of academia signals that they can identify important metrics of success and complete them, but are not obsessive about them. It signals that they do not take authority too seriously (parents are often the largest motivators for people with very high gpas). The goal is to determine how the 2.9-3.3 spent their extra time not chasing stats, and if those experiences will bring anything to the team. I look for things like internships, team sports, volunteer work, part time work, clubs, and awards.

[enraged_camel]

We hired someone like this, thinking their “street smarts” would give them an edge and make them a good employee.

What happened instead is that they struggled with discipline. They were late to client meetings, they missed important deadlines (rest of us had to pick up the slack), you name it. They were indeed street smart and stood out in terms of creativity, but their lack of what is typically called “work ethics” (which no doubt contributed to their average GPA) prevented them from meeting their obligations.

So yeah, GPA isn’t everything but it can be a really good signal for qualities necessary to succeed in professional work.

[dempseye]

Sounds like this person was wrong for that role and would have done well in a position where they had more latitude to play to their strengths. Horses for courses.

[alexbeloi]

The valedictorian is an 'executor', and likely very good at that crushing tasks to get the job done. The self-starter is creative and malleable and likely very good at complex problems with lots of unknowns.

Those people aren't interchangeable and it's preferable to have both to run smoothly. It sounds like you're speaking from a position of upper management, where you don't have the time to be managing an executor type person and you'd prefer more independent people directly under you.

[praneshp]

As a former low GPA student, I thank you.

> I have frequently noticed the best employees I’ve hired are not the top students > I actually never ask about education

How do you know they are not the top students? Just from chatting over lunch, etc?

[anoncoward111]

If this is really the case, which I suspect it is, then university is a gigantic waste of time, and hiring practices are more like reading tea leaves rather than an "employee SLA".

that 30k i spent really wasnt worth it!!

[pkaye]

Would you prefer a self starter with a 4.0 GPA or a 2.0 GPA?

[ScottBurson]

The self starter with a 4.0 GPA is a highly paid lawyer, or something, and is not in your applicant pool.

[pkaye]

In that case what makes you think any self starter will be in your applicant pool?

[SimbaOnSteroids]

I've gotta learn how large software projects come together somewhere.

[andrewmcwatters]

You're getting downvoted, but this is reality and it's a poor reflection on HN to see your comment shunned.