Comment Certifications shouldn't be hiring tools ... (Score 1) 213
I can see certification backed training being used as a prerequisite to move within a company, either laterally or for promotions. It makes sense to ensure that an employee has a certain base knowledge prior to moving into a new position. Studying for and passing a certification test accomplishes that. (Note: I am saying base knowledge, further training may be required.)
Using certifications for hiring is pure nonsense. There are too many unknowns when hiring a person, and how seriously they took the certification process is certainly one of them. How well they retain information that they may have acquired over a short period of time is another factor that cannot be tested. Whether they are able to acquire new skills and troubleshoot new situations is certainly a huge consideration that is difficult to test. That is all stuff that you actually need to know in order to know if the certification has value. That is all stuff you can assess with employees who are moving within the company, yet cannot adequately assess with people who are coming into the company.