> These investments aren't setting them up to be compelling candidates against folks who have equal and sometimes lesser tier schools as their undergraduate education coupled with meaningful real world experience.
It sounds like you're hiring juniors.
What about seniors? Where would you rank someone with an undergrad + 10 years work experience, versus a masters + 6 years work experience?
For senior level, and YMMV, but for non-technicals, as time goes on experience beats the education badge and I think as you go higher in the sophistication of the hire the more nuanced the process becomes to where at least at the first level evaluation, formal education becomes increasingly less compelling.
It sounds like you're hiring juniors.
What about seniors? Where would you rank someone with an undergrad + 10 years work experience, versus a masters + 6 years work experience?
What about 20 vs 16?