DHR Report Highlights Success of Replacing Bachelor’s Degree Requirement With Relevant Experience in Select State Jobs

WILMINGTON, Del. — The Delaware Department of Human Resources (DHR) released its Job Requirement Project Report, demonstrating the positive outcomes of removing mandatory bachelor’s degree requirements in favor of relevant experience for certain state jobs. The report highlights improvements in recruitment and vacancy rates.

Summarizing DHR’s efforts over the past two years to thoroughly review degree requirements for hundreds of state jobs, the report, which was requested by House Concurrent Resolution 76 (HCR76), examines hiring practices and degree requirements. The report focuses on the effects of eliminating the bachelor’s degree requirements for roles in the Family Service Specialist, Human Resource Advisor, State Human Resource Analyst, and Probation and Parole Officer class series. The report also provides recommendations to expand this approach to additional positions to further promote transparency and accountability in creating a more inclusive state workforce.

“This work shows that we can be smarter about filling important state jobs without lowering our standards,” said Governor John Carney. “I want to thank DHR for continuing to examine how we can expand state job opportunities to more people who want good paying jobs with great benefits, while contributing meaningfully to our state.”

Key highlights of the report include:

• Of the 945 active merit classes, 181 require a degree: six for an associate’s, 159 for a bachelor’s, 12 for a master’s, and four for a doctorate.
• 81% of merit classes do not require any degree, while 17% require a bachelor’s degree.
• 89% of state positions requiring a degree are filled; only 11% currently are vacant.
• After DHR eliminated the bachelor’s degree requirement in lieu of relevant work experience, Family Service Specialist positions saw a 6% reduction in vacancy rates, a 575% increase in applicants, and a 13% decrease in non-qualified applicants.
• Human Resource Advisor and State Human Resource Analyst roles experienced a 7% vacancy rate reduction in 2023 and a 4% reduction in 2024, with applications increasing by 9% and non-qualified applicants decreasing by 13%.
• The Probation and Parole Officer positions achieved a 0% vacancy rate in 2023 and a 7% vacancy rate in 2024, with an 18% increase in applications and a 48% decrease in non-qualified applicants.

The report underscores the benefits of reducing barriers for job seekers, diversifying the applicant pool and improving workforce inclusivity. It recommends that DHR should continue to review degree requirements for job classifications and make changes where appropriate.

“DHR’s initiative to review degree requirements has been one part of a much larger strategy over the past three years to boost hiring and make state jobs more accessible,” said DHR Secretary Claire DeMatteis. “At some point about 25 years ago, degree requirements were added to state job requirements. Times change and people’s life experiences change. With DHR’s thorough review of job degree requirements, a robust marketing campaign for state jobs, higher salaries, and innovative signing and retention bonuses for hard-to-fill jobs, the state has had record hiring years in 2022 and 2023 and is on track for another near-record hiring year for 2024. We’re proud of the talented individuals these efforts have brought into our state workforce.”

To view the full report, visit the Department of Human Resources website.

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