Tom Perrault, Chief People Officer at Rally HealthSM , thinks tech companies are ignoring the skills taught in liberal arts courses — at their own peril. And he just said so in the prestigious Harvard Business Review.
“In today’s digitally driven world, companies are competing ferociously for technological skills,” Tom writes. “They believe the ability to create the hard code that makes a product come to life is at the heart of their success. Without code, after all, you merely have ideas on a napkin or a dream in your head.”
Which is why engineers and data scientists are highly valued at Rally.
"We couldn't do what we do at Rally without our tech talent," says Tom. "They make our product come to life, and make it successful with our end consumers. But, looking ahead, I do see more openings for liberal arts majors in tech as well. It will be more of a balance."
Whether you're in tech or liberal arts, Tom says human skills like creativity, empathy, and imagination will never go out of style. And these are exactly the areas that liberal arts students excel in. But companies aren’t looking for these things — and Tom thinks they should be.
We asked Tom what inspired him to write the article.
“Tech companies should care about hiring people with liberal arts degrees because they bring the skills that tech companies will need in the future in order to grow,” Tom told us. “Skills such as empathy, listening, vision setting, and creativity are all vital to the success of an organization. And that's just what liberal arts students have been well-prepared to do.”
At RallySM , we’ve always believed in hiring creative people to design easy, intuitive products that people love to use, whether you are an engineer or English major. For more on how we work, check out our About Us page.
IAN WHEELER
Rally Health
