Because in a tight job market (which is what we have) they are mandatory. If you have 500 candidates and 250 don't have degrees you can eliminate half the appl

Because in a tight job market (which is what we have) they are mandatory. If you have 500 candidates and 250 don't have degrees you can eliminate half the applicants pretty easy. And you don't want to be in the easy-to-eliminate half. The question isn't who you work with now, it's what your HR department puts on new job postings. Do they say degree required?