LaFawn Davis, while growing up, harbored the ambition of becoming the CEO of seven companies simultaneously. This aspiration instilled in her a strong work ethic, which led her to enter the workforce at the age of 14, securing her first job at a Black-owned flower shop in San Jose, California. Her work journey never ceased from there.
Despite her rigorous work ethic, Davis, who became Indeed’s Chief People and Sustainability Officer in May 2024, shared with HR Brew that her career progression was not always smooth, partly due to not having a bachelor’s degree. Davis recounted being advised that certain roles were unattainable without a college degree. Nevertheless, she maintained the belief that if she felt capable of performing a job, she would pursue it, irrespective of the formal qualifications stated.
Davis is among many HR professionals in the U.S. who lack a bachelor’s degree. An HR Brew/Harris Poll survey conducted in September indicated that only 31% of HR professionals possess this level of education, with 12% holding an associate degree, 30% a high school diploma, and 8% having less than a high school education. Additionally, 18% have obtained a graduate degree.
In recounting her career trajectory to HR Brew, Davis highlighted how she navigated the corporate ladder without a four-year college degree. After completing high school, Davis enrolled at San José State University but chose to drop out as her commitment to work often led her to skip classes. She ventured into corporate America, initially handling operational roles at startups during the dot-com era. However, when the bubble burst in 2000, she lost her job and encountered barriers finding new opportunities without a bachelor’s degree.
At 22, with a newborn to care for, Davis moved back with her parents but remained steadfast in her quest to re-enter the corporate sector and fulfill her childhood dream of becoming an executive. Leveraging her corporate network, she took on roles as a claims adjustor, executive assistant, and chief of staff, each helping her acquire new administrative and people skills. Her pivotal moment arrived in 2005 when Google hired her as a program specialist, a tenure that ended after eight years with her serving as their HR business partner focused on diversity and inclusion.
During her time at Google, she concentrated on integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into HR programs and employee lifecycle processes, realizing it aligned with her career aspirations. Following her stint at Google, Davis progressed through various tech companies, alternating between employee experience and DEI roles at Yahoo!, eBay, and PayPal. In 2019, she joined Indeed as a Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
Davis advocates for a skills-first hiring approach and reflects on the numerous opportunities she received to break into corporate America without a bachelor’s degree. She emphasizes that the skills-first movement does not oppose college degrees; instead, it recognizes that a college degree is not the sole pathway to acquiring skills, and urges both individuals and companies to embrace hiring for skills.
Previously, Davis felt “ashamed” of not having a college degree, but now she openly shares her experience, utilizing it to influence her work at Indeed by encouraging a skills-first hiring approach. Indeed, under her influence, removed college-degree requirements from its corporate job postings in 2022, branding itself as a fair chance employer.
Although Davis acknowledges she won’t fulfill her childhood dream of becoming the CEO of seven companies at once, her presence in the C-suite, despite lacking a college degree, serves as an inspiration for others aspiring to follow a similar path. The report by Mikaela Cohen was originally published by HR Brew and featured on Fortune.com.
