How important is a college 'pedigree?'  March 15, 2013 at 12:01
PM ET  As part of her push to turn around Yahoo, Marissa Mayer
has taken some popular steps (like doling out free food and
iPhones) and some not-so-popular ones (like making employees
come into the office if they want those goodies — or their
jobs). Now, insiders say Mayer’s fixation on college credentials
is hindering Yahoo’s ability to hire top talent.  Recruiting
experts say focusing on an applicant’s “pedigree” may seem like
a shortcut to hiring only the cream of the crop, but this
practice can have a negative impact in the long term, especially
for tech companies whose survival depends on innovation.  On the
company’s fourth quarter conference call in January, Mayer
discussed implementing “rigorous hiring protocols” — a phrase
unnamed company employees cited by Reuters say is code for a
newfound zeal for high grades and degrees from prestigious
universities like Stanford. (Yahoo declined to comment on what a
company spokeswoman characterized