From experience I can say that not having a degree does make it much harder to get interviews. Earlier in my career it probably cost me quite a bit in starting salaries. However now that I have a couple of decades of experience, I actually make more than most of the degreed people I work with, even the ones with as much experience as me. Getting past the screeners in most major HR departments is still an issue.
I recently become unemployed 6 weeks ago and had to look for a position for the first time in 14 years...
To say the job market certainly has changed would be an understatement...
I do not have a degree and it was extremely frustrating looking at positions on job boards were I was an excellent fit based on the job description, but the degree was a requirement...
I finally added on my cover letter why I did not have a degree, but four years of night school, and I was very qualified based on my long track record of success and accomplishments in my field...
The doors started cracking open...
After I added that section to my cover letter I received about six responses and got three interviews...
I think the requirement for a BA in a lot of cases, except for STEM degrees is simply to cut down on the number of resumes HR gets...
I also figured out the cover letter is far more important than you resume' to get the HR to look at your resume' in the first place.
Cover letters need to be a sales pitch on why you will be the best candidate, not some dry summary of your resume'
I start my new position on Monday...!
Your comment about HR is spot on. Where I work HR has rejected excellent job candidates that have long track records of above standard performance because they don’t have degrees only to hire people with degrees that where complete idiots. It harmed the company, it harmed the moral and it makes it difficult for skilled workers to get in the door. But then again, I have long believed that HR was not there to help the employee. They are there to prevent the employee from harming the company.