Letters and numbers

Can't understand why there's such a fuss about the GCSE grading being altered from the old A*- G to the new 9-1.  Seems simple enough to me - if you're an employer interviewing for a position and looking for an intellectual high-flyer, you would ideally have been looking for an A* candidate under the old system, and now equally ideally you're looking for someone with a 9.  What's the problem?