Hiring overqualified employees doesn’t seem an ideal decision for many employers. They believe that these candidates aren’t a good fit for the position because they don’t truly want the job or that they’ll quit as soon as they find a better opportunity.
Although these concerns might come true for some candidates, these are assumptions based on past experiences. Sometimes, companies reject applicants because they find them overqualified and thus lose the significant advantages that they can bring to the team.
The concept that highly qualified candidates are not ideal has existed for a long time. As per The Harvard Business Review reports, an Israeli scientist’s study revealed that overqualified employees are less satisfied with their jobs and leave more often than those who are a perfect fit for their jobs; the study supports the idea that hiring less qualified candidates is a good idea. However, as the labor market continues to evolve, employers have started embracing the concept of hiring overqualified candidates.
What does an Overqualified Employee Mean?
In simple terms, if a candidate has more qualifications than required or has worked in positions with a higher salary, he is seen as overqualified.
Each job role you are offering and every career opportunity you get come with a unique definition of what that means, but in general, recruiters can discern quickly whether a candidate is a good fit for the position, even if they are overqualified or have little to no experience.
Why do Overqualified Candidates Apply?
In a stable economic environment, overqualified candidates apply for varied reasons, like changing their work/life balance, using their experience as a springboard for reentering the workforce, switching industries or professions, or pursuing a humanitarian objective.
With time, the candidate will prove whether he is a wonderful fit for the company or if he serves as the ideal reason to reject a candidate, depending on how he performs and behaves at the workplace.
In this tough time, mainly after COVID, candidates mainly need a job since the great majority of people looking for work right now are probably doing so as a result of the severe economic impact and these widespread job losses.
Is Hiring an Overqualified Candidate a Good Idea?
There is no right or wrong answer since the outcome depends on candidate to candidate and company to company. To get some clarity on this, we have listed below the advantages and disadvantages of hiring overqualified employees.
Overqualified Employees can be Helpful: What are the Major Benefits?
Fresh Insights and Ideas: Candidates who hold higher positions and are overqualified for the job may see their present role differently or have knowledge of the company’s various structures. It helps to bring improvements to the organization.
Mentoring Skills: Highly qualified employees with great expertise may impart their knowledge to other team members. While not all skills require formal teaching, the presence of a highly experienced person can improve the performance of other team members.
Cost Reduction in Training: Several times, the overqualified individual doesn’t need to get training. They may be able to train others themselves, but they need a proper brief on how the business operates.
Qualified Enough: When it comes to hiring someone, the biggest concern is whether or not they will be able to perform the job requirements perfectly. An overqualified candidate eliminates this uncertainty since they have probably performed this exact work earlier. Employees still need to screen candidates for other factors like personality, but they are sure that the particular applicant is capable of carrying out the fundamental duties of the position.
The Interesting Motive: When companies reject overqualified applicants, it implies they make assumptions about their motivation for applying for the job. It’s possible to find out that the applicant was previously employed by a huge company but would want to be more hands-on in a smaller structure. Or, the candidate is specifically looking for a position that can provide him with a better work-life balance.
Better Output: Experienced candidates accept the job fast and perform exceptionally well. So in comparison to those perfect-fit workers, you get a better outcome from overqualified ones. Besides, they might inspire other team members to perform better.
Maturity: Workers with extensive experience and high qualifications will be more mature and can come in handy in an emergency. When the situation arises, they might support their bosses and apply their abilities to the company’s advantage.
Overall, overqualified employees might have a lot to contribute if you can get past your old ideas and hire them. They can provide fresh ideas to your company, as well as leadership potential, mentorship, and knowledge in other areas. These employees have a wealth of experience that your company has never leveraged before.
Overqualified Employees can be Harmful: Why do Companies Reject Them?
Employers generally reject overqualified candidates or are hesitant to hire them due to varied reasons. Here is a list:
- Disinterest: Most of the research shows that a clear and substantial link between overqualification and work discontent is disinterested. When overqualified workers are poorly managed, they appear to be more prone to developing bad attitudes toward their jobs. All of this provides a simple explanation for the common practice among HR managers of rejecting overqualified job applicants.
- Weak Outcome: Some overqualified employees seem to be approaching their new positions negatively; they could get complacent, bored, or lazy. Employees who believe a task is too easy for them may even attempt to assign it to a different employee. The first step toward poor work performance and carelessness is a mental rejection of the assigned work.
- Negative Impact: Any new employee brings with them a change in the dynamics of the company. Overqualified employees could be harmful to other team members’ aspirations for future growth. Some employees may even choose to quit if they experience intimidation.
- Outdated Information: Not all knowledge acquired earlier is effective today in this rapidly evolving business world. Overqualified employees may have knowledge that has become obsolete. Additionally, they might continue with activities that could harm the company. It will cost money to implement some specialized unlearning techniques to lessen the potential harm that outdated knowledge could do.
Suggestions for Hiring Overqualified Candidates
An employee may be overqualified for a post, for which there are several possible explanations. It’s advisable to find out why they want to work in a certain position before you hire them. By doing this, companies can determine whether the hire will fit in well and won’t hinder output or instill insecurity among coworkers.
Startups should make extra effort to ascertain the motivations behind an overqualified candidate’s desire to work for them. If such an employee is sincere, they can be a huge help; if they are not, they could cause problems for the firm.
Companies must keep in mind that not everyone values money above all else. For a variety of reasons, an individual who is overqualified for a position may decide to work in it. They might prefer a less demanding profession, for example, or they might be less driven by status or money.
An employer may hire wisely and create a productive work environment by finding out why people who are overqualified for a position want to work there.
Last Verdicts
It is a fact that not every overqualified employee will work well for your business. During the interview process, you should be careful with warning signs, just like you would with any other candidate. For example:
- Do they lack moral values?
- Are they serious about the duties of the job?
- Do their salary requirements go well beyond what the position entails?
- Do they have valid reasons for joining a low-paying job?
Evaluating the candidates around these questions will help you determine whether the applicant you have is genuinely excited and could add a lot of value to your company. All you need to do is offer them an opportunity.
