My older brother hated going to school throughout most of his childhood—so much so that my parents often had to resort to coercion in order to get him through the front door and behind his desk. For years I assumed he didn’t like school or perform well because he was “my stupid older brother.” Then, something miraculous happened as he entered his last year of middle school—an astute math teacher came to realize that my brother’s struggles were not due to lack of understanding the problems presented to him, but rather that they bored him to death. It turns out my brother wasn’t really stupid at all… in fact, quite the opposite. When given more difficult subject matter, he began to thrive and develop a deep love for education.
Why, as a recruitment professional, would I ruminate over this specific memory? The answer is rooted in the dilemma that comes with the selection and hiring of candidates who are overqualified for the positions to which they have applied. From a candidate’s perspective, hearing that they are overqualified is on the same level as the age-old breakup line, “It’s not you, it’s me.”
The risks of hiring overqualified candidates whose skills far exceed the position in question have been ingrained into the minds and mantra of almost every recruiter and hiring manager across all organizations. That said, while there may be some risks, you’ll find a lot more opportunities when considering an overqualified candidate if you look at it the right way.
Mis-definitions. Think of the term overqualified—what comes to mind? For some, it may be education that far exceeds the target candidate. Others may set their definition around experience-level. And there are many that center their definitions on a combination of the two. In reality, overqualified should simply mean exceeding the skill requirements for a particular role. With that in mind, don’t be so quick to throw out candidates who have more education than what is required—holding a graduate degree doesn’t instantly translate into excess skills. Likewise, a wealth of experience needs to be evaluated objectively—were the roles directly related? There are many factors that may have led a candidate to apply for a particular position within your organization—consider a re-location, change of industry, shift of work/life balance, etc.
Magnification. Peering into a looking glass makes the object on the other side larger. As you consider an overqualified candidate for a position, pull your magnifying glass. Sure, maybe the role you’re hiring for today may be well within their skillset, but also consider how their entry into your organization will play out on a larger scale. What will be your talent needs tomorrow? Understand how the position could grow and expand in the future. Will you be searching for the same person 12 or 24 months down the road? Acquiring top talent is difficult, and if you pass on them today, the likelihood is that another organization will snatch them up tomorrow.
Management. Just as my brother grew bored with lack of challenge, employees who are not provided with challenges and opportunities all too often grow tired and search for outside stimulation—i.e. another job. As you bring on a candidate who fits the overqualified label, focus on an effective onboarding. For the candidate, this means being upfront about the current opportunity details and what it may become over time. The second half of the management equation is to level set with the new manager. Apart from the fear of losing a candidate who simply grows bored with the role, another fear of hiring someone who is overly dexterous is that their manager may feel threatened, creating an uneasy environment. Consider creating a specific plan for the newly hired employee that demonstrates to the manager that their onboarding is not a direct threat to their position—such as, “After a period of 12 months, Person X will assume X duties or move to X role.”
Money. Everybody wants a bargain—it doesn’t matter if you’re an individual, a government agency or an organization, the desire to stretch our dollars runs high. With this in mind, I would caution underpaying an overqualified candidate. If they are really top talent and you’re not paying them what they’re worth, you can be sure someone else will. If you simply cannot afford to pay them what they are worth, it may be better to pass rather than to create the churn and re-hire process that you’d likely create.
While institutional wisdom may be to pass on both underqualified and overqualified candidates, don’t be so quick to toss the latter out the window. The ultimate goal of every great recruiter and hiring manager is to bring great talent into their organization today and allow them to apply said talent in the way that helps our companies endure and grow in the future. When you run into situations like this, reflect to the guidance above. As Mr. H. Jackson Brown, Jr. said, “Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.”
Michelle Kruse has helped countless job-seekers find success as the editor and content manager at ResumeEdge. With more than 10 years of experience recruiting for companies like Novartis and IBM, she has firsthand experience of what recruiters are looking for, and she shares that insight with those who need it most. She writes regularly to provide advice on resume writing and interviewing not only because it’s her job, but because it’s her passion.