But believe me, the same feelings can be shared by the applicant. “Am I going to become professionally stagnant? Will my experience be valued?” These questions can play out in a candidate’s mind as well. You can say that you are in the same boat.
Don’t make one crucial mistake – don’t reject such applicants out of hand, but look at its potential a little closer.
Research shows that overqualified workers tend to perform better than other employees, it is not true that they are more likely to quit. On the other hand, this type of employee shows a higher level of dissatisfaction, but this does not mean that he or she is constantly thinking about quitting.
To invite or not to invite a prequalified candidate?
Yes, let’s face it – it is a challenge to meet the expectations of such a candidate without losing them. A simple managerial tactic – empowerment – can alleviate any dissatisfaction they may feel.
Companies often go out of their way to look for candidates who are a “perfect fit” for the position over candidates who bring more intelligence, education, or experience than necessary.
Some companies even deliberately refuse to hire an exceptionally capable candidate into their team, fearing that they will become disgruntled and eventually resign anyway.
The impact of the COVID 19 pandemic has left many highly skilled and experienced candidates “vacant” on the labour market. If managers can overcome certain conventions, the growing pool of “too good” candidates is a great opportunity.
Researchers point out that many overqualified workers consider other values, such as the following, as reasons for staying in the job. working hours or benefits offered by the company.
Their feelings of dissatisfaction can be dispelled by giving them autonomy in decision-making.
In companies where employees did not feel sufficiently autonomous or empowered, overqualified workers expressed greater dissatisfaction than their colleagues and were more likely to express an intention to quit. On the contrary, in firms with a high degree of autonomy this difference disappeared.
There are significant advantages to hiring overqualified employees. Benefits such as increased expertise, innovation or transfer of experience speak in favour of hiring them into your team. If an experienced hiring manager, after reviewing your resume, recommends such an employee, it is certainly a perspective worth considering.
It is possible that you invest less money in training. With experience, he can quickly get up to speed on the work system and be fully productive.
Create room for a possible career move within the company for such a candidate. However, avoid empty promises if you know that such growth is not possible in terms of staffing structure. If the promotion path is impassable, think about delegating more demanding job responsibilities.
