Good employees can be hard to find. As a business leader, you don’t always have the time and resources to train a new hire in a job skill they don’t yet possess. That’s why, when hiring, it might be tempting to search for a candidate who has all the necessary qualifications and then some.
However, bringing on an employee with more experience than the job requires isn’t always a wise move. Below, a panel of Forbes Coaches Council members name a few key factors to consider before offering an overqualified applicant the position.
1. Growth Potential
Replacing an employee is costly in terms of hiring and training resources. To keep engaging an overqualified candidate and fully utilize their talent, a business leader should consider the growth plan for that individual. It should encompass leadership training and mentoring, stretch assignments, challenging projects, and a promotion pipeline, on the condition of performance and attitude. - Amy Nguyen, Happiness Infinity LLC
2. Their Motives
Before offering a role to an overqualified candidate, understand their motives for wanting the role. Is this strategic, to step into a new industry? Are they ready to cruise into retirement? Do they want to travel less? Ensure they fit the personal attributes of the role first. - Kelah Raymond, HR Defined
3. Whether You Can ‘Test’ Them As A Contractor First
If someone is overqualified, there’s a real risk they will be bored or unhappy after starting. Yet, if your organization has growth potential, maybe it is worth having the overqualified candidate start with the lesser role as a contractor so you can both try it out temporarily to see if there is a fit. Perhaps after mastering the basic position, they can take on new things to challenge them. - Jennifer Wilson, ConvergenceCoaching, LLC
4. Their Preferred Work Style
An important thing to consider is whether the candidate is suited to the work required. Was their last job chaotic and the new job will be steady as a drum beat? They’ll probably be bored. If their last job was formal and reliable and now their role will be dynamic, they may not be able to move quickly enough. Hiring officials should examine the style of the role to evaluate for fit. - Dr. Rachel MK Headley, Rose Group Int’l LLC
5. Their Willingness To Do The Work
One often overlooked aspect of hiring someone who is “overqualified” is whether they are truly able and willing to perform the work. People who have advanced in their careers beyond the job you are hiring for often find their skills in that lower job have become obsolete. Even if they do have the skills, will they be truly willing to get their hands dirty over a significant period of time? - Wade Thomas, Aim to Win
6. Their Passion For The Work And The Team
When looking at overqualified candidates for any position, the hidden risk is that they will leave as soon as they are capable of landing a position elsewhere that is worthy of their talents. The simple remedy? Rather than match responsibilities to the candidate’s talents, match the joy (or fun) of the work involved, and then make sure they love the team. They will stay in this scenario. - John Hittler, Evoking Genius
7. Their Commitment To Get The Job Done
The recent economy has wreaked havoc on careers. Many experienced individuals found themselves competing with new graduates for fewer roles at lower salaries. Often these overqualified workers lower their expectations in favor of landing a job. Business leaders in need of high experience at lower pay should not underestimate the commitment of overqualified candidates to get the job done. - Lillian Gregory, The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence
8. Whether They’re ‘Settling’ For This Job
Have they lost their confidence? Are they just looking for easy street? Do they think they just got lucky in the past? Are they just wanting an end to their current situation? It is important to really understand their motivation—not just what they are saying, but deeper than that. They won’t have the responsibility and authority they are used to. It often is a recipe for disaster. - Kimberly Roush, All-Star Executive Coaching
