Should You Consider Hiring an Overqualified Candidate?

What’s one of the biggest fears of any hiring manager? Making a bad hire. But, is hiring an overqualified candidate a bad hire? This is often debated by human resources professionals everywhere.

This article won’t answer the question, but it will illustrate a few pros and cons of this debate, so you can decide what makes sense for your company.

The Pros of Hiring an Overqualified Candidate

• Easier to Manage

A client with extensive experience will feel more comfortable taking initiative and adjusting to a new professional setting than a younger, less-experienced hire. With their experience, they will require less supervision and management over the details, but they’ll still be productive.

• More Talent

An overqualified hire has plenty of knowledge and skill to add to their job and may raise the standards of their co-workers, too. They may even transform the overall role of the position for the better.

• Higher ROI

Because the overqualified candidate brings more to the position than required, they immediately bring a return on your investment.

The Cons of Hiring an Overqualified Candidate

• Unrealistic Expectations About the Job

Unfortunately, sometimes an overqualified candidate has lofty and unrealistic expectations about the position. Once they get to work, they might become bored or bitter if their expectations don’t become a reality.

• High Turnover

One reason an overqualified candidate might take a job that is lower in rank or pay is because they need the money now, before they move on to bigger job. This reason, in addition to being bored because of unrealistic expectations, can be why an overqualified candidate is quick to leave. Employee turnover is costly to a company and since it happens quickly with overqualified candidates, it’s that much more disheartening and expensive.

• Expensive

Aside from the expenses of training or even employee turnover, overqualified candidates can be more expensive to their perfectly qualified candidates because they demand more money.

Find the Right Candidate for Your Open Position

If you need help finding the perfect candidate for your open position, contact MS-IL Staffing & Packaging.