“We’re sorry, but you’re overqualified for this position.”
Unfortunately, you’ve probably heard that statement before.
For entry-level candidates in particular, how could they possibly be coming out of school “overqualified”? That just doesn’t make sense, especially when we (experts) and the job market keep telling them they need to complete at least one internship before graduating from college in order to be even considered for an entry-level job. They go ahead and complete an internship or two, and we turn around and tell them they are “overqualified”?
Personally, I think this word is a complete cop-out employers use when there is some other reason (or perhaps no good reason) they don’t choose a particular candidate. Andrew O’Connell of Harvard Business Review agrees with me (although he doesn’t use the phrase “cop-out”):
If your recruiting efforts attract job applicants with too much experience—a near certainty in this weak labor market—you should consider a response that runs counter to most hiring managers’ MO: Don’t reject those applicants out of hand. Instead, take a closer look.
Moreover, O’Connell continues (bolded phrases are my own emphasis):
If managers can get beyond the conventional wisdom, the growing pool of too-good applicants is a great opportunity. Two recent studies—one analyzing data on more than 5,000 Americans, the other examining 244 employees of a Turkish apparel chain—show that overqualified employees outperform their colleagues. In the former study, Greg Reilly of the University of Connecticut, Anthony Nyberg of the University of South Carolina, and Mark Maltarich of St. Ambrose University looked at employees with above-average intelligence working in jobs such as car washing and garbage collecting. In addition to achieving higher performance, these cognitively overqualified employees were less likely than others to quit. The researchers point out that many overqualified workers stay put for lifestyle reasons, such as the hours or the company’s values.
Although I don’t have research to back this up, I’d like to add an additional reason to hire an “overqualified” entry-level employee: They will help their co-workers and the company as a whole grow. People who are “overqualified” tend to be big thinkers — and pull people around them up to their level.
If you ask me, these are all good reasons not to dismiss the “overqualified” before even speaking with them. Employers: Stop taking the easy road and get to know this top talent! Maybe they don’t end up being a fit for another reason, but “overqualified” just doesn’t make sense.
Have you had a personal experience with the word “unqualified”? If so, please leave it in the comments section.
