It is common for hiring managers to overlook applicants who seem “overqualified”. Overqualified candidates are viewed as a risk, or a candidate that will not become a long term employee. Although hiring is a risky task in itself, overqualified candidates should not be ignored. Instead, take them in to consideration as a candidate. Do the pros outweigh the cons? An overqualified candidate might just become your next staffing solution.

Hiring Overqualified Candidates as Your Staffing Solution

Every year businesses reject and turn away great talent because hiring managers are always looking for a perfect fit. However, what may seem like the perfect fit, may end up not being the best staffing solution. Someone may bring more intelligence or skill than the job requires, but it is important to understand an individual’s intentions and motivation for wanting a specific position. Some of the benefits that an overqualified employee can bring to your company are:

• Lower training costs. The expense of training a new employee can be significant to a company. Hiring a very qualified employee can cut the costs of training them, which will save your business a lot of money and time.
• Faster productivity. A candidate who is overqualified will most likely hit the ground running. The learning curve is minimal and they have experience managing their time and productivity.
• Increased performance. According to a study from the Journal of Applied Psychology, cognitively overqualified applicants work longer hours and perform better than correctly qualified employees with jobs requiring lower cognitive function, such as trash collectors or car washers.
• Leadership. Over qualification can lead to new skills being brought to your company as well as leadership within your staff. Someone who is experienced can mentor entry level employees while also pushing senior employees to a higher performance.

Certainly there are many factors that hiring managers must consider when evaluating an overqualified candidate. Understanding the candidate’s motive and lifestyle desires are critical during the evaluation process. When you receive an impressive skill set, don’t pass it up too soon it might just be your perfect staffing solution. Overqualified candidates can bring exceptional value to a company and should not be automatically disqualified from consideration of the position.

Contact Allied Forces for Staffing Solutions

Are you interested in hiring an overqualified candidate? Don’t stress over the screening and evaluation process. Allied Forces is a leader in staffing services with over 30 years of experience in the staffing industry. All employees who are seeking job placements through Allied Forces must first go through a selective screening process to ensure that they can meet the needs of our customers. Visit any one of our employment agencies to learn more. We have locations in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.