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How to manage overqualified workers
Everyone has heard a story about a lawyer working as a waitress or an engineer applying for a job as a shoe salesman.
The recent economic downturn has led to a swarm of talented people looking for work, leading many to seek jobs that they are overqualified for. The question is whether they should be hired for these positions and how they should be managed if they are.
Typically, employers’ fears about overqualified applicants include the employee wanting too much money, getting bored quickly or leaving too soon.
Often, these fears are founded. But these highly qualified applicants can be more productive, more skilled and ultimately lead to more success for the company than the average hire.
“You can often see some really rapid short-term growth,” says James Killian, Ph.D., chief industrial and organizational psychologist with The HR Chally Group in Dayton, Ohio.
The key when hiring an overqualified employee is to be aware of the common pitfalls and avoid them.
Properly managed overqualified employees have the capability to “enrich their job and go beyond the call of duty, bringing value to the organization and adding dimension to their role,” says Hennie Kriek, Ph.D., industrial and organizational psychologist and president of the American branch of SHL Group, Ltd.
Here are several things you will want to consider when trying to make the most of a new overqualified hire:
Get the right people in the right seats
It is a mistake to assume that just because an applicant has skills or experience in a certain area they will be able to do the job well. Going with your assumption or gut feeling that somebody is right for the job is a mistake in this situation.
Spend the time and resources to get the right person on board. Thoroughly interview the person and assure that the skills, background and qualifications match the job description.
Be sure the hire fits the company culture
It is often the case that an employee who did a stellar job at one company fails in the same position at another company.
This can happen for many reasons but is most often because the employee does not fit in with the new company’s culture or feel passionate about its philosophy.
The reverse is also true.
“People who have similar philosophies with a company and what a company is trying to achieve are more likely to put in more effort, even if they feel frustrated or disappointed,” says Killian.
Top performers tend to function better in flexible environments and can find a rigid, micromanaged environment stifling. Get specific with your employees early on about the kind of environment they will work best in.
Be clear about your company’s goals
With overqualified employees, it is particularly beneficial for a manager to adhere to clear and standardized new employee practices. It is best to sit down with your new employee early on and lay out the goals that the employee is expected to achieve.
It is easy to assume that an experienced employee would not need this. But, particularly with employees who may have skills exceeding the scope of their positions, setting clear expectations is essential. This combats employees later attempting to exceed their roles and becoming disillusioned when they can’t.
Setting clear and attainable goals keeps the employee from getting frustrated. Making the goals a challenge will keep overqualified employees from getting bored.
Empower your employee
The most common complaint among managers, according to Killian, is that overqualified employees want to do things their own way. On the other hand, employees who are given no freedom of movement or authority tend to get frustrated because they are not allowed to enrich their job.
Employees who don’t feel challenged or motivated by their positions tend to leave or become “ghost employees” doing the bare minimum. Employees who are empowered will often go above and beyond their job responsibilities and end up making the company more streamlined, efficient and productive.
“People might be willing to do the job, they might be able to do the job, but they must also be allowed to do the job,” says Kriek.
Help them help you
A common employee relations pitfall occurs when a manager feels threatened by a highly qualified employee and reacts by attempting to control the employee or refusing to recognize the employee’s talent.
A manager who can recognize and embrace the skills that the employee offers can use them to increase department productivity. Recognition of the contribution overqualified employees make is often more important to them than factors like money or power.
In the end, a productive department with happy employees reflects much more positively on a manager than a problem employee relationship.
Know when to cut your losses
One problem employee can affect the productivity of 10 others, so if an employee isn’t working out, don’t wait for the negativity to spread.
Remember, if the job doesn’t seem to fit the person, the employee’s skills still might be valuable in another position. According to Killian, 65 percent of people who fail in one role can succeed in another.
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Everyone has heard a story about a lawyer working as a waitress or an engineer applying for a job as a shoe salesman.
The recent economic downturn has led to a swarm of talented people looking for work, leading many to seek jobs that they are overqualified for. The question is whether they should be hired for these positions and how they should be managed if they are.
Typically, employers’ fears about overqualified applicants include the employee wanting too much money, getting bored quickly or leaving too soon.
Often, these fears are founded. But these highly qualified applicants can be more productive, more skilled and ultimately lead to more success for the company than the average hire.
“You can often see some really rapid short-term growth,” says James Killian, Ph.D., chief industrial and organizational psychologist with The HR Chally Group in Dayton, Ohio.
The key when hiring an overqualified employee is to be aware of the common pitfalls and avoid them.
Properly managed overqualified employees have the capability to “enrich their job and go beyond the call of duty, bringing value to the organization and adding dimension to their role,” says Hennie Kriek, Ph.D., industrial and organizational psychologist and president of the American branch of SHL Group, Ltd.
Here are several things you will want to consider when trying to make the most of a new overqualified hire:
Get the right people in the right seats
It is a mistake to assume that just because an applicant has skills or experience in a certain area they will be able to do the job well. Going with your assumption or gut feeling that somebody is right for the job is a mistake in this situation.
Spend the time and resources to get the right person on board. Thoroughly interview the person and assure that the skills, background and qualifications match the job description.
Be sure the hire fits the company culture
It is often the case that an employee who did a stellar job at one company fails in the same position at another company.
This can happen for many reasons but is most often because the employee does not fit in with the new company’s culture or feel passionate about its philosophy.
The reverse is also true.
“People who have similar philosophies with a company and what a company is trying to achieve are more likely to put in more effort, even if they feel frustrated or disappointed,” says Killian.
Top performers tend to function better in flexible environments and can find a rigid, micromanaged environment stifling. Get specific with your employees early on about the kind of environment they will work best in.
Be clear about your company’s goals
With overqualified employees, it is particularly beneficial for a manager to adhere to clear and standardized new employee practices. It is best to sit down with your new employee early on and lay out the goals that the employee is expected to achieve.
It is easy to assume that an experienced employee would not need this. But, particularly with employees who may have skills exceeding the scope of their positions, setting clear expectations is essential. This combats employees later attempting to exceed their roles and becoming disillusioned when they can’t.
Setting clear and attainable goals keeps the employee from getting frustrated. Making the goals a challenge will keep overqualified employees from getting bored.
Empower your employee
The most common complaint among managers, according to Killian, is that overqualified employees want to do things their own way. On the other hand, employees who are given no freedom of movement or authority tend to get frustrated because they are not allowed to enrich their job.
Employees who don’t feel challenged or motivated by their positions tend to leave or become “ghost employees” doing the bare minimum. Employees who are empowered will often go above and beyond their job responsibilities and end up making the company more streamlined, efficient and productive.
“People might be willing to do the job, they might be able to do the job, but they must also be allowed to do the job,” says Kriek.
Help them help you
A common employee relations pitfall occurs when a manager feels threatened by a highly qualified employee and reacts by attempting to control the employee or refusing to recognize the employee’s talent.
A manager who can recognize and embrace the skills that the employee offers can use them to increase department productivity. Recognition of the contribution overqualified employees make is often more important to them than factors like money or power. In the end, a productive department with happy employees reflects much more positively on a manager than a problem employee relationship.
Know when to cut your losses
One problem employee can affect the productivity of 10 others, so if an employee isn’t working out, don’t wait for the negativity to spread.
Remember, if the job doesn’t seem to fit the person, the employee’s skills still might be valuable in another position. According to Killian, 65 percent of people who fail in one role can succeed in another.