Evelina Silveira, President, Diversity at Work in London,co-author  The No-Nonsense Guide to Workplace Inclusion

The topic of implicit bias has become increasingly popular in diversity and inclusion discussion circles.  Racial, gender, ability, age, cultural and other biases often play a part in deciding whether a  candidate is interviewed, offered, retained and promoted in a job.  Have you ever taken into account that an “over-qualified” label can also have serious ramifications for both your organization and the candidate?

With global unemployment as an epidemic, it naturally makes sense that many applicants may apply for work they have done before, with ease and for an extended period of time.  When these individuals then go to apply for a job which  is similar to what they have done before they are considered “over-qualified” and thus overlooked.  When employers go the “over-qualified” route, they believe that this is a nice way to let applicants down; telling them in a nutshell – “you are too good for this job”.

Next time you consider dismissing an applicant because they are “over-qualified’ it is worth reflecting on the following points:

1.  The candidate applied for the job and this means they are interested just as any other.
2.   You may think they are overqualified but they might feel otherwise.
3.   They may be fine with lateral moves – not everyone wants to climb the corporate ladder.
4.   They are looking for a less stressful job that they can balance more easily.
5.   They have outside interests which they may want to devote more energy; and that is why they have chosen to apply for a job which they can perform easily.
6.   An overqualified candidate can be your best asset. They can bring industry experience which can help your organization soar.
7.   Do you want to eliminate a candidate from the pool because you fear they will take your job?
8.   Different people approach work differently. This means that the candidate may find a new way of doing the work that will make it more stimulating and thus more inclined to stay.
9.   You may be getting more value for their work.
10.   Over-qualified is a label associated with mature workers. Could you be prejudicing the employment of mature workers?
11.   Not all over-qualified people demand high salaries which is an assumption that is made all to often.

Before you think a candidate will be “bored in a second and gone in a minute” try some probing questions in the interview to determine whether the risk is high.

1.   Where do you hope to be in 2 years?
2.   What are you hoping to learn in this job?
3.   What motivates you at work?
4.   What is the ideal job for you?
5.   What are you looking for in a job?

You may find the job is a perfect match for the candidate you have slotted as “over-qualified”.  There is no guarantee anymore that an employee is going to stay with a company for 10 years.  But realistically, job seekers are not doing a lot of job hopping when there are few options to go to.  If you are concerned their skills are not adequately being used asked them for suggestions.  With work experience under their belt they may make a fantastic mentor which is an exceptionally good way to recognize their value.