Too many key members of companies have a hard time seeing the big picture and it is greatly affecting their ability to grow and reach the goals they are setting for themselves and the company. This lack of vision not only affects their bottom-line long term, it prevents them from seeing what they can do today to reach success.
My Friend’s Situation
I have a friend that is miserable in his current position. He spent years at a company that did not recognize all the sacrifices he made: long hours, coming in outside his normal shift in the evening, nights and weekends, answering emails and correcting situations while at a friend’s house in a get-together. Not being able to set boundaries to live and be happy.
The cherry on top, his new boss micromanages everything and does not connect with him.
So, after years of dedication, he decided enough is enough and he is now looking elsewhere for his future.
The guy has so much potential, he is loyal and dedicated so normally it should be easy with this body of work to be a logical choice for another company.
Ray of hope
When he told me that he had a few interviews for a position that seemed perfect for him in a company, he believed, would better use his skills and recognize his experience. Also, the pay was a lot better, and it seemed like he would not have to put in so many hours every week.
I saw the excitement in his eyes and felt it in his voice.
I was so happy that he finally decided to look elsewhere to build a better future.
It was killing me to see him miserable and surviving his life instead of thriving and having fun.
The decision
A few days ago, I asked him if it worked and surprisingly, they passed and they took someone else.
They probably had a lot of good candidates, so I trust that they knew what they were doing.
The choice itself is not the problem.
The response he received is.
They told him that he was overqualified for the position.
What?
And this is what made me upset because it opened old wounds.
I was told the same thing often in my life and still do not understand what goes through the mind of the person that tells you this nonsense.
Basically, they are telling us:
“We would rather go with someone that will be harder to train and that will not be as efficient as you could be.”
WHO DOES THAT?
What is the strategic edge of this poor decision?
Why would you avoid the chance to have a new star in your group?
Do you want to build success with mediocrity?
Let’s be clear, I do not know the candidate that was chosen, and I am sure that he or she can do a good job and be a good fit with the team.
Again, the reaction is based on the choice of words that was used to tell my friend he was not the candidate that will join the team.
Lack of vision
I am not an HR person so I cannot judge their work because I never did it. I can only assume that they are all qualified to make the best decision.
But, for me, when I was conducting interviews for a position as the manager of a team, I was always trying to see where the candidate would best fit in my team.
If the person had potential but was not what I needed for the position I was trying to fill, I was thinking about the place within the organization where we could use the skills and knowledge of the person.
We never have too many good employees within our organization.
We build good teams and the right culture with employees that are motivated and willing to work hard with you to reach your goals.
Overqualification is an opportunity to ask the reasons why this person is seeking a position that is below his or her potential.
Often, the person, as it is for my friend, is trying to leave a place where they do not feel valued and want to tackle a new challenge.
There is nothing wrong with taking a step backwards to better position yourself to move forward.
The potential drawback of hiring overqualified people
Why would you avoid adding this new gem within your team?
Are you scared that they would leave your organization as soon as another opportunity is available for them?
That is fair.
You do not want to spend hours training somebody that will leave soon. That would be very sad and frustrating.
The question to ask yourself is this one:
Is it better to spend more hours training somebody that is less qualified, that will not grow and will only do the tasks within their sand box?
The impact of an overqualified employee can go a lot further than the few weeks, months or years they are part of the team. They will bring it to another level. They will improve the processes. They will transform the position and maybe even eliminate it.
Why would you say no to this?
When you hire any employee, there is always a risk of them leaving for another opportunity. Your job is to create the best environment for this person to thrive and love your company and your team so much that they will stay and help you build the best structure possible to reach and surpass your objectives.
Takeaways
Lack of vision doesn’t just kill business growth, it kills opportunity. Companies that dismiss “overqualified” candidates fail to see the potential for transformation. Every hire is a chance to raise the bar, to bring in someone who can inspire, innovate, and elevate the team. The real question isn’t whether an employee might one day leave, it’s whether you’ve built the kind of environment that makes them want to stay.
Great leaders don’t fear talent that shines brighter. They embrace it, nurture it, and let it lift the whole organization higher.
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Carl-Michael Tessier, M.Sc., MBA
Coach in high-performance team development and tailored leadership support
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