When They Say "You're Overqualified"

Hi Liz,

I need a pithy response to the following statement:

"We don't hire overqualified people because they get bored."

I've encountered this attitude a lot and besides responding with, "So, you want someone dumber?" I can't come up with a good response. At this point I probably wouldn't want to work for the company, but I would like a good response.

Thanks, Crystal

Dear Crystal,

"You're overqualified" is a sales objection, like a client saying "The price is too high" or "I'm going to get my brother-in-law to install my cabinets, instead." When we run into a sales objection, we want to ask questions. Here's a possible scenario:

THEM: You've overqualified. You'd get bored.
YOU: So, tell me about that! You hired someone who was overqualified, and what happened -- they quit?
THEM: Yeah, they got bored and they quit.
YOU: Hmm, that's interesting. That must have been a disappointment for you, a waste of time and energy, right?
THEM: Right, and so we don't hire people like you anymore.
YOU: Okay. That makes sense. Probably you don't have other work, other projects that a person could work on, to avoid getting bored -- looking at the processes to make them more efficient, stuff like that?

Here's the fork in the road, because they'll either say "That's right. No extra work, no projects, it's a call center and we just need people to pick up the phone" and then you say "Awesome, thanks" and you bail -- or they'll say "Well, there might be some of that type of thing" in which case you'll ask another question, like "Have you ever had anyone with the time or inclination to look at the work, the forms, the filing systems, etc. and see if there might be faster, easier ways to get the work done?"

We learn something and we keep the focus on them (where it needs to be) when we ask questions. Our tendency in the face of a sales objection is to do a "Yeah but...." which pretty much never works. They know how they feel. Their dukes are up, as we used to say. We get the dukes down by saying "Okay, I gotcha ... can I ask a question about that?"

Best -- Liz

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Comments

[ImTotallyLost]

12:55 PM on 08/28/2010

part 3) I have sent my friends emails and text just to pass the time away. I keep reminding myself that I “need” this job, But at what expense. I can’t just quit, it’s not an option, I have children. But Friday I was in tears. I have learned everything to do the job and it boils down to data entry and answering the phone. I couldn’t even quit and get unemployment at this time. I know the job seekers out there would say “quit whining be happy you have a job”, and they would be right to say that. That is why I took the job, just to have a job. I don’t think anyone does anyone a favor by hiring someone over qualified. Although now in 4 short weeks I find myself as depressed as I was when looking for employment in the first place. And I’m about to do everything your article states. I have invented stuff to keep myself busy, but it isn’t enough. My friends don’t understand and think I should just shut up. It would be a lot easier if these people weren’t wonderful people to work for. But the writing is on the wall, I am already online looking at other opportunities. I don’t want to be the bad worker. I don’t want to goof off or make my coworkers miserable because I’m overqualified for this job. And right now I’m stuck, because I have bills to pay.

[ImTotallyLost]

12:53 PM on 08/28/2010

(part 2) I always made friends and if I moved on it was for advancement. So in the last 4 weeks I have been telling everyone what a great job it is and I love the people. And that is true. But on Friday I almost lost it and fought off the tears from pure boredom. This job in a year or two can potentially lead to a bigger and better job. That is why I accepted the position. I specifically told 3 of the hiring managers that I was NOT a sit down worker and I liked to be busy. Well at the end of 4 weeks I have reached my plateau. My back and neck constantly hurt because I am not used to being confined to a desk and phone all day. They are even ordering me a special chair. These people are very accommodating. There is no drama in the work place. Everyone just comes in and does their job. They are so friendly and not dysfunctional in the least. I am getting paid good money to sit and do “nothing”.

[ImTotallyLost]

12:51 PM on 08/28/2010

(part 1) I loved the little tidbit about responding to the “overqualified” statement. I am actually in that predicament right now. I spent two years in a job that I loved but I hated my coworkers. They were very dysfunctional. Always bringing in their personal problems and getting mad at me for not wanting to engage socially outside with them. My coworker who lost her job with me felt the same way. They were very toxic people. We just wanted to come to work, do our job, and get paid. We were very good and efficient at our job. I applied to over 43 jobs in 6 weeks and only had 5 interviews. The job I had was a created job, so it wasn’t like there were ads in the paper for exactly what I did. I finally got an offer from a company with a great reputation. When they gave me the job description, I knew I was over qualified. Matter of fact, I didn’t even think they were going to call me back or offer me the money I wanted. But they did. It was a huge raise and the people seemed so nice. All of my friends were real concerned because my last job was a horrific experience. (Not the job), but the coworkers. And I want to ad that NEVER in my 20+ years of working did I ever have problems with coworkers.