During the hiring process, many engineering companies may find that certain engineering candidates are overqualified for a particular job position. While some recruiters may see this as an advantage, others may find that an overqualified candidate wouldn’t match many of the position’s requirements or the company’s preferences.
There are many times when you should consider hiring an overqualified software engineer for your team. Let’s find out how these candidates can offer incredible value, and when they may be more of a disadvantage to the job.
What Are Overqualified Software Engineers?
Software engineering candidates may be considered overqualified for a position if they possess a significantly larger level of skills and experience than what has been requested in the job posting. They can also be considered overqualified if they’ve worked in positions that are higher-ranking than the one they are applying for.
Many job candidates have legitimate reasons for why they may apply for a position for which they are overqualified. Some may be looking to change career paths or start working in a different engineering specialty. Others might prefer having a lower-ranking job in the industry if they’re doing something they are passionate about.
Ultimately, whatever the candidates’ motives are, it’s up to your company to decide whether the benefits of hiring an overqualified software engineer outweigh the disadvantages.
6 Benefits of Hiring an Overqualified Software Engineer
Should you hire an overqualified candidate? For some, the answer to that question is yes. Based on your company’s needs and the responsibilities of the position, hiring an overqualified software engineer can be a great decision for your organization. Here are few reasons you may want to consider hiring an overqualified candidate.
1. More Quality Candidates on Your Team
One of the many advantages of hiring overqualified candidates is the value they can bring to your team. Software engineering candidates that are considered more qualified than what the position calls for can bring valuable knowledge and extensive industry experience. As your company takes on new projects, or as roles and duties are assigned to employees, you’ll be able to trust that an overqualified software engineer will step up and provide quality work.
2. Candidates Are More Likely to Move Up the Ladder Quickly
Overqualified software engineers have the opportunity and possess the experience to grow relatively quickly in a new position. The advanced knowledge and skill set they already have when starting with your company allow them to advance to higher-ranked positions, such as senior, managerial, or executive roles. Hiring these overqualified candidates allows software engineers to move more quickly to executive-level positions since they already know industry basics and can be trained more effeciently.
3. Better Productivity and Higher Performance Levels
Because overqualified software engineers usually have experience working in similar or higher positions, they are known to be fast learners and talented enough to reach a higher standard. Because of this, they can achieve higher performance levels rather quickly while still maintaining the same level of productivity as someone who isn’t overqualified. This is especially helpful if your company needs certain tasks completed relatively quickly to meet a short deadline.
With higher performance standards, software engineers that are overqualified are also easier to manage. No manager will have to hold their hand through every project; rather, these engineering candidates can perform well and accomplish tasks on their own, as well as remain accountable for their work and time management.
4. Less Time Spent Training
Your team will be able to spend less time training software engineers that are overqualified for the role. With their knowledge and experience, they can usually perform at a high level, meaning that your company may spend less money and time—and use fewer resource—than training someone else with a lower skill set.
Instead of focusing your efforts on training and bringing them up to speed with your company’s processes, quality work for certain tasks and operations can be submitted right away.
5. More Likely to Provide Valuable Ideas and Input
Software engineers that are considered overqualified can provide valuable ideas and input that they’ve learned and implemented in previous positions. They’ve likely worked in a comparable role or have experienced similar scenarios. Any ideas related to work can be shared, especially if they are attempting to teach other employees their performance methods and expertise, ultimately upping your company’s efficiency and productivity.
6. Candidates Are Passionate About the Position
While there are many reasons a software engineer may choose to apply for a job for which they are overqualified, many do so out of a passion for the position. These candidates may enjoy the duties and responsibilities associated with a lower-level position. They may also have a genuine passion for the job, meaning they are more likely to be excited about submitting quality work. Those software engineers who enjoy their job may work that much harder because they take pride in what they do.
3 Cons of Hiring an Overqualified Software Engineer
There are some risks of hiring someone overqualified for a software engineering position. Recruiters and hiring managers should consider all risks of hiring someone who is overqualified in the event that the candidate doesn’t end up being suited for the job.
1. Increased Risk of Turnover
One of the disadvantages of hiring overqualified candidates is the risk that these individuals won’t stick around for long. There are multiple reasons this could happen, including job dissatisfaction, negative work atmosphere, and higher pay requirements.
If overqualified software engineers feel unchallenged, they may feel less driven and passionate about their job duties, leading to a negative attitude in the workplace. This may spread to other team members and create an undesirable work environment.
Some overqualified candidates may ask for a higher salary upfront or feel entitled to a promotion soon after starting the position. As a company, if you can’t afford to properly compensate someone because of their experience and qualifications, they may not accept the position or stick around for long.
In addition, many software engineering candidates applying for a role in which they are overqualified may only be there temporarily until something better comes along. Higher turnover rates can result from candidates using the position as a stop along their career path rather than a long-term commitment.
2. Employees May Not Feel Challenged
Overqualified software engineers may feel less challenged or motivated than those who just meet the qualifications, especially if they are accomplishing tasks they’ve already worked through in the past. Hiring managers may want to consider whether these candidates will become easily bored in their new position, since boredom can lead to a lack of motivation, underperformance, and a higher turnover rate.
3. More Likely to Challenge Supervisors and Cling to Old Ways and Technologies
Companies looking to hire a software engineer may search for someone they can mold and shape into the desired employee they’re looking for. If an overqualified candidate is hired instead, supervisors or other company executives may have a more difficult time doing this since these candidates may choose to cling to older methods or technologies they have experience using in the past. They may also struggle to take directions from other employees who are less qualified on paper than they are.
Are you looking to hire qualified or overqualified software engineers? At Austin Nichols Technical Search, we work with companies in the engineering, manufacturing, and construction industries to find perfect candidates for any job position. Contact us today at 816-471-5575 to get started.
