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What is the difference between an over-qualified incompetent candidate and an under-qualified competent candidate?

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Question added by Nitin Chandran
Date Posted: 2013/07/19
Delia Lemos
by Delia Lemos , Health Care Support Worker , First City Nursing

The overqualified obviously CAN do the job, and or has tremendous of experience but we choose not to allow them because of our own personal opinions or prejudice. (which actually is to our disadvantage if you think about it..but I digress) The underqualified, doesn't fit the job criteria, or the job specs, and would cost a lot more money to bring on, due to training, which could cause an undue hardship to the company. 

 

Let’s be frank. If after looking at a CV and even more so after an interview your reason for turning down a candidate is that they are “over qualified” it is because you are afraid. Let’s say they genuinely meet all your competencies and can fill the role (if not then this is the real issue ie someone with10 years HR management experience is not over qulified as a canteen worker, they have no experience as a canteen worker and someone with this experience would be better suited) If you genuinely feel they are over qualified what is your real concern, they won’t get along with the team – this can be true of any one at any level of talent. Perhaps that they won’t stay, they are using you as a stepping stone? Well this is what any clever person will do. Why hire someone who is not clever? Perhaps let them take advantage of you and you can take advantage of them. That was how my last9 year career started. You’re over qualified is a weak and very poor outcome to a recruitment decision and it is a mad way to look at talent. I will never cease to surround myself with people more talented than me. I highly recommend looking at internal management and leadership skills instead of turning away people who you may feel are a threat. In my humble view.

Alaa Abou-Elmagd
by Alaa Abou-Elmagd , Implementation & Training - Payments and Cash Management(GTS), Corporate Banking , Ahli United Bank

Over qualified is someone who has more than the job qualifications and description, under qualified vice versa.

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