Getting older has its perks. I definitely don’t get as worried about the little things. I can afford a fancy meal and an upgrade on a long flight. But there’s one area where it seems to work against people: the job search. Ageism is real. So are the biased myths about overqualified candidates. 

I didn’t realize that until so many of my friends were laid off earlier this year. Brilliant people suddenly weren’t getting calls. On one hand, I understand that at a more senior level there are fewer roles available. That’s a numbers game. Fewer roles, more rejection. 

But what I didn’t get were the friends never hearing back after they applied for roles more junior than their current role. These people are overqualified. They have coached, mentored, and trained people in these roles on their own teams. How the hell could any recruiter look at their resume and think they aren’t capable of doing the job they taught other people to do? 

Common Biases Against Overqualified Candidates 

Short answer? Bias. There are a lot of false narratives about these candidates that, at least on paper, are taking a step back from their current role into a new opportunity. When I am convinced I’ve heard it all, someone surprises me every time. 

There’s the one about how that person will leave when they find something better. They won’t be happy in their junior role. They’ll be hard to manage or won’t get along with the team. There’s the one about how they’ll take over the team. How they will expect a promotion. They won’t be satisfied with the pay range. I could go on. 

While I know these things have happened on occasion, I don’t think they’re happening as often as these pervasive biases would suggest. Most people just want to do good work and don’t really care what their job title is. Maybe they just want a damn paycheck. That’s a good enough reason, too. 

Critical Conversations: How Recruiters Address Overqualified Candidate Misconceptions

Not hiring someone who’s overqualified to do the work is beyond ridiculous to me. The phrase 'overqualified candidate' is often a biased way of saying 'very qualified.' If our job as recruiters is to find the best candidate, wouldn’t finding a candidate that 110% knows how to do the job mean you hit it out of the park? 

However, if you’ve ever sat in a recruiting role - 99% of the time it isn’t you saying no to an overqualified candidate. It’s the hiring manager. And 99% of the time, we back down because the hiring manager mentions one of the biases above and just don’t know what to say. So fine. Here’s what you’re going to say. 

“If they’re overqualified, that means they are highly qualified. Just give the resume a look and then tell me what part of the job they can't do.” 

Or another favorite:

"What's the guarantee your other candidate won't do that?"

This is not groundbreaking. It’s called doing your job. Challenging bias. Getting talented people in the door. But when we don’t challenge? Well, it means you miss out on 100% of the overqualified candidates you never talk to.