Unpacking perceptions of overqualification: When excess education or experience hinders (or helps?), interview selection
Description
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how employers define overqualification and mismatched qualifications, and whether they are willing to hire applicants whose educational and work experience credentials do not match job requirements. Design/Methodology/Approach – This paper draws on qualitative interview data from 24 hiring managers across a wide range of public and private sector industries in the United States. The data were analyzed and coded to identify themes related to managers’ perceptions of overqualification, matched, and mismatched qualifications, and how these relate to selection decisions. A typology is proposed for categorizing applicant qualification levels and their potential human resource outcomes, such as hiring decisions. Findings – Hiring managers report that they are willing to interview and hire individuals whose education or experience exceeds a job’s requirements, as well as applicants with less than the required education, provided they possess sufficient compensatory experience. Research Limitations/Implications – The findings may not apply to industries where minimum educational qualifications are essential or to small organizations with limited opportunities for career advancement. Social Implications – Given current levels of unemployment and underemployment, the findings can inform the job search strategies of job seekers. Overqualified applicants should not refrain from applying for job openings, particularly in organizations that offer opportunities for advancement or where education is considered an asset. Additionally, applicants should clearly communicate their motivations for pursuing positions that may represent intentional mismatches. Originality/Value – In contrast to previous studies conducted during periods of lower unemployment and underemployment, these data capture managers’ perceptions of overqualification in a recession and post-recession labor market context, making them especially relevant to the current employment landscape. The proposed typology distinguishes among qualified, overqualified, and underqualified applicants and helps refine research on selection decisions.
Copyright Date
January 2015
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Keywords
Overqualification, Underemployment, Selection decisions
Conference
Western Academy of Management, 12-14 March, 2015, Kauai, Hawaii
