Comments on: How to hire and KEEP overqualified people http://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html Best practices in lean business operations, technology, and other areas pertinent to success of startups, small, and mid-market businesses. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:35:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Davehttp://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html#comment-2719 Dave Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:45:47 +0000 http://leanstartups.com/?p=364#comment-2719 Good post! Do you know what also ticks me off about the "overqualified" term? It's the "You'll get bored" suggestion, meaning that you'll work very little and be bored silly for most of the day.Well gee, Mr. Manager, why don't you figure out how to give me more work then? If I could do the work of several or more people, perhaps you could fire some laborers and push their responsibilities onto me! Ugh! That just shows how incompetent or lazy many managers really are. Good post! Do you know what also ticks me off about the “overqualified” term? It’s the “You’ll get bored” suggestion, meaning that you’ll work very little and be bored silly for most of the day.

Well gee, Mr. Manager, why don’t you figure out how to give me more work then? If I could do the work of several or more people, perhaps you could fire some laborers and push their responsibilities onto me! Ugh! That just shows how incompetent or lazy many managers really are.

]]> By: Apolinaras Sinkeviciushttp://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html#comment-1997 Apolinaras Sinkevicius Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:44:54 +0000 http://leanstartups.com/?p=364#comment-1997 Absolutely! I remember when the first company I was in spiraled down to hell. That I got into another company where partners treated me like I was one of them (though I had zero equity in that business), invested in me, helped me mature as a businessman. I gave 4+ years to them, busted my behind every darn day on average 10-12 hours per day, and was blessed to be in a position to help them survive one of the most catastrophic downturns in that business. It was definitely not the money, why I stayed all those years with them. They earned my loyalty in so many other ways. Absolutely! I remember when the first company I was in spiraled down to hell. That I got into another company where partners treated me like I was one of them (though I had zero equity in that business), invested in me, helped me mature as a businessman. I gave 4+ years to them, busted my behind every darn day on average 10-12 hours per day, and was blessed to be in a position to help them survive one of the most catastrophic downturns in that business. It was definitely not the money, why I stayed all those years with them. They earned my loyalty in so many other ways.

]]> By: laurie ruettimannhttp://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html#comment-1996 laurie ruettimann Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:24:59 +0000 http://leanstartups.com/?p=364#comment-1996 Apollo, I think managers forget the inherent value of loyalty. It's a capital investment and it goes a very long way with a new employee.Great post!<abbr><em>laurie ruettimann’s last blog post..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PunkRockHR/~3/Y74Oi0Ehzrc/" rel="nofollow">Servant Leadership</a></abbr></em> Apollo, I think managers forget the inherent value of loyalty. It’s a capital investment and it goes a very long way with a new employee.

Great post!

laurie ruettimann’s last blog post..Servant Leadership

]]> By: Apolinaras Sinkeviciushttp://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html#comment-1968 Apolinaras Sinkevicius Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:52:40 +0000 http://leanstartups.com/?p=364#comment-1968 Thanks for the compliments, Rona! What I have found myself in my short (compared to many of my mentors) 12-year career is that the best managers surround themselves with people much smarter than they are. This is what keeps you on the edge of knowledge, because books and seminars don't cut it anymore. Best knowledge is the one gained through symbiotic relationship, because it "sticks". Thanks for the compliments, Rona! What I have found myself in my short (compared to many of my mentors) 12-year career is that the best managers surround themselves with people much smarter than they are. This is what keeps you on the edge of knowledge, because books and seminars don’t cut it anymore. Best knowledge is the one gained through symbiotic relationship, because it “sticks”.

]]> By: Ronahttp://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html#comment-1967 Rona Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:45:31 +0000 http://leanstartups.com/?p=364#comment-1967 Apollo, Bravo! Very important point about the benefits of hiring overqualified people. One caveat: the manager's ego needs to be intact. Someone who is defensive doesn't have the integrity to supervise someone with higher levels of skill. So managers must look in the mirror if they want to see where the problem really comes from. Apollo,
Bravo! Very important point about the benefits of hiring overqualified people.
One caveat: the manager’s ego needs to be intact. Someone who is defensive doesn’t have the integrity to supervise someone with higher levels of skill. So managers must look in the mirror if they want to see where the problem really comes from.

]]> By: GVThttp://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html#comment-1912 GVT Sat, 30 May 2009 07:01:39 +0000 http://leanstartups.com/?p=364#comment-1912 I suspect, though it is difficult to be certain, that I have not been offered jobs due to some notion of "overqualification." It is at this point in the job search (i.e., when one encounters difficulty due to being "overqualified") that the valiant job hunter must accept that they are in a job hunting limbo without order or reason. Clearly, the OQ person already applied to and didn't the jobs more closely matching their skills so they've expanded their search. Now, if they can't get those jobs due to being OQ what then? Oddly enough, if one greatly expands the search and to include every job (minimum wage) suddenly that same person isn't OQ. If someone is applying for a job they probably need that job. I suspect that whatever fear employers experience when considering the OQ candidate is simply a reflection of their own priorities (that the person may be a heartless, self-serving, morally bankrupt pile of garbage with no sense of loyalty or honor). I suspect, though it is difficult to be certain, that I have not been offered jobs due to some notion of “overqualification.” It is at this point in the job search (i.e., when one encounters difficulty due to being “overqualified”) that the valiant job hunter must accept that they are in a job hunting limbo without order or reason. Clearly, the OQ person already applied to and didn’t the jobs more closely matching their skills so they’ve expanded their search. Now, if they can’t get those jobs due to being OQ what then? Oddly enough, if one greatly expands the search and to include every job (minimum wage) suddenly that same person isn’t OQ. If someone is applying for a job they probably need that job. I suspect that whatever fear employers experience when considering the OQ candidate is simply a reflection of their own priorities (that the person may be a heartless, self-serving, morally bankrupt pile of garbage with no sense of loyalty or honor).

]]> By: Craig Fisherhttp://leanstartups.com/2009/05/how-to-hire-and-keep-overqualified-people.html#comment-1898 Craig Fisher Fri, 29 May 2009 14:40:14 +0000 http://leanstartups.com/?p=364#comment-1898 Apollo, great post and great commentary on the current state of affairs in the job market. If I could get every one of my hiring managers to read this my job would be much easier! Well, I'm going to try. Well done! Apollo, great post and great commentary on the current state of affairs in the job market. If I could get every one of my hiring managers to read this my job would be much easier! Well, I’m going to try. Well done!

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