Overqualified employees more beneficial to company, says study
Posted on: 28/Dec/2015 10:35:29 AM
A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology has said that overqualified people perform better in an organisation. Over qualification is the condition of employees who believe that their qualifications exceed the requirements of the job. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Notre Dame and the Portland State University. They conducted interviews and studied of 11 IT companies in China over six months.
Speaking about the study, one of the researchers said, When individual employees feel that they are not the only big fish in the pond, and when over qualification becomes a norm rather than exception within the group, they tend to have more favourable reactions toward their own over qualification status and perform better. Managers may benefit from understanding that as over qualification becomes normalised in the workplace, it exerts a more positive influence over such behaviours as job performance and citizenship. Furthermore, organisations should celebrate employees qualifications when they are first brought on board and point out how these overqualified employees are in good company by highlighting that they will be working with a highly qualified group. Managers could also encourage more interactions among members to build team spirit, emphasising the importance of benefiting others through one`s work, and highlight the interpersonal compatibility within a group to promote the positive influence of over qualification on employee attitudes and behaviours.
