Does “Overqualified” Really Mean “Too Old”?

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I recently spoke with an incredibly talented woman. She’s 49, a college graduate, and has a solid work portfolio. She’s been applying for jobs, but keeps hearing the same thing in interviews: “You’re overqualified.”

Now, sure, she does have more experience than the role requires, but she knows what the job involves and wants to do it. She’s not expecting anything more, unless she proves herself and the company needs her to move up.

Let’s be honest: “Overqualified” is often just code for, “You’re too old for us.”

Prove me wrong!

Why is someone labeled overqualified when they clearly understand what the job is and want to do it?

Let’s say I’m a heart surgeon, but I want less stress, so I decide to switch to a cardiac rehab role. It still involves working with heart patients, but it’s less demanding and pays less. I don’t need as much education for the job either. So, am I overqualified for the rehab job just because I used to be a surgeon? Only if you say I am! I’ve got the skills and I want the role, so why wouldn’t I be a great fit?

Hiring managers often say someone is “overqualified” when they can’t come up with a real reason not to hire someone with lots of experience.

It’s an excuse. A bad one too.

Here’s an example: “Oh, Susan has too much experience. She wouldn’t be happy reporting to me long-term, especially since she has more experience than I do!” Did Susan say that? “Well, no…”

This happens a lot with older folks who don’t want to retire yet. They’ve got years of valuable experience, but 32-year-old Steve won’t hire them because he thinks they won’t take his direction. That’s Steve’s problem, not the candidate’s.

And it’s not just guys. Women do it too! Turns out we all love discriminating against older workers.

Tech companies are the worst for this, thinking only young people understand technology. Creative companies are just as bad, acting like the only people who matter are 26-year-olds on Instagram.

Then there’s the classic: “I don’t want to hire someone who’s going to retire in five years!”…

How long do people usually stay at your company? “About 4.2 years.” Yeah, having someone for five years would be awful, right?

I once had a hiring manager say they needed someone for the long term when talking about a 52-year-old candidate. 13-15 years isn’t long term?!

I’ve found that calling hiring managers out—saying, “You’re being ridiculous”—works wonders. It cuts right through the bias.

So tell me, what’s the real reason you won’t hire someone “overqualified”?

It’s Not You, It’s Them

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This Re-Run Friday was originally posted in September 2019.

Why am I being ‘ghosted’ after I interview?

Dear Timmy,

I recently applied for a position that I’m perfect for! A recruiter from the company contacted me and scheduled me for an interview with the manager. I went, the interview was a little over an hour and it went great! I immediately followed up with an email to the recruiter and the manager thanking them, but since then I’ve heard nothing and it’s been weeks. I’ve sent follow-up emails to both the recruiter and the manager and I’ve got no reply.

What should I do? Why do companies do this to candidates? I would rather they just tell me they aren’t interested than have them say nothing at all!

The Ghost Candidate

******************************************************************************

Dear Ghost,

There are a number of reasons that recruiters and hiring managers ghost candidates and none of them are good! Here’s a short-list of some of these reasons:

– They hated you and hope you go away when they ghost you because conflict is uncomfortable.

– They like you, but not as much as another candidate they’re trying to talk into the job, but want to leave you on the back burner, but they’re idiots and don’t know how to do this properly.

– They decided to promote someone internally and they don’t care about candidate experience enough to tell you they went another direction.

– They have a completely broken recruitment process and might still be going through it believing you’re just as happy as a pig in shi…

– They think they communicated to you electronically to bug off through their ATS, but they haven’t audited the process to know this isn’t working.

– The recruiter got fired and no one picked up the process.

I would love to tell you that ghosting candidates are a rare thing, but it’s not! It happens all the time! There is never a reason to ghost a candidate, ever! Sometimes I believe candidates get ghosted by recruiters because hiring managers don’t give feedback, but that still isn’t an excuse I would accept, at least tell the candidate that!

Look, I’ve ghosted people. At conference cocktail parties, I’ve been known to ghost my way right back up to my room and go to sleep! When it comes to candidates, I don’t ghost! I would rather tell them the truth so they don’t keep coming back around unless I want them to come back around.

I think most recruiters ghost candidates because they’re over their head in the amount of work they have, and they mean to get back to people, but just don’t have the time. When you’re in the firefighting mode you tend to only communicate with the candidates you want, not the ones you don’t. Is this good practice? Heck, no! But when you’re fighting fires, you do what you have to do to stay alive.

What would I do, if I was you? 

Here are a few ideas to try if you really want to know the truth:

1. Send a handwritten letter to the CEO of the company briefly explaining your experience and what outcome you would like.

2. Go on Twitter and in 280 characters send a shot across the bow! “XYZ Co. I interviewed 2 weeks ago and still haven’t heard anything! Can you help me!?” (Will work on Facebook & IG as well!)

3. Write a post about your experience on LinkedIn and tag the recruiter and the recruiter’s boss.

4. Take the hint and go find a company who truly values you and your talent! If the organization and this manager will treat candidates like this, imagine how you’ll be treated as an employee?

Are Robots Really the Threat?

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The idea that employees are losing sleep over being replaced by robots has become a hot topic. Everywhere you look, people are saying AI is going to take over most jobs soon. Headlines scream, “Automation will wipe out 97% of jobs by next week!”

But the reality is: employees aren’t actually terrified about robots snatching their roles. That doesn’t mean they’re not afraid, though.

What’s freaking them out? Turns out, employees are more scared of being replaced by another person than a robot. When it comes down to it, we’d rather a machine take our job than have Mark the intern take our spot.

The research shows that people generally feel more comfortable with the idea of others being replaced by technology than by another worker. But when it comes to their own jobs, the tables turn. Most workers find it less distressing to be replaced by AI or automation than by a human colleague.

This boils down to one thing: people don’t compare themselves to machines in the same way they do to other people.

Being replaced by another person can feel like a direct blow to self-worth, while being replaced by technology doesn’t trigger that same emotional reaction.

It makes sense. Getting replaced by another human stings because we naturally compare ourselves to them. The thought process might go, “Sure, a robot can handle this part of the job better than I can, but no way can Mark do it better!” Our egos can rationalize being outdone by technology, but not by someone we see as our equal.

Let’s be real: getting replaced by a robot makes sense since AI can do some things better than humans. But being replaced by another person? That’s a harder pill to swallow because it feels like a reflection of your value. And honestly, it’s way harder to explain to your family that your job was handed to someone else instead of a machine.

How To Push Top Talent Away

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When you’re trying to bring great candidates on board, communication is key. But sometimes, the wrong word can send them running for the hills.

There are certain words and phrases that can make a candidate lose interest in working for your company. I often tell students that what they say in an interview can make or break their chances of getting hired.

Picture this: You’re interviewing a candidate, and they start explaining why they left their last job, saying, “Oh, it was just a ‘misunderstanding.’ I can explain…”

“Misunderstanding” is a huge red flag! It wasn’t just a mix-up—it likely got them fired. The real misunderstanding is not realizing what they did was wrong.

So, what are the 7 Words that will push candidates away? Don’t use these:

  • “Layoff” – No matter how you spin it, this word is bad news. Even saying, “We’ve never had a layoff!” can make candidates nervous. People want job security, and “layoff” screams instability.
  • “Might” – Top talent wants clear answers, not wishy-washy ones. Saying “might” makes things sound uncertain. Instead, say, “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out for you.”
  • “Maybe” – This is another word that makes you sound unsure. Candidates like to know what they’re getting into, not guesswork.
  • “Unstable” – When you call something “unstable,” it doesn’t sound good. If things are shaky, be upfront about it, but don’t make it sound worse than it is.
  • “Legally” – Nothing good ever follows this word. For example, “Legally, we’d love to give you a $25K sign-on bonus, but…” It usually means bad news is coming.
  • “Temporarily” – This word makes candidates uneasy. For instance, saying, “Temporarily, you’ll work out of the Nashville office, but soon you’ll be in Austin,” just adds uncertainty.
  • “Fluid” – Saying a situation is “fluid” is another way of saying you don’t have a solid plan. Candidates prefer stability, not a situation that’s “up in the air.”

That right there is how to push top talent away!

We often use these words because we’re afraid to be completely honest. But the truth is, most candidates appreciate transparency and believe they can make a difference. By being straightforward, you’ll attract candidates who are ready for the challenge and more likely to stick around.

Must-Do Moves

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This Re-Run Friday comes from 2019!

Bad is Stronger than Good in HR!

I spoke at a conference recently and one of the things that came up during my presentation was a conversation around “Must Do Moves”.  Must do moves are those things in your organization that you grab a hold of, as an HR leader, and make sure they happen.

I asked the group a question:

Do you have anyone in your organization that you need to get rid of?

100%, all hands raised up immediately, “Yes!” If you work in an organization that has a decent employee size, let’s say 100+, you almost always have a least one or two folks you would be better without. (for the record, my staff is less than 100, and I don’t have anyone I need to get rid of, they all rock! Don’t hate, I just follow my own advice!)

As HR Pros we hear about this in meetings with your executives and hiring managers, “Oh if we could only replace John, we would be so much better!” My point to the HR Pros in the audience is this is a value item that we can own in our organizations.  Must do moves. Especially those moves that make our organizations stronger,  need champions in HR.  When it comes to staff moves, we are that champion.

What we realize, but many of our hiring managers fail to realize, is that Bad is Stronger than Good, when it comes to employees.  We hear all the time “Addition through Subtraction”, and yet we struggle in our organizations to make this happen. Most likely this happens in your organization because you are trying to make your hiring managers, manage, and have them make this decision.

When in reality they have made the decision and they told you. They hate conflict, even more than you do, and this was their cry for help. Take it and run with it, make it happen.  It’s the one thing in HR we are all really good at, process and planning.  Put a plan together to get rid of your Bad and make it happen.

I didn’t just say go fire that person. That’s not a plan. Well, it is a plan, but not a very good one. I said make a plan to get rid of the bad. That means working with the hiring manager to determine timing, back-fill options, sourcing, recruiting, progressive discipline, all that good stuff, but make it happen.  Really, make it happen!  Executives like doers!

They like doers that get rid of Bad in our organizations. We own the Bad people in our organizations. Any time you have a Bad person in your organization you need to take on the persona, “this Bad person is my fault and I’m taking care of it.”  Bad is Stronger than Good, so you have to fight hard against Bad.

Want to look and be better in HR? Own the “Must-Do Moves” in your organization.

Just Do HR

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If you’re active in HR and Talent Acquisition, especially in the online world (blogs, websites, podcasts, webinars, doomscrolling social media, etc.), you might sometimes feel like you’re not doing what you should be doing.

There’s a lot of noise out there, with people like me—and plenty of others—telling you what to focus on.

Funny enough, a lot of these folks aren’t even working in HR or Talent Acquisition right now. Some of them are really smart, and they moved to consulting or other roles because it paid better or offered a better work-life balance. But this isn’t about who’s got it right.

This is just a reminder that it’s okay to put your head down and focus on your HR and Recruiting work.

It’s fine if you’re not chasing the latest best practice or trying out the newest innovation.

It’s fine if you’re not overhauling HR and Talent Acquisition in your organization right now.

Sometimes, what we really need to do is keep things running smoothly. Take a moment to catch your breath. Build up a solid team around you, and get ready for what’s next. But for now, just do what you do best.

Make sure your employees are doing okay. See if there’s anything you can do to help them out.

Make sure they get paid correctly and that their benefits work when they go to the doctor.

Give your managers a nudge when they’re not treating their teams right.

Make sure new hires have what they need on their first day and feel welcomed.

And sometimes, it’s about helping employees who aren’t a good fit to find a job they’ll really enjoy—by letting them go.

When I write, I sometimes forget what it’s like to have a ton of priorities and know you won’t get to all of them. That’s the daily grind in HR and Talent Acquisition. I might tell you to try something new or be innovative, but I get it—some days, you just need to handle the basics.

I’ve been there. I’ve had days where even doing the basics was tough, and thinking about being the best or most innovative felt impossible.

On those days, I’d remind myself, “Today, I’m just going to do HR.”

I’d focus on what I was good at, on what I could control, and make it through to the next day—hoping that day would give me a chance to do a little better.

Should you be checking the social media accounts of your candidates?

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I tackled this question today on video because I think it’s easier to discuss it that way versus writing about my reply. All of us are doing background checks, but rarely do we find anything on those. We have the potential to catch way more misconduct issues on social media.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

Some resources from Fama:

Let me know what you think! Are you checking your candidates’ social media accounts? Do you think you should be?

Michigan Recruiter’s Conference – Nov. 7, 2024! Tickets On Sale Now!

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It’s that time of year again! The Michigan Recruiter’s Conference is happening on November 7, 2024, and tickets are officially on sale. With limited seating, this event is going to fill up fast—so if you’re serious about attending Michigan’s only recruiter-focused event this year, now’s the time to grab your spot!

Event Details:

  • Date and Time: Thursday, November 7, 2024, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm EST
  • Location: MSUFCU Headquarters Building 2, 3899 Coolidge Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA

What You’ll Get:

If you’re in corporate recruiting or talent acquisition, this conference is designed just for you. We know that HR folks have plenty of events. Talent acquisition often gets left out. That’s why we bring together TA pros from across Michigan for a day of learning, networking, and inspiration.

  • Expert Speakers: We’ve got some incredible national speakers lined up—stay tuned for the full list coming soon!
  • Networking: Meet and connect with over 150 other TA leaders and professionals. This is your chance to swap ideas and build relationships with people who get what you do.
  • Fresh Ideas: You’ll leave the day energized and full of new strategies to take back to your team.

Sponsors:

  • Main Sponsor: Paradox
  • Event Sponsors: Greenhouse and more!

And hey, if you or your company want to get involved as a sponsor, we’d love to have you! Just shoot me an email for more info.

So, are you ready to be part of Michigan’s top event for talent acquisition? Whether you’re looking to level up your recruiting game or just connect with others in the industry, the Michigan Recruiter’s Conference 2024 is where you need to be.

Register here!

How Skilled Are Your Peers, Really?

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Have you ever thought about how many people in your job actually know what they’re doing?

It’s a question that got me curious, so I asked a bunch of folks in different fields. Usually, when we think about how people perform at work, it looks like this: 20% are really great, 70% are just okay, and 10% are not doing well at all.

So, if you asked someone, “How many people in your field are really good at what they do?” you’d think their answer would be similar. But that’s not what I found out.

Take a minute to think about your own job. How many of your coworkers do you think are really good at it? If you’re an electrician and I asked you about ten other electricians, would you say that 80-90% of them can do a great job? What if you’re in HR—how many of your peers do you think are truly skilled?

In a survey I did a while back, only 1% of 394 professionals thought that more than 90% of their colleagues knew what they were doing.

On the other hand, a surprising 18% felt that less than 10% of their peers were really competent. What!?

This shows that people often think they’re better at their jobs than their coworkers are. It’s hard to say, “Yes, Karen is much better than me,” but it’s easy to say, “Oh, Tim? He doesn’t know what he’s doing!”

In my experience looking at different companies, I’ve seen that most people can handle the simple parts of their job. But when things get complicated, you start to see who’s really good and who’s not.

This is kind of scary when you think about it.

Jobs that need a lot of skill—like in medicine, law, finance, and tech—require good education, experience, ongoing learning, and attention to detail. Many people want these jobs because they pay well and there are lots of openings, but not everyone has what it takes to be good at them.

If you’ve ever had a medical problem where doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, and then you finally got answers at a top hospital, you know how much difference skill can make. The same goes for a tough legal situation—you can really tell the difference between a cheaper lawyer and an expensive one.

The gap in skills and performance among coworkers is probably bigger than we think. The idea that 20% of people in any field are top performers is likely too high; it’s probably closer to 1%. Real stars in any profession are rare. That’s why it’s so important for companies to keep their top talent. These people usually do a lot better than a bunch of average or below-average workers doing the same job.

A New Way to Say Goodbye

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I’ve decided I’m not firing anyone anymore.

Since I don’t hire people, I can’t fire them. What I do is invite people to join me on a journey. This journey is exciting and rewarding. I welcome them into what feels like a family, not just a work family, but a real one. I spend more time with my coworkers than I do with my own family during the week.

That’s why I’m changing how I do things. Instead of firing someone, I’m just uninviting them from being part of our journey. It’s like a party: if someone causes trouble, they might not be invited back.

Just like when I host a party, I only want people around who bring good energy. Life’s too short for anything else.

In any family-like setting, you naturally get close to people. This happens in business too. It’s why it’s so hard to let go of poor performers—we get attached.

We think, “Oh, Johnny is such a nice person!” But if Johnny struggles with his work, we might give him too many chances. Eventually, he feels like part of the family, making it tough to let him go.

Instead of a harsh firing, think of it as an uninvitation: “Hey Johnny, we love you, but we’ve decided not to invite you to work with us anymore. Let’s still hang out after work.” Doesn’t that sound easier? We’ve all experienced not being invited to something. It might sting at first, but we usually stay friends. Unlike firing, which feels so final, being uninvited leaves room for future connections.

An uninvitation sends the same message as a firing, but it also says maybe we just weren’t the right fit. It’s a mutual understanding that it’s not working out.

It’s a new way to say goodbye!