When you advertise for an HR role, you may receive resumes from overqualified candidates. Before dismissing them in favor of other candidates, remain open-minded about the benefits an overqualified candidate can provide your company. The person may provide significant contributions that you otherwise might not have. On the other hand, you don’t want to hire someone who isn’t passionate about working for you and soon leaves for another opportunity.

Consider these points when interviewing an overqualified HR candidate.

Evaluate Potential Value for the Company

Think about how hiring an experienced HR worker can benefit your company. Along with exceeding the job requirements, they might share deep industry knowledge, skills, and experience that can benefit your team. Even if the person stays only six months, the technical knowledge they leave behind and ways they impacted colleagues can be advantageous for your organization.

Look for Passion About the Job and Company

An HR candidate with superior qualifications should be more excited about the role than other candidates. They most likely will embrace the challenges and want to work with you by choice rather than need. If you do not feel this level of interest from the candidate, they may simply be looking for a job to work at until they find what they truly want. In this case, keep interviewing candidates.

Determine the Candidate’s Goals

Along with discussing the HR candidate’s past accomplishments, find out what their career goals are. Ask what success look like to them. Based on the candidate’s answer, consider whether your company offers a clear path to achieving these goals. If it does, continue to move forward with the interview. If it doesn’t, explain why your organization isn’t a good match. Encourage the candidate to look elsewhere for employment to advance their career.

Include Work-Life Balance

Perhaps the overqualified HR candidate is attracted to the level of work-life balance your organization offers. This may not be possible with a larger business or a more demanding position. Or, the candidate might prefer the laid-back work environment your organization offers over a faster-paced one. In this case, the person can become a valuable, long-term member of your team.

Arrange a Trial Basis

Find out whether you can bring aboard the HR candidate on a temporary or contract basis.   Structure a role for a set time to explore whether the person is a good fit with your team and company. Set a date when both of you can determine whether everyone’s goals are being met.   

Source Qualified HR Candidates

An overqualified HR candidate may prove advantageous for your organization. Focus on their passion for the role and what attracted them to your organization. Discuss the candidate’s long-term career ambitions to determine whether working for you may be a good fit.

Turn to Arlington Resources to find HR candidates with the mix of qualifications you are looking for. We take pride in providing the best-qualified candidates to promote business growth. Find out more today.