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Nah. The problem with overqualified people is that they will get bored very quickly and either underperform or leave. They can also cause a lot of friction bec

Nah. The problem with overqualified people is that they will get bored very quickly and either underperform or leave. They can also cause a lot of friction because their higher level of knowledge and experience can make them refuse to follow established processes and procedures, even when there are very good contextual and historical reasons for why those processes and procedures exist at that particular organization. This can cause a lot of resentment among their coworkers. Personally, I have never worked with an overqualified person who didn't quickly develop what is commonly referred to as an "attitude problem". That's of course just my own experience.

ChuckMcM 9y ago
Can you say a bit more, how did the "attitude" manifest itself? And was it something the manager was unable to see? I ask because I would like to understand the dynamic a bit better. How might you address an 'attitude' problem with one of your co-workers regardless of how the attitude originated?
- enraged_camel 9y ago
  Mostly arrogance that stemmed from the belief (unfounded or otherwise) that they knew more than others and therefore can refuse to do certain (usually unpleasant) tasks or order people around. For example we had an analyst join the business intelligence team recently, and unlike everyone else on the team she has a masters in finance as well as many many years of experience. She refuses to run financial forecast reports for the executive team because she thinks such tasks are below her, and that others should run them instead. Really nice girl otherwise, but just terrible to work with.
  - KGIII 9y ago
    The conversation would go a bit like this: "Run the reports." "No." "This is your verbal warning. The next step is a written warning. Run the reports." "No." "I am going to my office to write a written warning, of which you can accumulate two." Et cetera...
    - Pyxl101 9y ago
      Exactly. Ultimately, people who work for a company need to follow orders. Managers should strive to avoid issuing orders like this, but if people are exhibiting an attitude problem and not doing the right thing, then they are entirely appropriate. If a person can't follow a clear order, then they're a problem that needs to be dealt with (coaching, performance management, etc.) It shouldn't be a big deal. The person's manager needs to sit them down and say: "This is what's expected of you. We expect you to run these reports, same as everyone else at your level. I know you have prior experience, but at our company you are <job role / job level>". If they won't do it, fine: "so long".
      - KGIII 9y ago
        Yeah, I'm absolutely not going to put up with an employee who refuses to follow orders. This assumes they are lawful and ethical orders, of course. If they are outright refusing, we are going to have an immediate correction or termination.
        barrkel 9y ago
        On the other hand, sometimes you're hiring a professional rather than a laborer. The difference is they'll do the quitting rather than you doing the firing.
        KGIII 9y ago
        The vast majority of my employees where STEM employees. Programmers, IT, traffic engineers, etc... There's a difference between 'it should be done like this' and outright refusal. I'll listen eagerly to the former. After all, I probably hired them to do things I could not. If I could have done them, I'd have not needed to hire them. I have no time for the latter.
    - vacri 9y ago
      Your conversation flow relies heavily on the other party doing a solid, succinct, clear 'no'. If only human interaction were that simple...
abiox 9y ago
i've also seen plenty of underqualified people that developed "attitude problems". i think it's a bit sketchy to equate ("over")qualified with opinionated.
mcguire 9y ago
"They can also cause a lot of friction because their higher level of knowledge and experience can make them refuse to follow established processes and procedures, even when there are very good contextual and historical reasons for why those processes and procedures exist at that particular organization." Personally, I have seen that more with less qualified, younger, new cow-orkers. Particularly those who have had only one previous job. "At my last job, we did X. Therefore X is the one true way to do it."
- geobmx540 9y ago
  "At my last job, we did X. Therefore X is the one true way to do it." I mostly see this in younger people, but the number of older people I have seen like this is ridiculous. Boggles my mind (being on the younger side)
  - aweiland 9y ago
    I believe this is called the Expert Beginner. https://www.daedtech.com/how-developers-stop-learning-rise-of-the-expert-beginner/ https://www.daedtech.com/how-developers-stop-learning-rise-o...
watwut 9y ago
> Nah. The problem with overqualified people is that they will get bored very quickly and either underperform or leave. I was more prone to that when I was younger. As I am older, I understand better what I can expect from position (so I dont expect more fun then is possible), know better how to deal with more boring tasks and better understand why they are (and why process) are important. However, as I got older I oftentime can tell much faster that the process can indeed be done better and seek companies that are willing to improve their processes as they go and are willing to learn from other companies processes. (I dont need to get it my way, but I like to see people talk about process issues openly.) Oddly enough, it was mostly young people who were downright hostile to the idea that processes are something that can be improved, negotiated over or simplified.

ChuckMcM 9y ago

Can you say a bit more, how did the "attitude" manifest itself? And was it something the manager was unable to see? I ask because I would like to understand the dynamic a bit better. How might you address an 'attitude' problem with one of your co-workers regardless of how the attitude originated?

enraged_camel 9y ago
Mostly arrogance that stemmed from the belief (unfounded or otherwise) that they knew more than others and therefore can refuse to do certain (usually unpleasant) tasks or order people around. For example we had an analyst join the business intelligence team recently, and unlike everyone else on the team she has a masters in finance as well as many many years of experience. She refuses to run financial forecast reports for the executive team because she thinks such tasks are below her, and that others should run them instead. Really nice girl otherwise, but just terrible to work with.
- KGIII 9y ago
  The conversation would go a bit like this: "Run the reports." "No." "This is your verbal warning. The next step is a written warning. Run the reports." "No." "I am going to my office to write a written warning, of which you can accumulate two." Et cetera...
  - Pyxl101 9y ago
    Exactly. Ultimately, people who work for a company need to follow orders. Managers should strive to avoid issuing orders like this, but if people are exhibiting an attitude problem and not doing the right thing, then they are entirely appropriate. If a person can't follow a clear order, then they're a problem that needs to be dealt with (coaching, performance management, etc.) It shouldn't be a big deal. The person's manager needs to sit them down and say: "This is what's expected of you. We expect you to run these reports, same as everyone else at your level. I know you have prior experience, but at our company you are <job role / job level>". If they won't do it, fine: "so long".
    - KGIII 9y ago
      Yeah, I'm absolutely not going to put up with an employee who refuses to follow orders. This assumes they are lawful and ethical orders, of course. If they are outright refusing, we are going to have an immediate correction or termination.
      - barrkel 9y ago
        On the other hand, sometimes you're hiring a professional rather than a laborer. The difference is they'll do the quitting rather than you doing the firing.
        KGIII 9y ago
        The vast majority of my employees where STEM employees. Programmers, IT, traffic engineers, etc... There's a difference between 'it should be done like this' and outright refusal. I'll listen eagerly to the former. After all, I probably hired them to do things I could not. If I could have done them, I'd have not needed to hire them. I have no time for the latter.
  - vacri 9y ago
    Your conversation flow relies heavily on the other party doing a solid, succinct, clear 'no'. If only human interaction were that simple...

abiox 9y ago

i've also seen plenty of underqualified people that developed "attitude problems". i think it's a bit sketchy to equate ("over")qualified with opinionated.

mcguire 9y ago

"They can also cause a lot of friction because their higher level of knowledge and experience can make them refuse to follow established processes and procedures, even when there are very good contextual and historical reasons for why those processes and procedures exist at that particular organization." Personally, I have seen that more with less qualified, younger, new cow-orkers. Particularly those who have had only one previous job. "At my last job, we did X. Therefore X is the one true way to do it."

geobmx540 9y ago
"At my last job, we did X. Therefore X is the one true way to do it." I mostly see this in younger people, but the number of older people I have seen like this is ridiculous. Boggles my mind (being on the younger side)
- aweiland 9y ago
  I believe this is called the Expert Beginner. https://www.daedtech.com/how-developers-stop-learning-rise-of-the-expert-beginner/ https://www.daedtech.com/how-developers-stop-learning-rise-o...

watwut 9y ago

> Nah. The problem with overqualified people is that they will get bored very quickly and either underperform or leave. I was more prone to that when I was younger. As I am older, I understand better what I can expect from position (so I dont expect more fun then is possible), know better how to deal with more boring tasks and better understand why they are (and why process) are important. However, as I got older I oftentime can tell much faster that the process can indeed be done better and seek companies that are willing to improve their processes as they go and are willing to learn from other companies processes. (I dont need to get it my way, but I like to see people talk about process issues openly.) Oddly enough, it was mostly young people who were downright hostile to the idea that processes are something that can be improved, negotiated over or simplified.