Should Over Qualified Go Into the Reject Pile?

[tweetmeme]  Over qualified is an easy reason to put a candidate into the reject pile. Resume screeners seem to assume the candidate who applies for a lesser position will not work out because…

• if a higher position becomes available, the candidate will jump at it.  I have plenty of clients who have been there and done that.  They chased the big office, got it and now want to focus on what is brings the most satisfaction.  One client made so much money in the high paid positions, he can afford to focus his passions.  He wants to keep working; but not at the 500 mile an hour pace and doesn’t want to be a Walmart greeter.  Even if they do jump, the time you had a high quality working on staff provides more benefit than turning over under qualified workers.
• will be overbearing and try to take control above their pay grade.  If you like their personality and style, a good manager can use this wisdom to their advantage.
• they will get board and thus be demoralized.  Not if they are chasing their passion.  Career paths require people to take on duties they don’t really care for, but do because it is part of the job.  At a certain point people want to shed the undesirable assignments.
• there must be something wrong with them.  Perhaps they got thrown out of the top jobs because of some grave error.  Perhaps so, and perhaps they are best qualified for the position they are applying for.

What do you get for hiring the overqualified?

Wisdom, Maturity, Dedication, Experience, Knowledge, History and all for a bargain price.

HR people, why  do you put the “over qualified” into the reject pile?  Lack of vision?  Worried the hiring manager will think ill of you?  Confident the candidate will want more money than the position pays and turn the job down in the end?