Overqualified Human Resources, Career Development Experiences, and Work Outcomes: Leveraging an Underutilized Resource

We argue in this paper that overqualified employees represent an underutilized human resource that has the potential to be leveraged in impactful ways to enhance both personal and organizational effectiveness. Our proposed framework suggests that if organizations provide the proper developmental career experiences, through which overqualified employees can make unique contributions, they can become valued human resources to their organizations, and also develop greater satisfaction with their jobs, and commitment and attachment to their organizations. Implications, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.