New research from The University of Western Australia suggests that if overqualified employees have a genuine passion for their work, they can still make the most of their careers. The study looked at two kinds of passion: “harmonious” passion, where work fits smoothly into life, and “obsessive” passion, where there’s a compulsive need to work.

In Australia and the U.S., about a third of workers feel overqualified, which can hold them back in their careers. But the research offers hope, showing that with the right passion for their work, they can overcome these challenges.

Rise in overqualified candidates

“When unemployment levels increase, so too does the number of applicants for each job and that includes workers who may feel overqualified for the role,” the researchers explain.

“Despite having more knowledge, skills, and abilities to do their job, overqualified employees may also become bored and voluntarily quit to find better fitting employment.”

The researchers did two studies. One focused on registered surgeons, while the other involved different professionals. The first study checked how often surgeons changed jobs, while the second one also looked at how well they did in their careers as another measure of how successful they felt.

“In both studies, employees who felt overqualified, and scored lower on harmonious passion, were more likely to consider quitting their careers because they did not experience meaningfulness in their work,” the researchers explain.

“Overqualified employees with higher harmonious passion felt they were doing meaningful work, wanted to stay in their careers and thought they were achieving important career goals. Harmonious passion—as opposed to obsessive passion—was an important factor in both cases.”

The findings propose that when selecting candidates or providing career advice, it might be beneficial to include a test for harmonious passion, especially for individuals who believe they’re overqualified. Evaluating this type of passion could aid in coaching, mentoring, or designing developmental programs for all employees, with a special focus on those who feel overqualified.

“Employees who feel overqualified and score higher on harmonious passion are likely to derive personal meaning from their work and view their careers positively,” the authors conclude.