What do you think, should the boss be the smartest person in the company? If the boss’s IQ is an above average 130, does that mean the people who work for him shouldn’t have an IQ higher than 130? This might be one of the most debated hiring challenge  for recruiters—the problem of hiring someone “over qualified.”

The answer here could be obvious to many of you… “Of course we can’t hire people based on how their IQ compares to the CEO, that’s ridiculous!”

Let me change the question then, “Would you hire someone smarter than you if you work directly for you?” This person  may have the opportunity to outshine you in the eyes of other team members, your boss or even your and customers. They will make your flaws and weakness more obvious.  Their talents and skills can make your leadership skills seem less impressive. Would you hire them? 

Or would you be intimidated? Wouldn’t you feel that you feel that your  other employees might start listening to them more instead of you?  Maybe your team, or worse yet your boss starts to lean in when they are speaking and they become the center of attention.

Feeling intimidated by someone more skilled, accomplished or talented than you are is normal, especially if you consider the fact that you’re the boss, the person who’s “supposed to” know more.

While hiring someone smarter than you might be bad for your ego,  it does have benefits far beyond an inflated sense of importance you might give it. 

Benefits of Hiring Employees Smarter than You

Improve your leadership skills—coaching, leading and managing people smarter than you can be a challenge. Smart people are often stubborn, idealists and in some cases, have a knack for breaking the rules (with good reason), they will test your patience, communication and leadership skills, and in the process help you become a better boss.

No more micromanagement— You don’t have to watch them every hour just to make sure they’re doing the right thing. Chances are their process, their way of working is efficient and effective.  Add to this they are more likely to make fewer mistakes and you can relax, instead of micro managing. 

Stay ahead of the game—Do you know why even established companies fail? It’s because many of them became complacent and stopped innovating, when that happened, a better company came and grabbed their share of the market place with better or cheaper products. To stay ahead of the game, you need smart and creative people who will keep your business competitive with new ideas.

Succession planning – Do you have anyone ready for a bigger role or more responsibility? You likely won’t  have that problem if you hire people smarter than you. Smart, driven people anticipate the needs of their team and manager—they don’t just do what’s assigned to them, they also study and do the work of those above them. These are the people you can rely on to step up when it’s time for someone to step down, or if your company is expanding.

Remember, smartness isn’t limited to a person’s IQ—work experience, street smarts and expertise in other areas should be taken into consideration. You may be suited in the leadership role, but you employees should be smarter when it comes to marketing, product creation, customer service and whatever area they work with.

Don’t skip the step of checking references on potential hires.  You can learn a lot about the candidate that will not only help ensure the person you interviewed is who and what you think they are, but it will help you manage them once on board.  

We created Getting the Inside Scoop:  Reference Checking guide to make this process easier.  Click the link below to get yours.