Why You Should Consider Candidates with Employment Gaps

Recruiters and hiring managers spend countless hours searching for perfect candidates. The challenge is finding workers who not only meet basic requirements, but who are also a great fit for an organization—both culturally and with the skills and experiences they’ll bring to the role. A poor selection can have dire impacts on productivity, team dynamics and direct costs associated with the hiring process. So when that perfect candidate comes along, their eyes light up. Imagine this: A quick scan of the resume shows the perfect experiences, educational levels and career track… until you look more closely at the dates. This once seemingly immaculate candidate has the dreaded gap in employment. While time away from the workforce can certainly raise a red flag, don’t condemn this candidate to the reject pile just yet. Employment gaps may look alarming at first glance, but there are a few reasons you may want to rethink your stance. The economy While we like to imagine that organizations always find a way to retain top talent—even when pressed to downsize under harsh economic conditions—the fact is that many factors come into play when deciding who stays and who is let go. Thousands of highly qualified individuals have seen their roles erased through no fault of their own. A resume doesn’t allow for one to thoroughly explain such instances, so a bit of analysis is needed. One way to figure out if a gap may be based on involuntary attrition is to look at the dates. As professionals in the industry, we should all be in tune with the labor markets and aware of significant periods of shrinkage. Does the candidate’s gap fall into that timeframe? Additionally, are you aware of that employer having any significant layoffs? WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications) are required per labor codes ahead of all mass layoffs and closings. Staying in the loop is a good way to understand why gaps may exist. The classic clash Call it a lack of fit, personality mismatch or toxic culture. The fact is that all organizations have their own unique set of beliefs that make them a collective entity. The hope that such scenarios shake out during the interview process is just that—a hope—and great employees can find themselves in very uncomfortable situations. Sometimes making a seamless exit from one employer and through the doors of another doesn’t happen. Do you look to hire for cultural fit? Of course you do; we all do. We know, or should know, our organization’s culture like the back of our hands. Ask yourself this: Would I want a truly unhappy employee to prolong that kind of struggle? It’s a situation that has negative effects for all parties involved. If you conduct cultural assessments, does the candidate in question fit your culture? Are you familiar with the general culture of competitor organizations? Having such awareness could provide the insight you need to understand a specific gap. The simple truth At the end of the day, I’ve yet to work with someone who was thrilled to disclose an employment gap on their resume. That said, I’ve yet to recommend an attempt to creatively fill a gap. I’ve written of my father’s innate ability to retain quotes many times before, and this brings about one I heard often as a child. Whether it be during an inquisition over a missing cookie or questions surrounding my brother’s missing G.I. Joe (Barbie needed a boyfriend), my dad would quote Buddha: “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.” The point is, being honest within a resume shouldn’t always be negative. Did the candidate return to school for a period overlapping the gap? Had they retired and are now ready to begin an encore career? The only way to fully understand a gap is through direct communication. It shouldn’t be an interrogation. As with any interview, your question about the gap is designed to provide insight that can be aggregated into a final, thoughtful decision. Filling positions with great talent isn’t easy. We all make hiring mistakes from time to time, but don’t let your mistake be a missed opportunity due to a crack in a work history timeline. Yes, your time is precious and limited, however a few seconds of pause to understand an otherwise excellent selection may be all that’s needed to land your organization’s next top performer. Read more of Michelle’s writing on the ResumeEdge Blog, here.