3 Experts Say Getting Over Resume Gaps Will Improve Talent Acquisition - Spark Hire

3 Experts Say Getting Over Resume Gaps Will Improve Talent Acquisition - Spark HireMost hiring professionals have done it at some point in their careers ignored a candidate due to questionable gap years on their resumes. That quick judgment is leaving top-quality candidates in the hands of your competitors. Of course, there are various reasons job seekers take gap years. Some explanations are negatives and those candidates should be passed over. However, there are new reasons some exciting that people have holes in their resumes. So, why do you need to get over this stigma now? We found three experts who are ready to help you overcome this talent acquisition obstacle. 1. Theyre part of lifes natural courseAfter nine years of work and having hired mora than 100 employees, I can assure you that giving importance to resume gaps is a big mistake.Four years ago, we had the gunst der stunde to hire an excellent programmer, but we decided not to due to several gaps in their resume. We saw the gaps as a sign they wouldnt be a long-term employee at our company. A year passed and we still urgently needed a programmer, so we decided to take a chance on that candidate. Hes now been part of our team for three years and has taken the least amount of days off.Resume gaps simply reflect life. You cant always be working. Personal problems or dreams of your own projects can arise, and its a mistake to not hire someone due to these reasons. In my experience, employees with resume gaps have more experience because they saw the world of employment from another perspective. Those who always had a job and never took the time to slow down are actually at a disadvantage.Cristian Rennella VP of HR CoFounder of MejorTrato.com.mxResume gaps simply reflect life. recruiting hiringtrendsClick To Tweet2. The definition of success is changingThe world of work has evolved significantly over the past decade. Previous indicators of success such as longevity in a role or organization or tertiar y qualifications have become less relevant. Theyve been replaced with qualities such as creativity and demonstrated entrepreneurship. It stands to reason that indicators of concern have also adjusted. A candidate who has spent the past nine months working to bootstrap a failed startup is possibly more qualified or employable than the candidate who spent nine months working for a competing organization. Soft skills, such a resilience, tenacity,and creativity will have been developed over this period of time and also speak to the character of the candidate who went out on a limb. During talent acquisition, a recruiter should take a candidates resume gap into consideration, but only for the purpose of clarification not for the dismissal of their application. Indicators, such as how quickly theyve progressed through their career, the nature of the organizations they previously worked for, and the creative projects they work on in their personal time are great ways of assessing a candid ates suitability for a role. Amy Halligan, Founder and Managing Director of The Pocket RecruitmentConsider a candidates resume gap to assess their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.Click To Tweet3. Non-traditional work keeps skills sharpWith the rise of the gig economy, many laborers filled in traditional employment gaps with various self-employed jobs on freelance sites like Fiverr or Uber. Some applicants may choose to leave this time spent freelancing off of their resumes. As a recruiter, you run the risk of ignoring what these highly-resourceful and versatile candidates bring to the table if you remain overly focused on employment gaps through the talent acquisition process.Hiring managers often overlook the quality of a candidates alma mater. Spend more time reviewing their former college to better determine the quality of their education. Additionally, youll ensure youre receiving high-quality candidates by focusing on the nature of their previous work experience rather th an the length of their unemployment. How long were they employed before this recent gap in their work history? What kind of work were they performing while they were employed?Pauline Delaney, Senior Career Consultant and Contributing Writer at Resume GeniusFocusing on employment gaps will cost you, highly-resourceful candidates. talentacquisitionClick To Tweet