As an employer how do I address employment gaps in an applicants resume?

Answer 1

Ask the applicant about them.... Sometimes there are good reasons for a gap (eg., left the workforce to be a stay-at-home parent; took a year or more off to travel; etc.). However, sometimes the gap is a red flag and you need to know about it!

In almost all hiring guidelines, they will tell you to look for gaps because they often lead to bad things.... So, ask the applicant what they did during the gap and go from there. It is perfectly legal to ask about the gap!

Answer 2

I find that most applicants have some kind of gap somewhere, unless they are quite new to the workforce, which for me raises its own red flags. If the gap is less than a few months I might not even ask about it but it really is a matter of what else goes on in the interview. Certainly you can ask about any gap that you want, and you certainly should ask if the gap seems excessive to you.

Usually I just ask what they were doing during that period in a friendly and upbeat way. For example I once had an interviewer ask me about a 1-year gap on my own resume by saying, "you seem like such an energetic worker, what were you doing while you were not working for a year?" By the way I currently work for the person who asked me that question! An applicant who is right for the job usually can and will give an answer that will reassure you. Better to give them the chance than to have lingering doubts. Now true if they have a 10 year unexplained gap I might do this in a phone interview first, but regardless if they were a quality candidate that I was interested in, I would give them the chance to explain, unless I had people just really lined up for the job.

A caveat: I wouldn't berate them about it, don't ask, what were you doing in 1990? In 1993? In 1998? If they have multiple gaps, I would address them all together, ("I notice you have some gaps on your resume, what kinds of projects were you engaged in during those times?") or pick the biggest one and focus on it.

I must disagree with the person who said, why wasn't it explained in their cover letter - the cover letter and resume are the place for the applicant to sell themself and accentuate the positive side of what they can do for you, not to rehash seemingly negatives. The interview is the best place to discuss anything of a sensitive nature, that way they can give you the full picture. This is in both parties' best interest, after all you aren't interviewing them for fun, you want to find a quality candidate and get them hired and working on your needs.

Remember almost anyone might have a black mark somewhere if you look hard enough. You are right to want to find it, but then the real key is how they handled it - did they learn and grow from it, do they have the humility to know some of their faults and try to work on them with a positive attitude? Or are they just complaining bitterly and blaming others for all their problems? I would much rather hire someone who had a past small mistake or two who dealt with it in a healthy and growthful way, than someone with a seemingly spotless record but a terrible attitude.

Answer 3

Ask the applicant why the gap. It is a fair question. And the reason may not make a difference to you. If the applicant refuses to, or is unwilling to, explain, the best thing to do is let it drop and concentrate on the info you have.
I interviewed a young man, once, who had such a gap. He got the job. Years later we found out that he quit a job, followed a girl to somewhere in East Africa, got thrown in jail because he was white, and it took six months for him to get his pass port back. He was so ashamed of chasing after the girl, he did not like talking about it.

Answer 4

There are many reasons for a gap in employment, but my question is, "What does the gap have to do with my ability to perform the job for which you are interviewing me for?" I think that you place the applicant in a judgement phase when you concern yourself with employment gaps. as another person stated, the reason could be bad boss, leave of abscence, or simply job burn-out. I suggest you focus on the positive and get a feel for your applicant and base your hiring solely on the interview, the position at hand and their current skills and qualifications.

Answer 5

If they have provided references, call them and start to ask questions. If no one knows or will tell you what happened during that time, that should raise a HUGE red flag.

You didn't say how long the gap was. Months or years? A gap of a few months might not be anything to be alarmed over; a gap that goes on for months or years should be explained.

I'd ask myself why the gap wasn't addressed in the cover letter??

Answer 6

As an employer seeing several hundred applicants a month, some with gaps, I would simply ask. I do not judge people becuase of time taken off, I judge them on the merits of their respective answers and the level of technical/business experience relevent to the position open. Starting off open and honest with the candidate tells them they can expect the same in the workplace as well.

Answer 7

I don't know anything about being an employer but when I was asked about that during an interview I was really a little offended. It is my personal business if I spent a month or two not working if I had the money to do so, you know? It is not like they will tell you when questioned it it is a job they want to hide anyway, right?

Answer 8

Ask them!

My wife took a year off between jobs to have our baby.

I took 6 months off to move into & fix our new house.

A friend of mine has quit and will not work for a while due to his father getting terminal cancer.

Another coworker and I lost our jobs due to downsizing a few weeks before 9-11. I got a job immediaately, he didn't start working for a year...

Not everyone has been fired or done something wrong.

Answer 9

Ask them about the gaps.

Answer 10

Two ways. You can believe they were not working, or they don't want you to know who they worked for during that time because they got fired.