Dear HR: Does an Employment Gap Define a Person’s Skills and Value?

In today’s fast-paced, competitive job market, one of the most common dilemmas hiring managers and recruiters face is how to assess candidates with employment gaps on their résumés. It's easy to perceive a gap as a red flag—an indication of instability, lack of commitment, or a skillset that may have deteriorated. But let’s take a step back and ask ourselves a critical question: Does a gap in employment truly define the value, skill, or potential of a candidate? The short answer is no.

Life Happens — And That's OK

The workforce has changed dramatically in the last decade, with flexibility, remote work, and diverse career paths becoming the new norm. In this evolving landscape, more professionals are taking career breaks for various valid reasons—whether it's to focus on their personal well-being, attend to family obligations, pursue further education, travel, or even reassess their career trajectory. These employment gaps are not black holes that erase someone's talents, experience, or skills.

In fact, many of the reasons people take a break from work can enhance their capabilities. Here are just a few examples:

• Personal Development: Whether someone used the gap to engage in self-improvement or learning new skills, those who take time off often return to the workforce with fresh perspectives, heightened self-awareness, and a renewed sense of purpose.
• Education & Upskilling: Some candidates may choose to pursue further education during their time away from work. This could involve formal degrees, certifications, or even self-paced learning, which means they return to the workforce with updated or expanded skillsets.
• Family Responsibilities: Caring for a family member or managing household duties teaches individuals how to manage time effectively, deal with complex emotional issues, and enhance their resilience.
• Burnout Recovery: Employees who take a break due to burnout often return recharged, with a better understanding of their own boundaries and how to sustain long-term productivity.

In short, there are many reasons why people step away from their careers temporarily, and those reasons usually add to—rather than detract from—their overall value as professionals.

A New Perspective on Employment Gaps

For HR professionals, the key is to rethink how we approach and evaluate candidates with employment gaps. Rather than making snap judgments, consider the unique skills and experiences that could have been gained during that time.

Here’s how to approach it with a more holistic and open mindset:

1. Ask the Right Questions

When interviewing a candidate with an employment gap, the most important question is not, “Why did you take time off?” Instead, it’s, “What did you learn during this time, and how can you apply it to this role?” Focus on the experiences, soft skills, and any self-driven learning initiatives they may have undertaken. You’d be surprised how many people take advantage of their time away from work to pursue personal growth and knowledge.

2. Evaluate Soft Skills Gained During the Gap

Time spent away from formal employment doesn’t equate to time away from personal development. Many candidates develop critical soft skills like adaptability, problem-solving, empathy, and creativity during career gaps. For example, a parent who has been managing a household for two years may have honed multitasking, emotional intelligence, and negotiation skills that could prove invaluable in a work environment.

3. Look Beyond the Timeline

Remember, what a candidate achieved before and after their gap still counts. If someone had a five-year track record of high performance, then took two years off, it’s worth considering that they’re likely to bring the same level of performance back into the workplace. Don’t let the break overshadow the proven abilities they had before stepping away.

4. Diversity of Experience Can Be a Strength

People with career gaps often bring more diverse experiences to the table. Whether they spent their time traveling, pursuing passion projects, or caring for loved ones, these experiences add layers to their personality and worldview, which can contribute to creative problem-solving and team dynamics. In a world where diversity of thought is increasingly important to organizational success, this broader range of experiences can be a significant asset.

5. Challenge Biases and Prejudices

It’s essential for HR professionals to actively challenge unconscious biases that associate employment gaps with incompetence or lack of commitment. Employment gaps are becoming more common, and treating them as career death sentences risks losing out on high-quality talent. By fostering a more inclusive and thoughtful hiring process, you’ll be able to tap into a wider, more diverse talent pool.

The Value of Employment Gaps: Hidden Gems Await

In many cases, employees returning from a gap come back more refreshed, creative, and focused. They’ve had time to reflect, reset, and often return with a stronger sense of purpose and work-life balance. When they re-enter the workforce, they are often more engaged, resilient, and motivated to contribute meaningfully.

For instance, there are countless examples of individuals who took time off to care for a family member, and in doing so, became incredibly skilled at juggling complex responsibilities and managing stress under pressure. Such individuals may return to work with enhanced problem-solving abilities and greater emotional intelligence—both of which are invaluable in today’s workplace.

Or consider a candidate who took a year off to backpack across Asia. What might seem like a leisurely activity at first glance can reveal deeper qualities—resilience, adaptability, cultural awareness, and decision-making under uncertainty—that can be crucial in roles requiring global perspectives and cross-functional collaboration.

Rewriting the Narrative: Employment Gaps as Opportunities

Ultimately, it’s time to reshape the narrative around employment gaps. Instead of viewing them as blemishes on an otherwise pristine résumé, consider them as opportunities to discover unique talents, perspectives, and stories. In a time where agility, diversity, and adaptability are more critical than ever, employees who have taken time away from the traditional career path could very well be the key to your organization's future success.

So, before you dismiss someone based on an employment gap, take the time to see the bigger picture. What value, fresh ideas, or lessons learned can this individual bring to your team? By focusing on the person’s skills, experiences, and potential rather than a brief pause in their career, you might just find a hidden gem waiting to help your organization thrive.

#HRMatters #TalentManagement #HiringRight #InclusiveHiring #ResilientWorkforce

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Your Learning Partner,

Bukola Bamidele.