Travis Brown’s Post

If you see a candidate who's switched jobs every 1-2 years, do you immediately stop considering them for a role because they are 'too job hoppy'? It's time for a change in hiring strategies. "Job Hopping" isn't what it used to be and you could be passing on the BEST candidate for your role all because they have had a few jobs in the past few years. There are PERFECTLY good explanations as to why so many candidates 'hop' around. 1. Layoffs/RIF's - The job market has been on/off since Covid and especially this past year. So many companies over hire and then at no fault of the employees, they do mass layoffs to course correct. 2. Bad Managers - Most everyone puts on their best behavior during interviews, and even during the 'honeymoon' period of new hires and this includes the managers. However, there are a lot of people who are in managerial roles, who quite frankly have no business leading or managing others. You never know what that candidate had to deal with and NO ONE should be forced to stay in a toxic work environment. *Believe it or not, some people get a few bad managers in a row and it has nothing to do with their performance. 3. Compensation - A lot of companies and hiring managers will try to hire for as cheap as possible. I actually disagree with this strategy. Candidates are smart and find credible resources to understand the pay for the position they are being hired for or are currently doing. If a candidate is underpaid and knows it, they will 100% be open to a new opportunity. A lot of candidates who 'hop' are approached (they're not actively looking) by recruiters like myself, who have opportunities that can pay them more for a role they are already doing. Companies need to realize that 2-5% 'pay raises' are laughable at best and are considered 'cost of living adjustments'. True pay raises are 10-20%!!!! 4. Advancement/Promotion - A lot of candidates have the skillset to be further ahead or move quicker up the career ladder than companies are willing to admit or recognize. Due to this, candidates will 'hop' for a promotion or the chance to prove they are ready to take on more responsibility! **All 4 of these are just a small set of examples as to why you might see candidates whose resumes look like 'job hoppers', but all of these examples are either 1. no fault of the employee or 2. show how well this candidate is playing the career strategy game to get ahead (which should be applauded!). Of course we are still going to see people who get fired from every job due to performance issues and people who leave before they get fired, BUT it's honestly A LOT less common. I challenge hiring managers to give candidates a chance and really find out their motivation and dreams. Look beyond the resume and look at the individual and their 'why'. For more tips and strategies on how to recruit better - follow me and SPG People Consulting! Need help finding that amazing candidate for your role? Reach out asap!