You Should Reject Job Hoppers, Right?

August 31, 2015 in HR Best Practices

 

 

Everybody knows how tight today’s professional food & beverage talent market is. High performers are undoubtedly in the driver’s seat, and most won’t stick around nearly long enough to earn that once-coveted gold watch:

  • According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average employee tenure is at 4.4 years.
  • High achievers (young managers in particular) leave their employers after an average of 28 months (Harvard Business Review).

Job hoppers are mainstream.

In today’s volatile employment market, professionals who change jobs frequently are the norm – not the exception. But is frequently changing jobs a sign of ambition, or a warning that your candidate just can’t cut it? And with top talent in short supply…

Can you afford to pass on a job hopper who’s otherwise a stellar candidate?

In a recent ERE blog post, Dr. John Sullivan, a leading HR and recruiting expert, explained why rejecting job hoppers can potentially lead to missed hiring opportunities. Here are a few of the reasons he lists to support his position:

  • Changing jobs frequently is becoming more acceptable. The majority of employers (55%) have hired a job hopper and 32% have come to expect individuals to frequently change jobs (CareerBuilder).
  • Job hoppers may be more adaptable. According to the same study, more than half (51%) of employers state that job hoppers adapt quickly. The reason? Individuals who have changed jobs frequently may be better able to assimilate to new work environments.
  • They may have insider knowledge. Having worked for your competitors, or other types of food & beverage employers, job hoppers may have extensive resources and a great network of contacts for you to leverage. Furthermore, varied work experiences typically give job hoppers a wider range of expertise.
  • Job hoppers are likely to be high performers. Top performers are comfortable with change and will take calculated risks (including changing employers) to advance their career. Look for a logical job progression, if an otherwise qualified candidate appears to be a job hopper.

The big takeaway? Be careful not to judge a food & beverage professional based solely on the number of jobs he’s held or his average job tenure. And if you’re struggling to recruit exceptional talent, working with Kinsa is a smart option:

  • Experts in interviewing, Kinsa recruiters dig into each candidate’s work history to uncover the real reasons for job changes – many of which can be positive. For example, a candidate who frequently changes jobs to advance his career (taking positions of increasing responsibility) is clearly different from one who’s been let go from several positions for non-performance.
  • Our recruiters have candid conversations with candidates about your opportunity to ensure the individual’s commitment – and maximize job tenure.
  • We use a team approach to rapidly source high performers – even in a tight talent market.
  • We conduct in-depth assessments to evaluate a candidate’s performance in the specialty skills of the position, results achieved in past positions, and overall predictors of success.

Hiring a food & beverage executive or professional?

There’s an ideal out there. Trust Kinsa to help you find that candidate.