Hiring managers understand that people may be out of work through no fault of their own. But when a candidate has held a series of jobs for short periods of time, that's a resume red flag. It can indicate a troublesome or unstable employee — or a chronic job hopper. If you're going to invest time and money in recruiting and training new hires, you want them to have long-term ambitions at your organization and not be eager to leap at the next promising job opportunity.
Pay attention to sections of the resume devoted to personal interests. It's a resume red flag when an applicant overemphasizes hobbies and special activities. That job seeker could be looking to fill space in the resume or view the job itself as a side activity.
In some cases, it may be hard to tell whether certain items are actually resume red flags. For instance, an applicant may have short tenures with employers that have gone out of business. In that case, you may wonder whether to rule out that candidate — or give the person a chance. One way to handle these situations is to clarify your concerns through a brief email or phone conversation.
Ask questions that get to the meat of the matter, check references, and if you feel candidates show strong potential, ask other key players in your office to speak with them. Then you can be confident that you're not eliminating promising job applicants who would make ideal employees.
