Career gaps acceptable for 95% of U.S. employers
OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES — A significant portion of U.S. hiring managers (36%) may hesitate to interview applicants with sizable unexplained work gaps. However, an overwhelming majority (95%) recognize valid reasons for such interruptions, according to a recent survey by Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll.
The survey found that both hiring managers and job seekers consider the following as acceptable reasons for career gaps:
- health issues (73% hiring managers, 74% job seekers)
- staying home with a child (68% hiring managers, 66% job seekers)
- going to school (68% hiring managers, 65% job seekers)
- caring for an elderly parent (67% hiring managers, 67% job seekers)
- trying to switch careers (45% hiring managers, 41% job seekers)
- not liking working in their past industry (23% hiring managers, 18% job seekers)
Caregiving and workforce re-entry challenges
One of the most common reasons for taking time away from careers is caregiving, as 100 million U.S. adults function as caregivers for children, parents, or other relatives.
Neil McMillan, an Express franchise owner in California, stated, “Hiring managers should be receptive to many of these real-life situations because they don’t indicate complacency. The candidate was doing something of value for themselves or others.”
With low unemployment levels and a talent shortage, McMillan underscores the necessity of both parents working. He suggests that employers offer flexible schedules and hybrid or remote work opportunities where feasible.
Kim Sullivan, an Express franchise owner in Wisconsin, also noted that caregiving duties historically disproportionately affected mothers, but this trend is evolving, with both parents seeking more flexibility to share responsibilities.
In fact, hybrid work boosts women’s workforce return in the U.S., reaching 73% by the end of 2023, up from 70% in 2020.
In the United Kingdom, Public First revealed that 58.7% of women in the workforce were fully employed in 2023, up from 56.5% in 2019.
The surge has been more apparent in sectors implementing hybrid work, such as finance and insurance (75% to 83%) and information and communication (79% to 83%).
Mothers experienced an even more significant uptick in full-time employment, with a rise of over 10 percentage points in the finance and IT sectors.
In Southeast Asia, 68% of working mothers believe that remote work and flexible arrangements would enhance their work-life balance and career growth opportunities. This sentiment was particularly strong in Singapore (75%) and the Philippines (77%).
Meanwhile, Sullivan also highlighted the importance of considering the duration of the gap and the potential impact on skills. “Someone who did graphic design 15 years ago might be very out of touch with the technological advances in that field,” she said.
“On the other hand, I don’t know that packaging, production, or forklift driving has changed that much in the past decade. If it has been a long break, I think the candidate should expect a lower pay rate until they prove themselves a bit.”
Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller emphasized the importance of considering candidates with non-linear work histories.
“For even the most dedicated employee, life interruptions happen,” he said.
“Hiring managers might miss out on the ideal candidate by simply evaluating them on paper. If the applicant has the proper skills and appears to be a cultural fit, it’s worth bringing them in for further evaluation and a possible employment offer.”
Survey methodology
The Job Insights online survey was conducted between October 31 and November 10, 2023, among 1,007 U.S. hiring decision-makers. The Job Seeker Report was conducted from November 9 to 26, 2023, among 1,002 U.S. adults aged 18 and older.