The struggle to find the perfect fit for your organization, whether it be in the warehouse shipping packages or greeting customers at the front desk or the top sales executive, can be intense and exhausting for everyone involved. The struggle is very real to recruit top talent that not only has the skills, knowledge, and experience required to succeed in the position but is also the right fit for your company culture. The perfect candidate for the leading pharmaceutical sales company nationwide will not be the same ideal applicant for a high-end boutique hospitality resort and spa. The characteristics that would lead one to success would possibly lead to failure for another.

In today’s fast-paced, media-driven, instantaneous information at our fingertips world, certain things that would be a major red flag fifty years ago are no longer such a huge cause for concern. The baby boomers worked hard to find a stable career path, and vowed their loyalty to one company for the vast majority of their working years. The Generation X’ers value education and seek a work-life balance while maintaining a pragmatic viewpoint of the world, while the Millennials question authority, demand challenges and want to find work that means something. So how do you, as the employer, seek out the perfect fit for any given role in your company? Here is a handy checklist for you to consider when evaluating candidates, and make sure you don’t let those employment gaps get in the way of your analysis. Just like a job hopper was viewed as disloyal and unable to commit to a job twenty years ago, employment gaps are not as detrimental to a resume as you may think.

1. Does the candidate match your required skills, knowledge and abilities?
2. Does the candidate meet your educational requirements?
3. Does the candidate have the desired years of experience or background in the field?
4. What employment gaps does the candidate show on his or her resume? When interviewed, what explanation does he or she have for each?

1. Travel – travel and self-discovery are not bad things. A little time off between school and the “real world” may translate into a more determined and enthusiastic employee so dig deep on this one and consider the source.
2. Education – keep in mind that community colleges in certain areas (especially Southern CA where Peoplescape is headquartered) are so overcrowded that many students struggle to earn an income and take a full class load due to scheduling conflicts.
3. Family – time off may have been spent parenting or taking care of ill family members. From personal experience, I know those parenting years are no walk in the park, so a gap doesn’t mean the candidate was sitting home eating popcorn and watching soap operas. However, it could impact the candidate’s current knowledge of the field and recent legislature or other time-sensitive details so be mindful of this when recruiting.
4. Economic downturns – even top talent is let go in layoffs so don’t scratch someone off your list because they were a victim of the economic twists and turns.

• Conduct at least two interviews with different players involved. – Maybe the first one is done by HR, and the second is conducted by a panel of peers, supervisors, and potential colleagues.
• What do the references have to say? – Although references should be people that the applicant feels would represent him or her in a positive light, by asking the right questions of the references, you can gain insight you would not receive from the candidate directly.

A thorough investigation is required for any great hiring decision. Make sure you complete your due diligence as the hiring manager or human resources expert or CEO. Making a hasty decision without analyzing the candidate may lead to unhappy parties all around.