Not a Barrier: Tips for Evaluating Candidates with a Career Break

A career break often becomes a particular focus for recruitment teams. Many perceive that a career break signifies a loss of skills or relevance to the industry, but in reality, many candidates with a career break return to the workforce with fresh perspectives, additional skills, and high motivation.

Understanding the reasons and context behind a candidate’s career break is important, as it is a key step in the recruitment process. By asking the right questions, HR can identify whether the candidate is motivated to return to work and how they have used their career break productively

Here are some methods HR can apply to evaluate candidates with a career break:

1. Identify and Understand the Reasons for a Career Break

The first step is to understand the reason behind the career break. This question should be asked empathetically so that the candidate feels comfortable answering. Ask why they took a career break: was it related to family, health, a layoff, or other personal reasons?

If the reason is to focus on family, this can be an important factor for HR when evaluating the candidate’s readiness to return to work. By understanding this reason, the company can assess if the candidate may need flexibility or special support.

2. Productive Activities During the Career Break

Next, determine if the candidate engaged in productive activities during the career break. This shows they were proactive in self-improvement and took the initiative to learn and contribute.

Some examples of productive activities include:

• Taking courses or training to improve skills
• Running a small business to gain new experience
• Joining a community or organization, where they may have taken on roles like area manager, treasurer, or marketing/sponsorship division

If the candidate spent time as a content creator, evaluate their role and achievements in that field. Did they build an audience, increase engagement, or create value-added content?

Their resume can also include these activities as evidence of productivity, creativity, and a willingness to learn.

3. Identify Issues with the Right Reasons

When assessing the reasons for a career break, HR needs to ensure that candidates do not speak negatively about their previous employers. The candidate’s reasons should be reasonable and avoid negative comments that could harm another company’s reputation. Ensure that their reasons aren’t related to conflicts or criminal issues. This allows HR to objectively and professionally understand the reason for the career break.

4. Using the STAR Method to Assess Adaptability

To evaluate a candidate’s adaptability to the work environment, use the STAR Method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Provide scenarios that align with current work conditions rather than those from years ago. For example, “In this situation, with a particular issue, what would you do, and what results would you expect?” Make sure the scenarios are relevant to current conditions. For instance, ask about commonly used platforms today, such as TikTok, rather than Facebook, which may be less relevant.

5. Case Study to Assess Technical Skills

To assess technical skills and whether the candidate is up-to-date with current trends, provide a relevant case study. From this case study, candidates can be asked to present their solutions and deliver a presentation on their results. This helps HR assess if they are still competent in their field and how well they keep up with the latest industry developments.

With this approach, HR can assess a candidate’s readiness to return to the workforce after a career break. These methods help companies choose candidates who are not only prepared to work again but also have the motivation and enthusiasm for continuous growth.

Together with RecruitFirst, companies can implement relevant and effective strategies to continue finding the best candidates, even those with a career break. Contact us to maximize your business efficiency!