How can you tell if a sales or marketing candidate is using your position as a stepping stone or if he is in it for the long-haul? Here are some tips to make it easier to decide which candidates are worth your investment.

• Look for employment gaps. Are there unexplained gaps in the candidate’s resume or a series of positions listed with date ranges shorter than a year?
• Discuss long-range plans. Can the candidate articulate an ideal career path or share any long term goals?
• Check references. Always check references before extending an offer. You need to know whether the candidate is reaching for more challenging opportunities or just can’t hold a job.

Is Job Hopping Always a Bad Thing?

It depends. Ask yourself these questions to help you identify if job hopping is a factor:

Does the candidate show a pattern of advancement? There is a big difference between being unable to settle into a position and having the ambition to follow a rapidly progressing career path.

What industry are they in? Some fields just lend themselves to temporary or contract work. As long as there are no unexplained employment gaps, you could miss out on a talented candidate if you hold it against him.

Is downsizing a factor? Mergers, acquisitions and RIFS have hit a lot of people hard in recent years. And with many companies having a last-in-first-out policy, it’s possible for a quality worker to be hit more than once.

Are they young? Allow some latitude for younger workers. Internships and career missteps can make a candidate who hasn’t yet landed the right role look like a long-term job-hopper.

Are they always looking for the next opportunity? Candidates like this carry some risk. If your position represents the ideal role at the ideal company, you could have a long-term employee. But if he spies greener grass, you’ll just be a resume builder.

How Can You Reduce Your Risk?

Interview well. Ask thoughtful, probing questions. Discuss long-range goals, why they left each position, what represents the ideal job to them. Only after assessing the candidate’s history and goals can you decide if it’s worth taking a chance on a possible job-hopper.

Get help. Need help finding or screening your ideal candidates? Contact the recruiting experts at SMR Group Ltd. We can provide the expertise you need to separate the gems from the duds. Contact us today to get started!