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Health & Fitness

Changing Your View of Job Hoppers & The Unemployed

What's your first mental image when the phrase "job hopper" is mentioned? If you're like many employers, it's probably not a positive one, but what are the facts?

What’s your first mental image when the phrase “job hopper” is mentioned? If you’re like many employers, it’s probably not a positive one. We’ve long been conditioned to view those without a solid 5 or more years with the same employer as potential problems. It’s time to hit the reset button on our way of thinking, because the facts prove otherwise. In fact, job hoppers and the unemployed are among the greenest fields to choose from when searching for qualified, dependable and hard working staff members. Here at HH Staffing Services, we’ve seen the proof, and hopefully so will you.

Job Hoppers and the Unemployed — Myth Busting

Currently, federal law protects applicants from discrimination based on age, race, sex, disability, and religion, but there are no laws barring employers from discriminating against jobless applicants at the federal level. In fact, it’s become quite common to see “unemployed need not apply” in advertisements.

Instead of rallying against the current laws, we’ve decided to take a look at the facts surrounding job hoppers and the unemployed. As a large and growing temporary staffing agency for the Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton and Orlando areas, we are interested in creating win/win situations for both the employer as well as the job seeker. We certainly don’t want to place unreliable employees in positions, so the real question here is simply this: Are job hoppers and the unemployed unreliable? Let’s take a look.

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According to the 2013 Workforce Report by Evolv, a data provider who conducted a study of over 112,000 workers on employee retention, the facts were summarized in one pretty familiar sentence:

The results of our extensive study indicate that an applicant’s previous work history is actually a poor predictor of future outcomes. Evolv found virtually no difference in survival curves based on previous unemployment. These results indicate that an applicant’s previous work history is actually a poor predictor of future performance.

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The above quote probably made you do a double-take. Past history is no predictor of future performance? That sounds like the fine-print disclaimer at the end of an investment pitch.

So, if past performance is not an indicator of an employee’s potential, what is? The Evolv report went on to explain that the most accurate assessment criteria includes “personality, aptitudes, work style, technical skills, and fit for the position.”

Ahhhh, now we’re getting somewhere.

HH Staffing Services Hiring Criteria

Although some staffing services have fallen into the trap of discrimination against job hoppers and the unemployed, we have not. Here at our Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton and Orlando temporary staffing offices, we have always taken applicants on a case-by-case basis, taking all details into consideration.

What makes a good employee in our eyes? Nothing less than a perfect match. For the fast paced professional leasing office, we have proactive, experienced, sales-oriented professionals who are familiar with the appropriate software as well as qualifying potential tenants. Would this person do just as well in a maintenance or hospitality position? Probably not. Putting bodies in a job is not what we do. Assessing skills, personalities, and making long term employment matches is.

If you’re looking to fill either a long term position or need temporary staffing for a project or to fill an employment gap, we are here for you. Give our offices a call today. You’ll be glad you did.

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