The Unseen Talent: Overcoming Bias in Recruitment

In the world of recruitment, we've noticed some become unwitting prisoners of an unwritten rule - the one-year mark. This tacit standard, dismissing candidates who've spent less than a year in their previous role, creates invisible barriers that stifle the potential of our industry.

But is this bias in recruitment fair?

For context quickly: We’re talking about one, maybe two short tenures in an otherwise stable career rather than a CV filled with short stays from start to finish (job-hopping). At Organic Recruitment we believe in finding the ‘right candidate’ who fits and thrives with our client rather than ‘any candidate’.

We believe that understanding the reasons behind job changes could hold the key to unlocking a treasure trove of untapped talent. The focus should be on fostering a meaningful and open conversation around job transitions, rather than reducing a candidate's worth to a tenure timeline.

Dismissing potential talent based on a cursory glance at a CV's timeline is akin to judging a book by its cover.

And as we navigate the post-COVID world, the spotlight on well-being and work-life balance is brighter than ever. So, should we expect people to endure an unhealthy work environment for the sake of resume aesthetics?

If we flip what we mentioned earlier, should we penalize individuals who prioritize the 'right job' over 'any job'?

Retaining talent requires understanding what your employees want from their work and leading them forward effectively. As a recruitment company, we actively support businesses in this process with advice, consulting, and workshops to help foster this understanding and create a robust hiring process.

The challenge for businesses is to continue standing out as a desirable place to work. It's about offering a compelling value proposition, staying true to strong guiding values, and conducting effective interviews that delve into understanding what motivates and fulfils a candidate.

We champion open conversations and we remain curious.

If the reasons behind a short tenure are legitimate, shouldn't we listen rather than dismiss them? We owe it to our businesses, to the job market, and above all, to the individuals who may just be the exceptional talent we're overlooking.

Let's rewrite the unwritten rule, and in doing so, unlock the true potential of our industry.