Why Hiring Managers See More Risk In Hiring You When You're Unemployed

Do you think hiring managers see more risk in hiring you when you're unemployed?

You might not, but 2/3 of unemployed job seekers believe there is employer bias against hiring unemployed candidates, based on a recent LinkedIn poll:

So, why would hiring managers care if you were employed or unemployed, in their decision of whether to hire you? After all, you're more likely to be immediately available, and as long as you're qualified, what difference would it make?

First, it's important to realize that hiring managers often make different decisions when they have a greater number of choices. And in 2024, most hiring managers have a lot of qualified candidates to choose from.

When hiring managers expect to be able to choose between many qualified candidates, being qualified no longer makes you special - Instead, it makes you average. When a hiring manager has many choices, they usually choose candidates they believe will improve the performance of their team/department/company, the candidates who present the lowest risk, or the one they believe they can get for the lowest cost.

Let's think about why this type of decision often happens. The hiring manager considering you realizes that their greatest opportunity to increase their bonus/raise, and improve their chances of promotion is by making decisions that improve team performance - Hiring is one of the easiest and fastest ways.

On the other hand, hiring a candidate who presents risk can do the opposite.

From the hiring manager's perspective, unemployed candidates look riskier. After all, they don't know the real reason you're unemployed (no matter what you tell them). You could be unemployed because you were one of the unlucky employees in a vulnerable position at the wrong time, your location/department/product/project may have been discontinued.

But you could have been an average/below average employee who was let go because you were ranked as a lower performer by your ex-manager. Or, you could have been a problem employee and a layoff presented your ex-manager (and HR) a fast opportunity to rid themselves of that problem, rather than years of performance improvement plans and documentation.

The good news is that you have the opportunity to overcome this risk in the eyes of future employers.

First, it's critical for unemployed job seekers to recognize this risk, so you can minimize it. Next, you can work to influence what a hiring manager notices most: Risk, or your ability to improve performance.

Think about why ...

A hiring manager who is hungry for performance improvement or has challenging improvement goals to reach, is much more likely to hire a candidate who proves a strong record of past ability to improve team performance, while overlooking risk.

Isn't that what you're really trying to find when you're unemployed - A hiring manager who is willing to hire you despite the fact that you're unemployed?

Why not let me teach you how to find your next job faster when you're unemployed, by getting hiring managers to focus on your ability to improve teams, departments and companies?

I help people solve the most difficult job search problems, including job search acceleration, getting past ATSs, ageism, remote positions, product/job function/career/industry/ geographic change, unemployment, "bouncy" recent career path, job search turnaround, seeking raise/promotion, industry in decline/consolidation, long term gaps, family leave, or other of the most challenging job search issues.

Join me for my next free Resume Webinar (enroll at https://x.resumewebinar.com/Registration for no charge) and learn how to accelerate your job search, so you can find your next job faster in 2024.

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