Beyond the CV: Why Short Stints and Gaps Shouldn’t Define a Candidate

The Overemphasis on a Piece of Paper

For too long, hiring decisions have been reduced to a single page - the CV. Recruiters scan for continuity, long tenures, and neat career progressions. But life, and careers, are rarely that linear. Gaps happen. Short stints happen. And yet, behind every line on a CV, there’s a story that a recruiter often never gets to hear.

An HRBP once shared with me: "The CV told me nothing special - just a list of companies and dates. But the conversation told me everything. The candidate had taken a year off to support his wife through a high-risk pregnancy. The way he spoke about responsibility and resilience told me more about his character than any bullet point ever could."

What a CV Doesn't Tell You

Let's be honest - no CV explains context. It only states facts. Here are the realities often hidden between those lines:

Career Breaks with Purpose A candidate with a one-year break may have been caring for a sick parent, pursuing higher studies, or simply recovering from burnout.

A Head HR once told me: "The candidate I almost rejected had a long break. In the interview, she explained she had been preparing for CFA exams while consulting on the side. Today, she heads our research team."

Short Stints Due to Business Realities Someone with two six-month stints might not be unstable - they may have been part of startups that pivoted, merged, or shut down.

An HRBP's reflection: "I used to reject CVs with back-to-back 6-month stints. But after meeting one candidate, I realized both his companies had folded. He wasn't the problem. In fact, he was the only one holding operations till the last day."

Relocation & Life Events Another candidate may have moved cities due to a spouse's transfer, children's education, or personal obligations.

A CHRO shared: "We once hired a woman who had three jobs in three years, each in different cities. On paper, she looked unstable. In reality, she was following her husband's postings. Today, she's one of our most loyal and long-serving employees."

Mismatch in Expectations Sometimes, both the company and the individual join hands with excitement, only to realize later that expectations don't align. The role might not turn out as promised, or the working style may not suit the team. One short stint because of this doesn't mean the candidate will repeat the pattern everywhere.

A Head of HR recalled: "We onboarded a candidate into what was pitched as a strategic role. Within weeks, it turned into largely administrative tasks. He left in four months. That was our mismatch, not his failure."

Care Responsibilities Close to Home A candidate may prefer working closer to their hometown to care for senior citizen parents.

An HRBP once noted: "We hired someone who left a metro job after just 8 months to move back home for his parents. Today, he's been with us five years and is one of our most reliable managers."

Cultural Disconnects Not every workplace culture suits every professional. Sometimes an individual struggles to gel with a boss or management style.

A CHRO shared: "One candidate left quickly after failing to connect with a micromanaging boss. We took a chance anyway. In our culture of autonomy, he thrived."

Negative References Aren't Always Neutral Workplace politics sometimes spill over into references. A CV doesn't show the biases that can creep into feedback.

A senior recruiter admitted: "A candidate got terrible feedback from his previous manager. When we probed further, we found the manager was upset about his resignation. We hired him - and he's exceeded every metric."

Reviews Can Be Misleading Platforms like Glassdoor or AmbitionBox don't always show the whole truth.

An HR leader once told me: "We almost skipped a candidate because her last company had abysmal reviews. But in the interview, she explained how leadership forced employees to post positive ratings. That context mattered."

Entrepreneurial Detours Some gaps are entrepreneurial experiments. A candidate may have tried to build something, failed, and returned to corporate life richer in perspective.

A Talent Head put it bluntly: "The candidate's CV showed a gap of two years. He admitted he tried launching a food delivery startup. It didn't work, but his problem-solving ability blew me away. We hired him - and he brought founder-level ownership to his role."

Health and Wellbeing Not every gap is about ambition. Sometimes it's survival.

A Senior HR Manager shared: "One candidate had a gap with no explanation on the CV. In the interview, she shared she had fought cancer. Today, she is one of the strongest project leads I've ever seen."

Exploration and Learning A break may be for skill-building, volunteering, or exploring a different career path.

I recall an HR Director saying: "The candidate had nothing to show for a year. But when probed, he revealed he'd volunteered at an NGO teaching finance to underprivileged kids. That experience gave him unmatched empathy and people skills."

Opportunity Over Assumptions

One of the most common hiring mistakes is assuming that a candidate's past tenure length is a predictor of future performance. But performance is situational. A person who underperformed in one environment might thrive in another. A candidate with gaps could come back sharper, more committed, and more resilient than ever.

Instead of discarding CVs over short stints or breaks, what if we invested that same energy in having one conversation? Sometimes, that conversation can reveal determination, adaptability, or even leadership potential that the CV alone hides.

The Human Lens in Hiring

Recruitment isn't just about filling a role. It's about understanding people. When we hire with a purely transactional lens - tenure, designations, "CV neatness" - we miss out on genuine talent. But when we choose curiosity over judgment, we create opportunities not just for individuals, but for our organizations to discover high-potential hires others overlooked.

As one CHRO summed it up beautifully: "A CV is a snapshot of where a person has been. An interview tells you where they can go."

A Call to Fellow HRs and Hiring Managers

The next time you're about to dismiss a CV because of a gap or two short stints, pause. Ask: What if this candidate is more than what this page shows?

Because more often than not, they are. And by giving them a chance, you may not just hire for a role - you may unlock someone's career.