Employers Weigh the Risks of Hiring a Candidate, Along With Their Qualifications

Strategically appearing as a low-risk candidate is one of the most effective ways to stand out from your competition.

Many job seekers love to spend their time and energy criticizing how employers eliminate and hire candidates, which is easy to do when you’re not the one bearing the many risks that come with hiring. When I hear or read job seekers “venting,” I think to myself, “Easy for you to say, you’re not the one taking the hiring risk.”

An employer’s hiring process revolves around reducing hiring risks. Employers aim to hire low-risk candidates. A job seeker who understands and empathizes with the employer’s point of view recognizes that showing they’re a low-risk hire with high potential for success greatly increases their chances of getting hired.

Keeping in mind that the hiring process is inherently a process of elimination, which candidate comes across as low-risk, A or B?

Post interview:

Candidate A: Their LinkedIn profile lacks a banner, a headshot, measurable achievements, a compelling career summary, and recommendations.

Candidate B: Their LinkedIn profile is fully optimized, clearly demonstrating the value they can add to an employer’s profitability.

Candidate A: Their resume contains grammatical errors and/or typos.

Candidate B: Their resume is error-free.

Candidate A: Doesn’t include a cover letter.

Candidate B: Includes a well-written cover letter that offers three strong reasons why they’re qualified for the position.

Candidate A: Has held three jobs in the past five years.

Candidate B: They’ve been with their current or former employer for over eight years.

Interview:

Candidate A: Arrives a few minutes late.

Candidate B: Shows up 10 minutes early. You find them in the reception area, engaging with the receptionist or reading one of the industry magazines on the table.

Candidate A: Limited eye contact and facial expressions. They avoid small talk and don’t appear enthusiastic about the job or the company.

Candidate B: Offers a firm handshake, smiles, builds rapport, maintains eye contact throughout the interview, is conversational, and asks thought-provoking questions.

Political strategist Lee Atwater once said, “Perception is reality.” Be mindful of how you present yourself to recruiters and employers. Although it’s impossible to be a 100% risk-free hire, focus on appearing as low-risk as you can in these three key areas.

Frequent Job Changes / Employment Gaps

Turnover is expensive and disruptive, so employers understandably hesitate to hire candidates with a history of job-hopping, without clear career progression, or with significant employment gaps. Generally, employers see this as an indication that the candidate is unlikely to stay long or that they struggle to adapt to new work environments.

For any short-term position (under three years), include on your resume and LinkedIn profile whether it was a contract, resulted from a layoff, relocation, career progression, or other reasons. (e.g., “Project Manager (1-year contract),” “Software Engineer (part of a company-wide layoff).“) Providing context for why your job(s) duration was short is an essential part of sharing your career story, which employers consider when evaluating your candidacy.

Similarly, when a hiring manager notices an extended period of unemployment without explanation, they tend to assume (perception shaping their reality) that you were either fired, unable to find work (employers rejecting you), or “taking it easy.”

Provide context for any employment gaps you may have. If you took time off for education, caring for a family member, personal growth, or any other reason, mention it in your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Negotiating Compensation / Asking for an “Exception”

This and the following truism might lose some of you, but they need to be said.

At some point during the hiring process, you’ll learn about the compensation package being offered for the position. You’ve three choices: accept what’s offered, walk away or try to negotiate a better deal.

Negotiating carries the risk that the job offer might be rescinded; it can also make you seem like you’ll always want more, which can make you appear difficult (read: risky) to manage. If you’re willing to walk away, you have nothing to lose by trying to negotiate. However, if you need the job, focus on securing it! Don’t risk losing it over $10,000, which is significantly less after taxes.

Furthermore, asking for “an exception” can also make it seem you’ll be difficult to manage. The team’s harmony, business policies, and processes are already established, and the employer’s working hours and clients’ expectations are set. Requesting an exception, such as working from home when the team works onsite, suggests a lack of fit; thus, you’d be a risky hire.

Overqualified

Being overqualified means you possess more skills and experience than the job requires or that it’s reasonable to pay for. Overqualified isn’t code for ageism or that you’ll be a threat to your boss; these are comforting lies job seekers tell themselves. When you apply for a job, you’re clearly overqualified for, it’s natural for the employer to question your motivation and assume you’ll be a flight risk, making you a risky hire.

Overcoming the challenge of being overqualified can be tough. Begin by being honest with yourself: are you applying because you genuinely want to take a step back, or because you’re desperate? If it’s the latter, don’t blame employers for not hiring you. Would you hire someone who’s desperate?

My advice for overcoming being overqualified is to trim unnecessary information from your resume and LinkedIn profile; some things are better left unsaid. Think about the job you’re applying for and highlight the specific experiences that demonstrate why you’re a good fit. If any experience isn’t relevant to the position, leave it out; now’s not the time to showcase all skills and experience.

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Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned corporate veteran, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. Send Nick your job search questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.