London, ON — Many Canadian job seekers (34%) worry that having a career gap in their resume would prevent them from being hired, but most hiring managers say they are not a problem, according to a newly released Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.

 

 

Indeed, the vast majority (92%) of hiring managers say there are acceptable reasons for large gaps in an applicant’s resume (the same proportion of job seekers agree) — with only one-third (36%) responding that a large and unexplainable gap between work experiences would cause them not to hire a candidate.

 

 

The acceptable reasons for large gaps on job applicants’ resumes include:

 

 

Interestingly, female hiring managers tend to be more accepting of career gaps in numerous categories compared to males. For example, 71% of female hiring managers say career gaps are acceptable if staying home with a child, compared to 62% of male hiring managers. When it comes to health issues, 73% of female hiring managers view it acceptable compared to 58% of male hiring managers.

 

 

This difference is also found among job seekers. For example, 78% of female job seekers believe staying at home with a child is an acceptable reason for a career gap, compared to 62% of male job seekers.

 

“The ability to explain a gap and not shy away from it is key to addressing it. Having a hiring manager try to guess what the gap is often leads to false assumptions that can hinder your job search,” said James Norris one of the franchise owners of the London, Ontario Express franchise office. “There can be many skills and knowledge gained during an employment gap that could be complimentary to your professional experience. Speaking confidently to those can showcase many additional soft skills companies look for.”

 

It can be easy to overlook candidates without a linear work history, but that could be a mistake, according to Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller. 

 

 

“For even the most dedicated employee, life interruptions happen,” he said. “Hiring managers might miss out on the ideal candidate by simply evaluating them on paper. If the applicant has the proper skills and appears to be a cultural fit, it’s worth bringing them in for further evaluation and a possible employment offer.”

 

The Job Insights survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Oct. 31 and Nov. 10, 2023, among 504 Canadian hiring decision-makers.

 

The Job Seeker survey was conducted online within Canada by the Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from November 9-26, 2023, among 509 Canadian adults ages 18 and older.

 

For full survey methodology, please contact Ana@MapleLeafStrategies.com.

 

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At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 579,000 people globally in 2022

and more than 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com/CA.

 

The London Express office is located at 300 Dundas Street, Suite 200, and serves the London, Middlesex, St. Thomas, Strathroy, Stratford, Woodstock, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, and Southwestern Ontario. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to visit https://expresspros.com/london/ or call (519)672-7620.  

 

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment  

International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor 

supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.