There is more to a resume than the words you read on the paper. There is a person and always with a story. If we don't take the time to actively listen to the story and merely just take a glance at the "job hopping" or the "time between jobs" we may be missing the best hire. Our job as recruiters is to identify the best talent for each client. To learn the whys.

True Story: A candidate was recently submitted to a client with a stellar track record for placing their company #1 on the map being recognized in a particular disease state. The job tenure for that role was 4 years. The accomplishments were outstanding. However, when submitted for review, HR could only comment that in a period of 6 years the candidate had 5 jobs. They did not listen to the story.

They overlooked the mergers, acquisitions, and failed products and the fact that most of the job changes were beyond the candidate’s control. They did not listen to the fact that the person was not afraid to take risks and was so well received that they always landed another role. They did not listen to the recruiter they hired to assess their soft skills.

The saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies here. Open up and listen to the stories. Being so short-sighted and critical and not listening to the recruiter you hired only allows for your company to miss top talent.