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Summer is a time for exploring and discovering and… interviewing job hoppers. With more people on vacation and more relaxed work environments, summer is an opportune time for employees to seek out greener pastures. Networking with contacts over lunches and going to interviews is just easier to squeeze in during the summer months. While job hoppers traditionally received skepticism from recruiters, there’s a lot more to this group of potential high performers.

Potential Great Qualities of Job Hoppers

High Performance

Typically recruiters will skim a resume and notice lots of jobs in a short time, making them more inclined to move on to the next candidate. Job hoppers, many assume, are tempestuous, disloyal, and unreliable. But if you ignore anyone who appears to be a job hopper, you may be missing out on a stellar employee. In this day and age of multi-hyphenate success stories and tech start-up superstars, changing jobs frequently may be a sign of unstoppable talent. Upon closer inspection of a resume, recruiters may notice that each jump includes a more prestigious firm or title with more responsibility. Job hoppers may be changing companies to find more inspiring work or top-level positions that they can’t get from their current employer.

Skills, Skills, Skills

According to a CareerBuilder report, nearly 1/3 of employers expect their employees to job hop. Job-hopping is increasingly common among new graduates as well as those under 35, especially in fields like Information Technology, Hospitality, and Retail. These employees are likely to have multifaceted talents and the ability to dispense them easily in a new environment. They learn quickly on the job and have a talent for getting along well with colleagues. With their varied experiences they bring a wealth of knowledge from other industries, as well as lots of contacts. Job hoppers also have the potential to be more developed in their professional skills. Rather than spending years doing the same job and getting accustomed to cyclical work, they’ve spent their time constantly developing new skills and learning new things.

Ready to Be Hired

Recruiters should also consider that job hoppers might be easier to hire. With the traditional resume route, job hoppers may come off as unreliable hires and be overlooked. But recruiters can convince HR departments of their actual talents. Job hoppers are easier to recruit because they’re eager to try new things and they know what to expect with a new job. They might not be hung up on significant salary increases because what they’re after is the actual work and experience of a new company. Training and onboarding aren’t a wasted investment, because job hoppers are more than likely to be quick learners. They also aren’t likely to use up company resources like benefits or educational courses. Savvy recruiters will also realize that job-hopping may soon become the new normal, with a millennial workforce that is constantly looking for career satisfaction.

You also wouldn’t fault someone for adapting to an unpredictable economy. Nor would you fault them for being ambitious and hoping to grow his or her potential. Experience is the first thing we look for on a resume, so why frown upon shorter stints of varied experience? Whether you’re trying to keep employees from job hopping or thinking about hiring a job hopper, it’s important that you consider the potential in every person you recruit.

Image used in creative commons under Michael Tapp

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