Why Are Employers Reluctant To Hire You If You Are Not Working?

By Perminus Wainaina

Joyce (not her real name), had been working for five years when she decided to start a family. She then decided to quit her job with the hope of ultimately returning to the workforce, when her baby was old enough to go to school.

When Joyce was ready to return to work, she discovered it was not as easy as she had thought it would be. She has sent numerous CVs and although she is qualified for the roles, she has not received any interview invites.

With her qualifications, she does not understand why she does not seem to be a suitable candidate for the roles she applies for.

Have you seen a job posting before that declared, along with a need to have a degree and experience with the role, that candidates must be employed? Have you applied for jobs without any success due to the employment gap that is evident in your CV?

Candidates who have been out of a job for a long time can attest to the discrimination that exists whenever they try applying for jobs. As qualified for the position as they may be, there is always the unemployment gap problem.

Unlike Joyce, you may have been fired, retrenched, left work to go abroad or to even start your business among other reasons. The truth is, the employment gap is what employers see.

Here are some of the reasons many employers are reluctant to hire you if you are not working:

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