The employment gap should not be considered a crime. Workers, especially women, may face specific challenges when balancing full-time work and personal commitments. However, gig work provides flexibility and agility for organizations to scale their workforce based on project demands, making it necessary and beneficial for them.
Two years ago, when my sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer, she was very blessed to have her daughter, a working professional leave her corporate career to provide full-time caregiving to her mum. I am sure it was a big sacrifice for her to do that. We can’t challenge her sacrifices and decision as taking time off to care for a loved one is a very personal decision and often necessary then.
Back to the job market
We often come across situations like this nowadays. My sister-in-law has recovered well, but now my niece is unemployed and searching for a suitable role. Unfortunately, my niece is not alone in this predicament.
A few months ago, my husband asked me to help him evaluate a few shortlisted candidates for a job opening he had. I went through a couple of CVs, and one candidate stood out to me. Her profile picture caught my attention, and I was surprised to see someone with such an impressive set of credentials and experience applying for a sales position in a different industry. She seemed to have strong leadership skills. However, I was left wondering why she would apply for a sales role that doesn’t reflect her vast experience and credentials. We found out later that she was single, in her late 40s, and had taken a two-year gap to provide caregiving for her mother.
Their job options are limited. They used to be a specialized worker who brought a lot of value to their previous companies, but now they find themselves having to compete in the job market with a large pool of job seekers. The hiring process can also be biased, and bureaucratic obstacles often limit women’s access to equal work opportunities.
An alternative work for women
I asked my niece if she would be interested in taking up a short-term job. Her mother needed to go back and forth for treatment, so my niece was hesitant to commit to an employer. However, she expressed that she would be willing to work remotely on a project-based basis. She has no issues with completing deliverables as long as she can work from home.
It’s unfortunate to say that we don’t have enough job opportunities for freelancers who can work remotely in Malaysia. Specifically, jobs for highly skilled professional women who possess niche skills. Some of these women have expertise in areas such as finance, auditing, consulting, project management, legislation, and more that can provide freelance work.
It is not a crime for individuals to take a gap year or years from their jobs. Instead, we should commend them for their sacrifices.
Opportunity for Employers
This is the opportunity for employers to benefit from the expertise of individuals who are committed and responsible due to their family obligations. However, do you know that biased hiring and silent discrimination practices still exist in many organizations?
A few years ago, one recruiter undermined my values as I took gap years from full-time employment. He refused to acknowledge that I was still in the corporate setting even though I was providing freelance services then.
It’s uncalled for that person to make the mere assumption and remark that we can’t cope with employment after taking a gap from employment. Therefore, employers need to move away from such a biased hiring process.
To do that, why not create a platform, leveraging on gig workers which can be a viable strategy for organizations to address any biased hiring process?
With a gig platform, you can have a diverse pool of talents, focus on skilled-based hiring, overcome blind hiring practices, define your evaluation criteria, recognize the value of the workers based on reviews and feedback, and more importantly, an opportunity to provide a platform to retain your value workers to remain in your organization without obligation from both parties.
Moving away from traditional hiring practices
There is an article from Harvard Business Review written by Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic that discusses the concept of pre-skilling instead of re-skilling or up-skilling. The writer stresses that the lifespan of current skills and expertise is shrinking. Therefore, it is advisable to hire and promote individuals based on their potential rather than their past achievements.
That statement also reminds me that instead of AI replacing jobs, it’s more likely to generate new specialized roles, thus increasing job opportunities.
So what makes you think that those with an employment gap are not employable and sustainable in this current generation of work? Today’s all about new skills, and new ways of working. Think Digital and move away from traditional hiring practices.
