Recruiters - why would you not employ a SAHM?

[Movetothebeat]

This is a question specifically for those who make the decisions on recruitment:

Why would you not employ a long-term SAHM? What puts you off? What would the candidate need to demonstrate to convince you to consider them as a serious candidate?

I ask because I’ve been a SAHM for 7 years, after having been working for 20 years following University. So far I’ve only applied for 3 jobs, got an interview for 1, but didn’t get it. I’ve seen too much on MN and other places to think I’m on the scrap heap, plus being late 40’s doesn’t help

I’d like to address any recruiters concerns about seeing me as a possibility before I apply for anymore positions.

If you've been a SAHM for 7 years, it might just be that your skills/experience don't match up to your competitors. Recruiters prefer recent/skills experience.

What kind of jobs are you applying for?

I would (and have)employ a sahm. However, most often there's someone else with more recent and extensive experience.

Its not an issue with sahms as such. Its the comparing them to other candidates.

Its why I always suggest people do some training or something recent before they start applying. Or really learn how to sell yourself.

As the PP said, it's the 'recent experience' that is the issue. Especially if you are in an area where the software or the rules and regulations change frequently. I often see job adverts which say recent experience.

I'm looking at this as a former recruiter (worked in HR) and also a long-term SAHM myself. I found more luck in a different area on a recruitment event, so a potential recruiter could see me and not just judge the paper CV. I'm older than you with a much longer period at home as well.

With my SAHM head on, I'd advise any events where you can turn up in person, look for firms which are more willing to take on workers with less experience and train them up. Definitely not on the scrap heap, so don't say that!

Initially I looked for work in the same sector that I worked in before, but they are large employers who use recruitment software for applicants and often I just didn't use the right words to get past it.

I would absolutely bring in a previous stay at home mum looking for a role. In fact our place has asked for people to basically choose their hours in an approach to being more flexible and get new candidates through the door!! What kind of industry are you looking for/ what’s your experience or skill set? Do skills in that industry need refreshed?

With respect: 3 applications is nothing. One interview out of that is a pretty good hit rate. Job hunts take a while even when you're already in employment.

WRT your question: I'd want to see that they had up to date tech skills, Office365 and Teams, that they'd refreshed their subject knowledge recently if it was a skilled role, and preferably that they had some recent evidence of collaborative working in an environment where they were answerable to someone or something.

Agree, it’s experience. My industry was entirely different seven years ago. That would always be the case, but Brexit has changed lots of things for us totally.

A decent career Pre-children would prove to me that you could do the old job, but I’d have no evidence that you could do it now.

I might take a punt on you if we didn’t have many options, but realistically I can’t imagine a scenario where you would be a safer bet than someone I knew was doing the job well right now.

Of course it will depend on the industry how you tackle this. In my field, you’d be best off looking at slightly different roles where you can start as a vole tree, or going for one of the big corporates which have specific returner programmes.

I would want to see up to date IT skills , (maybe do an basic online course before applying)
However nothing apart from the IT side of things would put me off hiring a SAHM ...

It's early days with your job hunt so don't panic!

I would consider listing it as a "career break"on your CV rather than outright saying that you were a SAHM.

Agree with PP, try and find some free courses to get your IT skills up to scratch (word is unrecognisable from 7 years ago as an example) but do t be put off you’ve only applied for 3 jobs! When I was like looking last year I applied for about 30, and I was in employment in the same field!

I think being late 40s is probably more problematic. There is a lot of ageism. People often don’t want to manage people older than them. I’ve recently been a recruiter and then tried to get recruited recently. 3 jobs is nothing though so keep going. Whatever you do don’t list all the skills you’ve acquired being a SAHM like time management and prioritisation they are cringe worthy and lead to the NO pile. The fact you got an interview is a good sign.

2-3 years, fine, but most jobs look very different to what they did 7 years ago. It depends on industry but I would be more likely to interview someone who acknowledged that they may need to bring their skills up to date and were looking to come back at a lower level to recognise that and work back up. I'd also want them to have an idea of what their skills gap was and have put the work in bringing sector knowledge up to date.

Lack of recent experience is likely to be the issue. One way round this is to take a temporary role eg maternity cover- easier to get and gives you recent experience.

Agree with Pp that 3 applications is nothing.

It depends on the role, as PP have said. As a woman in your 40s who has presumably completed your family, you are appealing to some employers (rightly or wrongly) because you won't be taking maternity leave. Use this to your advantage. Returning SAHM's have often put a lot of thought into what they want and are likely to stay in the role for a decent amount of time. So what you may lack in recent experience, you make up for in maturity and stability.

@GregBrawlsInDogJail

With respect: 3 applications is nothing. One interview out of that is a pretty good hit rate. Job hunts take a while even when you're already in employment.

WRT your question: I'd want to see that they had up to date tech skills, Office365 and Teams, that they'd refreshed their subject knowledge recently if it was a skilled role, and preferably that they had some recent evidence of collaborative working in an environment where they were answerable to someone or something.

This. I am applying for jobs in a sought after field, am at currently in employment and would say I’ve had a 25% return rate on applications. Also don’t underestimate the impact of networking. You need to leverage any connection you have. My mother in laws neighbour was really helpfully at getting me an interview!

Experience in the field.

@Classicblunder

It's early days with your job hunt so don't panic!

I would consider listing it as a "career break"on your CV rather than outright saying that you were a SAHM.

Don’t do this - it raises far more questions than it answers!

I would have no problem with employing someone who had taken time out of the workplace to raise their family. BUT - as others have said it’s the lack of recent experience that’s more likely to be a barrier (even if your industry hasn’t changed radically in the last 7 years, it’s just a long time being out of ‘the zone’).

It’s early days yet but if you don’t start having more luck I would see if you can get a short term, freelance or voluntary role just to demonstrate fresh experience, even if it’s not directly in your preferred field.

As the others have said, I wouldn’t interview you due to lack of recent experience in the industry and also in IT (teams, one drive etc).

@redpandaalert

I think being late 40s is probably more problematic. There is a lot of ageism. People often don’t want to manage people older than them. I’ve recently been a recruiter and then tried to get recruited recently. 3 jobs is nothing though so keep going. Whatever you do don’t list all the skills you’ve acquired being a SAHM like time management and prioritisation they are cringe worthy and lead to the NO pile. The fact you got an interview is a good sign.

This is interesting because I just applied for a job and had the opportunity to meet the managing director beforehand (on zoom) and she specifically told us to put skills learned from sahm on the cv. The example she gave was “organisational skills”. I felt totally cringe doing it and much prefer your approach!

Your problem is recent experience.

What sort of jobs are you going for? Temporary and maternity cover roles at a lower level are a good way to build up experience.

This is interesting because I just applied for a job and had the opportunity to meet the managing director beforehand (on zoom) and she specifically told us to put skills learned from sahm on the cv. The example she gave was “organisational skills”. I felt totally cringe doing it and much prefer your approach!

I keep hearing this and maybe, she felt that was good, but in my experience its not.

For example if you are up against a working parent, how would you know you were more organised than them. It could be that the working parent needs to be more organised and can prove it within a work environment in recent experience.

Or someone with no kids has lots of recent evidence of organisational skills in the work place.

Being an organised sahp doesn't always translate to being organised in a work setting. And vice versa of course. I am very organised at work. Outside work we are a bit more fly by the seats of our pants

I’ve just gone back to work after 7 years SAHM, I do voluntary work and did some refresher courses for excel etc and a digital marketing course just to
Make sure I looked like I was keeping my skills up to date. One thing I tripped up on in an interview was Teams as I hadn’t used it before and the interview was remote. So if you don’t know much about new systems, Microsoft programmes etc get some short courses done.

I'd interview you BUT I'd expect to see something on your CV - treasurer of the PTA, foster coordinator for a dog rescue, recent qualification etc.

If you just sent me a CV with a 7 year gap I wouldn't bring you in for interview. We hired someone who'd been a SAHM mum for almost a decade but she'd done loads of voluntary stuff in her local community and at her children's school so she had loads of experience and interesting stuff to talk about.

Whatever you do don’t list all the skills you’ve acquired being a SAHM like time management and prioritisation they are cringe worthy and lead to the NO pile

Completely agree with this - I used to recruit for incredibly busy roles with a lot of urgent priorities that need to be balanced. Trying to compare that to doing the school run would make me think that you didn't understand what we were looking for.

I'd just put one line of the dates with "career break" or similar, then use the rest of the space on your CV to discuss your previous exp and qualifications. Don't waste CV space with home postal addresses or personal interests/hobbies either, we don't need them.

If you were working in an office environment at a decent level 7 years ago then a lack of knowledge of Teams or one drive is not going to be a problem. Anyone with the usual Office skills can pick these up so that wouldn’t be a barrier in itself but I would expect you to have familiarised yourself with them.

Right before lockdown I had an interview with a company who interviewed me on Zoom. Despite working at a senior level in the city for years I’d never used Zoom before (hard to imagine now!!) and I messed it up when I tried to join the call. Still got the job.

‘ allfurcoatnoknickers

I'd interview you BUT I'd expect to see something on your CV - treasurer of the PTA, foster coordinator for a dog rescue, recent qualification etc.

If you just sent me a CV with a 7 year gap I wouldn't bring you in for interview. We hired someone who'd been a SAHM mum for almost a decade but she'd done loads of voluntary stuff in her local community and at her children's school so she had loads of experience and interesting stuff to talk about.’

🙄

Op, the right company will see past it and see what you are.
Any company that doesn’t, you’ve had a lucky escape.
As a SAHM I don’t have the time to be volunteering etc. If someone doesn’t want me because of that in the future then that’s their loss.