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.

The right company won’t “see past it” if they have other candidates with more recent experience!

Recent experience doesn’t automatically make them better, it’s not as simple as that. Anyone hiring with that attitude is quite frankly, rubbish.

Turn the question around.
Why should an employer hire you over another candidate? What have you got that they don't?
Also what field, seniority level are you aiming for?

I have recruited SAHMs when they were the best fit candidate for the job role.

But sometimes they're not the best fit candidate and that can be for all sorts of reasons - not always linked to being a SAHM!

Also OP one interview out of 3 is very good.
Even people with jobs apply for hundreds, get 2-3 interviews and then an offer.
It's impossible for anybody to advise without knowing what your application strategy is.

I'm in IT and things have moved on rapidly. However it's very easy to demonstrate recent skill with personal projects. For 'people' positions I wouldn't automatically discount a SAHM, but I'd want to see what they had been doing to keep up with the industry.

My company actively looks for candidates who have been out of work for a while. We have a whole programme dedicated to it. Maybe have a search for companies like that?

Sometimes the skills gained as a SAHM are definitely relevant.
We interviewed someone with 5 children (blended family) who had homeschooled during lockdown, while working and completing her degree. She told us that she had absolutely proven that she could prioritise and organise her time, and the huge effort she had had to put in to completing her degree while keeping her children fed, cared for and educated should prive to us without a shadow of a doubt thst she was dedicated to making a success of the role for which she had applied.
We agreed.

Stary. I totally disagree with you.

I have been a working parent for years. If you state that you don’t have time to do any volunteering as a SAHP you will give out a very negative impression trying to find a role. You would definitely be put on the NO pile with potentially a massive chip on your shoulder.

I've recently recruited someone who had a similar length gap, although she had had a temporary professional job just before applying. In her long gap she had been PTA chair etc... and did voluntary work, which was a good sign.

If she hadn't had that recent temp job, I'd have still looked favourably on her if she'd had some voluntary work, some courses etc, just to show she had kept her hand in. You can do some free courses on FutureLearn which would be useful for this.

Thanks for the replies.

I do volunteer for two places - school PTA (waste of time due to Covid tbh) and Scouts. I would like to volunteer in more of an office environment but where I live this has proved impossible to find so far.

I only worked in sales admin and logistics so nothing particularly highly skilled, however it did crossover with getting heavily involved with working within the sales and marketing teams and finance. Worked for large international company which you would recognise if I named it. The role had a lot of responsibility and mistakes could be unbelievably costly.

The job that I applied for were all for various school admin so within my capabilities (at least compared to 7 yrs ago), and tbh when compared to my last role they would be a big step down. I received very good feedback directly from the hiring manager for the role that I was interviewed for; I was one of 4 candidates and was told it was down to between me and one other, and I scored very highly in the IT, in-tray, and verbal reasoning tests. I didn’t get it because the other candidate had experience of one specific criteria I was told (turns out she was DH’s employee who left for this role, and was doing the same role but wanted part-time).

DH is a CEO and his organisation has the recruitment motto that they “recruit for attitude rather than just experience.” It has worked well for them but I can tell from the responses that they are in the minority.

Anyway, I have taken on board some ideas to hopefully help me succeed in getting a job.

Depends what you're applying to. Is it work you did before you took a break or a new Field?
Has the landscape changed? Are you aware of the changes even if you've not worked with them?
There are Recruitment agencies out there for returning parents too.
The market's desperately short of available candidates- get yourself on LinkedIn and work it. You'll get picked up. Comment, like, connect & share.

There's usually a bun fight for school admin roles because they suit parents! Hard to break into sometimes.

I agree - school admin roles are actually really hard to get, because lots of parents are willing to take a step down due to the convenience factor.

@Franklin12

Stary. I totally disagree with you.

I have been a working parent for years. If you state that you don’t have time to do any volunteering as a SAHP you will give out a very negative impression trying to find a role. You would definitely be put on the NO pile with potentially a massive chip on your shoulder.

You’re a working parent with different circumstances. There’s plenty of sahps that couldn’t find the time to volunteer because of looking after their families. It’s not a negative. By the time parents go to work they are either free from pre school age children, or have a financial difference that allows them to work.

Not everyone has family they can rely on. You seem to judge a book by its cover without finding out the reasons why first.
That’s your problem, I wouldn’t want to work for you.

Given you already have office experience I'd still see PTA and scouts as useful volunteering. Part of it is looking to ensure that the person has the wherewithal and drive to spend some of their free time productively. I'm expected to spend any spare time at work following up on projects and doing paperwork, not sitting on my phone or the internet. If a SAHP was insistent that they had zero free time due to their child, and were unable to put any other task first even just once a week, I'd be wondering about how they expected to commit to our role and any fixed must-do dates and deadlines.

Good for your dh op!

Treat the others as a red flag, it is extremely tough being a stay at home parent.
If a company want to judge me for it, then I’d be glad to not be working for them anyway.

Companies often forget that this recruitment process is a 2 way thing, as a candidate I judge them just as equally. There’s nothing worse than working somewhere that isn’t the right fit at all. Or somewhere where they judge others for the wrong reasons.

@Franklin12

Stary. I totally disagree with you.

I have been a working parent for years. If you state that you don’t have time to do any volunteering as a SAHP you will give out a very negative impression trying to find a role. You would definitely be put on the NO pile with potentially a massive chip on your shoulder.

Unles you've been at home with pre-schoolers I'd agree. If a SAHP with children at school couldn't fit in volunteering I'd be a little sceptical too.

‘ If a SAHP was insistent that they had zero free time due to their child, and were unable to put any other task first even just once a week, I'd be wondering about how they expected to commit to our role and any fixed must-do dates and deadlines’

We’ll firstly, you’re expected to work for free, outside of role hours?
No ta. Toxic work environment 🚩

Applying for 3 jobs and getting one interview is a pretty good ratio actually. A lot of job openings are extremely competitive and even highly qualified candidates may not make it onto the shortlist. It may be as simple as losing out to people who have more years of experience because they haven't taken time out of paid employment.

You are very lucky to get one interview after only applying for three jobs! I really wouldn’t start to worry just yet!

@HumptyDumpty2022

As a recruiter I’d put any application that listed SAHM mum as a ‘job’ on the no pile. I’d also be wary of commitment as If you’ve been SAHM for 7 years you probably don’t need to work. Being out of touch is easy to catch up but commitment less so.

Why would you come to the conclusion that a SAHP of 7 years wouldn’t need to work?

Childcare costs a fortune, staying home and not paying for that doesn’t automatically mean financial stability and no commitment.
And that’s without the issue of just being seen as a parent and not an adult, friend, workbuddy, it’s nice to have your own space, money, and commitment.

People I know in this boat have often found that temping is a good step in the door. Either to end up being substantively employed by that company or just to gain more recent experience to improve their CV.

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.

With respect, this is staggeringly arrogant and I would suggest best ignored. Anyone who swaggered into my company with a seven year blank on their CV and felt that we should just be able to SEE their sheer wondrousness without having anything at all to back it up, would be sent politely on their way.

Anyone who believes that companies should just be able to tell how amazing you are without any actual examples or experience, is at best naive. And dare I say it, a prime example of exactly why some SAHPs struggle to get back into the workplace. Just no idea whatsoever of how the working world works. You don’t get to just present yourself, make zero effort, and have everyone falling over themselves to employ you! There will be a queue of other candidates waiting to show off their experience if you’re not willing to.

@Staryflight445

‘ If a SAHP was insistent that they had zero free time due to their child, and were unable to put any other task first even just once a week, I'd be wondering about how they expected to commit to our role and any fixed must-do dates and deadlines’

We’ll firstly, you’re expected to work for free, outside of role hours?
No ta. Toxic work environment 🚩

Yep, we are. But the salary and progression more than makes up for it, and helping others with their deadlines means they help you when the time comes. I'm assuming you'd expect to be able to leave early if something came up at school? Flexibility works both ways.