Five years on from Covid, the hiring market still seems to be shaped by pre-pandemic thinking. Employers are increasingly being challenged to rethink long-held assumptions about what makes a “good” candidate, yet some outdated measures persist. One of the most common is the belief that a CV showing multiple short tenures signals unreliability, when in reality, that interpretation is becoming increasingly out of step with today’s workforce.
“For years, longevity was treated as shorthand for loyalty and performance,” says Anji Smith of A&S Recruitment. “Whilst the world of work has changed exponentially since Covid, we are still seeing employers use pre-pandemic measures of success to assess candidates.”
Since COVID-19, professionals have reassessed what they want from their careers, placing greater emphasis on health, flexibility, aligning their work/life balance and personal growth. As a result, career paths have become less linear. A series of shorter roles may not indicate indecision, but rather resilience in the face of disruption.
“A so-called ‘jumpy’ CV can tell a story of adaptation,” explains Anji. “It can show someone who has navigated forced redundancies, stepped away from toxic environments, or deliberately moved roles to upskill.”
Rather than being a red flag, mobility can be a marker of self-awareness. Candidates who know what doesn’t work for them are often clearer about what does. Many bring advantages that longer-tenured employees may not: faster onboarding, exposure to diverse systems and cultures, and the confidence to deliver impact quickly.
“These candidates are often very effective,” continues Anji. “They’ve had to learn fast, build relationships quickly, and prove themselves again and again.”
The risk for employers lies in making snap judgments based solely on what looks good on paper. Dismissing candidates who have held multiple positions outright can mean missing out on high-performing talent that aligns strongly with the role and an organisation’s real needs.
Looking beyond surface-level patterns and taking the time to understand both the employer’s objectives and the candidate’s context, Amanda Harrold, managing director of A&S Recruitment, adds: “A recruiter’s job isn’t to send the safest CV, it’s to find the right match. Today’s employment market is defined by change, and it is those employers who embrace nuance, context and expert guidance that will be best placed to secure the talent that moves their business forward.”
Originally posted on Porttalk (https://porttalk.co.uk/rethinking-the-jumpy-cv-why-career-mobility-now-signals-strength/)