The hospitality industry is fast-paced, customer-focused, and constantly evolving. In such a competitive environment, the quality of your staff can make or break your business.
Whether you’re running a hotel, restaurant, or any other service-oriented business, the people you hire directly impact the customer experience, operational efficiency, and brand reputation.
One crucial element of a strong hiring strategy that often goes overlooked is gap checks.
What Are Gap Checks?
Gap checks are part of the background verification process that focuses on identifying and understanding any time in a candidate’s employment history where they were not engaged in work or education.
These gaps could range from a few months to several years and may occur for a variety of reasons.
The purpose of gap checks is to verify the reasons for these gaps and to ensure that they do no impact their performance or reliability in the workplace.
Common Types of Gaps Found in Employment History
Employment gaps can occur for many legitimate reasons, but they can also signal potential issues that need further investigation.
Some common types of gaps are:
Career Breaks: Periods taken off work for personal reasons, such as raising a family, traveling, or pursuing further education.
Unexplained Time Off: Gaps with no clear or disclosed reason, which may warrant further investigation.
Health Issues: Time off due to medical reasons, which may or may not have ongoing implications for the candidate’s ability to perform certain tasks.
Job Termination: Gaps following an involuntary job loss, such as being laid off or fired.
Frequent Job Changes: Short gaps that suggest a pattern of job-hopping, which could indicate instability or other issues.
Why Gaps Occur?
Understanding why gaps occur is crucial for making informed hiring decisions. Legitimate reasons for gaps include:
Further Education: Candidates may take time off to gain additional qualifications or skills.
Family Responsibilities: Time off to care for children or elderly relatives.
Health Recovery: Periods taken off to recover from illness or surgery.
Personal Projects: Candidates may have taken time off to work on personal ventures, such as writing a book or starting a small business.
However, some gaps can also raise red flags, such as:
Job Termination: Frequent terminations may indicate performance issues or inability to work well with others.
Legal Issues: Time off due to incarceration or legal battles, which could impact a candidate’s suitability.
Falsified Information: Gaps may be covered up by falsified employment history or qualifications.
Benefits of Including Gap Checks in Your Hospitality Hiring Strategy
Enhancing Candidate Reliability
One of the most significant benefits of incorporating gap checks into your hospitality hiring strategy is the ability to assess a candidate’s reliability.
By understanding the reasons behind employment gaps, you can better gauge whether a candidate is likely to be dependable and stable in their role.
Mitigating Risks of Fraudulent Applications
The hospitality industry often sees a high volume of applications, and unfortunately, not all candidates are truthful on their resumes.
Gap checks help to mitigate this risk by verifying the accuracy of a candidate’s employment history.
Improving the Quality of Hires
A rigorous hiring process that includes gap checks can lead to higher-quality hires.
By thoroughly vetting candidates and understanding their employment history, you can make more informed decisions about who will be the best fit for your team.
Reducing Costs Associated with Bad Hires
Bad hires can be costly, both in terms of direct expenses and the indirect impact on your business.
The cost of replacing an employee can be significant, including recruitment costs, training, and the potential disruption to your operations.
Enhancing Reputation and Trust
Your hiring practices reflect on your brand’s reputation. In the hospitality industry, where customer service and trust are paramount, hiring trustworthy and reliable staff is critical.
By incorporating gap checks into your hiring strategy, you demonstrate to both customers and employees that your business is committed to high standards and integrity.
Ensuring Compliance with Industry Regulations
The hospitality industry is subject to various regulations, including those related to employment and background checks.
Conducting gap checks can help ensure that your hiring practices are compliant with these regulations, thereby reducing the risk of legal issues.
Supporting a Transparent Workplace Culture
A transparent workplace culture is one where employees feel valued and where honesty and integrity are prioritized.
By incorporating gap checks into your hiring process, you reinforce this culture of transparency.
Employees who know that they are being vetted thoroughly are more likely to be honest and forthcoming in their own behavior.
Risks and Challenges of Implementing Gap Checks
Potential for Bias in Hiring Decisions
One of the risks associated with gap checks is the potential for bias in hiring decisions.
Employment gaps are not always indicative of a candidate’s ability to perform in a role. Yet there is a risk that employers may unconsciously hold these gaps against candidates.
It’s important to approach gap checks with an open mind and to evaluate each candidate on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the full context of their employment history.
Overlooking High-Potential Candidates
Another challenge is the risk of overlooking high-potential candidates due to employment gaps.
Some of the best candidates may have non-linear career paths that include periods of time away from traditional employment.
Legal Implications of Gap Checks
Conducting gap checks also comes with legal responsibilities.
In some cases, probing too deeply into a candidate’s personal life or making hiring decisions based on gaps in employment can lead to legal challenges.
There are laws in place that protect candidates from discrimination based on certain life circumstances, such as health conditions or family responsibilities.
Time-Consuming Nature of Thorough Checks
Thorough gap checks can be time-consuming, particularly if you’re dealing with high volumes of applications.
Verifying employment history, contacting previous employers, and cross-referencing dates can slow down the hiring process.
This may be problematic if you need to fill positions quickly.
Costs Associated with Extensive Background Verification
The financial cost of conducting gap checks can also be a concern, particularly for smaller businesses with limited budgets.
Background verification services, which are often necessary for thorough gap checks, can add to the overall cost of hiring.
Risk of Misinterpreting Employment Gaps
There is also the risk of misinterpreting the reasons behind employment gaps, which could lead to unfair hiring decisions.
Not all gaps are negative, and it’s important to consider the candidate’s explanation and supporting evidence before drawing conclusions.
Balancing Gap Checks with Fair Hiring Practices
While gap checks can provide valuable insights, they should not be the sole determinant in your hiring decisions.
It’s essential to consider the full range of a candidate’s skills, experience, and potential.
How to Effectively Incorporate Gap Checks into Your Hiring Strategy
Establishing Clear Guidelines for Gap Checks
To effectively incorporate gap checks into your hiring strategy, it’s important to establish clear guidelines that outline when and how these checks should be conducted.
Training Hiring Managers on Gap Checks
The hiring managers in your organization play a crucial role in interpreting and acting on the results of gap checks.
It’s essential that you provide them with training on how to conduct and assess gap checks effectively.
Balancing Gap Checks with Other Hiring Criteria
While gap checks are important, they should be balanced with other hiring criteria to ensure that you’re making well-rounded decisions.
Skills, experience, cultural fit, and potential should all be weighed alongside the findings from gap checks.
Utilizing Professional Background Verification Services
Given the complexity and potential legal implications of gap checks, many hospitality businesses choose to partner with professional background verification services.
These companies specialize in conducting thorough and legally compliant checks, including verifying employment gaps.
Ensuring Legal Compliance
Legal compliance is a critical aspect of conducting gap checks.
It’s important to ensure that your hiring practices, including gap checks, comply with all relevant laws and regulations.
Communicating with Candidates About Employment Gaps
Open communication with candidates is key to understanding and evaluating employment gaps.
It’s important that you ask candidates directly about any gaps in their employment history and to listen carefully to their explanations.
Best Practices for Implementing Gap Checks
Create a Balanced and Fair Hiring Process
To create a balanced and fair hiring process, it’s important to ensure that gap checks are just one part of a comprehensive evaluation of each candidate.
This means weighing the results of gap checks alongside other factors, such as skills, experience, and cultural fit.
Continuous Evaluation and Improvement of Your Strategy
Your gap check strategy should be continually evaluated and improved to ensure that it remains effective and fair.
This involves regularly reviewing your guidelines, training materials, and outcomes to identify any areas for improvement.
Integrating Technology for Efficient Gap Checks
Technology can play a significant role in making gap checks more efficient and accurate.
There are various software tools available that can help you automate the verification process, reducing the time and effort required for manual checks.
Conclusion
Incorporating gap checks into your hospitality hiring strategy is a powerful way to enhance the reliability and quality of your hires.
By thoroughly investigating employment gaps, you can mitigate the risks of fraudulent applications, improve the overall quality of your hires, reduce costs associated with bad hires, and enhance your company’s reputation.
By consulting with a professional background verification company, you can ensure that your gap checks are thorough, legally compliant, and aligned with best practices.
Why Choose AMS Inform for Gap Checks?
Many organizations choose to collaborate with AMS Inform for their comprehensive gap check needs due to the intricacy and significance of these processes.
With over 38 years of experience since its founding in 1986, AMS Inform is a trusted name in the background verification industry.
Our expertise extends beyond gap checks to include services like digital ID verification, identity verification, educational verification, and both pre- and post-employment verification. We also provide credit checks, health and drug screenings, insurance claim investigations, and language translation services.
When you collaborate with AMS Inform, you not only save valuable time but also ensure that your operations remain compliant with relevant laws and regulations.
Operating in over 160 countries and having local teams in 16 of them, we are well-equipped to support your global business needs. As proud members of NASSCOM and PBSA, we are committed to safeguarding the reputation and well-being of your organization.
Reach out to our team today for personalized solutions tailored to your gap check requirements.
