Let’s kick this off with a quick story. A friend of mine—let’s call her Jess—was interviewing for her dream job. Things were looking great until her background check landed on the recruiter’s desk. Suddenly, the vibe shifted. Jess had changed jobs three times in five years, and there was a mysterious eight-month gap. The hiring manager couldn’t help but ask: Was Jess unreliable? Hard to work with? Or maybe she just didn’t know what she wanted?

If you’ve ever scanned resumes or sat in an interview, you know that frequent job changes and unexplained employment gaps are often the first things to catch an employer’s eye. But why do companies view these patterns as red flags?

For starters, stability matters in the workplace. When employers see a resume with short stints at multiple jobs, it can suggest someone who’s restless, easily bored, or unwilling to stick things out when the going gets tough. Hiring and training new employees takes time and money. Understandably, companies want to invest in people who will stay long enough to make that investment worthwhile.

There’s also the question of performance. A series of quick exits can hint at deeper issues: Maybe the candidate struggled to meet expectations, clashed with colleagues, or was let go for poor performance. Gaps in employment can fuel similar worries—was the person taking time out for positive reasons, or were they having trouble finding work?

Consistency and commitment are prized in many industries, especially when roles require long-term projects or deep client relationships. A history of job hopping can make hiring managers nervous about a candidate’s ability to see things through or build meaningful connections within a team.

But here’s where it gets interesting: while these concerns are common, they’re not always fair. The modern workforce looks a lot different than it did a generation ago. Career changes, contract work, and even sabbaticals are becoming more common. Sometimes, a varied work history means someone is adaptable, curious, or has a uniquely broad skill set.

So, are frequent job changes and gaps in employment a red flag? Often, yes—but not always. The key is the story behind the resume. If a candidate can explain their journey and what they learned along the way, that “red flag” might actually be a sign of strength.