Your search for a new Procurement employee is down to two people. Both are equally qualified and have great credentials. But one job candidate has held four jobs in the past five years, while the other job-seeker’s been with the same employer during that whole time.

Who do you hire?

“Go with the long-timer,” most people would say. Five years in the same job shows dedication and loyalty.

Someone who’s pulled up stakes four times in the past five years wouldn’t be as reliable, right?

You might want to re-think that. This has become one of those situations where you can’t always trust your instincts, HR pros point out.

That’s because “job-hopping” has become a way of life in our corporate world. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that the average American will have held 10 different jobs between age 18 and 38. In some professions, it’s virtually expected. Anyone who’s held onto a slow-changing job for too long could even be shunned by potential employers, who wonder why that employee didn’t move more.

It’s not like the old days, where Procurement staffers would hunker in for the long haul and pick up a gold watch on the way out of the door.

You still need to stay on your toes, of course, and ask HR to do at least a little probing into the would-be staffer’s work history.

Bottom line: You don’t want to pass over someone for Procurement simply because he or she has landed on the path to career improvement.

Tags: employer, job candidate, procurement