A study found corporate recruiters have a bias against ex-entrepreneurs. They get stereotyped for not wanting to ‘be a small piece of the puzzle’
Sometimes entrepreneurs do what many of them consider unthinkable: abandon their business to go become a salaried employee at a regular job.
Being a working stiff can be anathema to those with the founder gene, who find the uncertainty of entrepreneurship equal parts freeing and exhilarating. But sometimes the lack of stability can become too much to bear, either financially or emotionally. Life is a bit easier with a steady paycheck and without the constant fear your startup might go bust. But when ex-entrepreneurs want to return to the workforce, they often face undue stigmas. Recruiters balk at their unusual resumes, unsure how to evaluate a candidate with unorthodox work experiences. That’s to say nothing of the stereotype they face for being impetuous and egotistical.
“It’s really critical for them to be able to explain the elephant in the room,” says Debi Creasman, CEO of recruiting firm Raven Road Project. “Because the vibe is that someone who’s done an entrepreneurial thing for a good long while is a bit of a maverick and doesn’t really want to fit into a confined structure or be a small piece of the puzzle.”
