CV red flags: which ones are fair to act on

The fair CV red flags are the ones tied to the job: a missing essential requirement, dates that do not add up, or a claim you cannot match to any evidence. Things like career gaps, part-time work, an unusual name, spelling or the school someone attended are not fair grounds to reject, and some of them can stand in for protected characteristics.

Red flags worth checking

A missing essential requirement

If the job needs a forklift licence and the CV does not mention one, that is a real gap. Check before rejecting: the candidate may hold it and not have listed it.

Dates that do not add up

Overlapping full-time roles or a job end date before its start date are worth a question at interview. Often there is a simple answer.

A claim with no evidence

"Led a team of 20" with no role that could involve a team is worth asking about. Ask for an example rather than assuming.

Hidden text

Some CVs now include text in white or tiny fonts aimed at automated screeners. That is worth flagging, because it tries to change how the CV is read. Our post on what to screen instead of AI detection covers it.

So-called red flags that are unfair

• Career gaps. Caring, illness, study and redundancy all cause them. Gaps can stand in for sex, disability and age.
• Part-time work. More common among carers and disabled people.
• Short stays in jobs. Common in temporary and seasonal work, and after redundancies.
• Spelling and grammar, unless written English is a stated requirement of the job.
• Name, photo, school and address. These can reveal race, religion, class and age.
• Whether AI helped write it. Detectors are unreliable, and many people use writing tools.

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination on grounds such as age, disability, race, religion or belief, and sex. Screening on proxies for those characteristics creates risk even when it is unintended.

Turn red flags into interview questions

Most real red flags need a question, not a rejection. Note them against the criterion they relate to and ask about them at interview. Our interview scoring sheet has a column for evidence.

How HireSieve handles this

HireSieve scores CVs only against the criteria in your job advert and quotes the CV line behind each score. It flags document problems such as hidden text. It refuses to score career gaps, part-time work, spelling, name, school, photo or AI authorship. A failed essential requirement becomes a label a person can overrule, so nothing is rejected automatically.

Related reading from Braivex

Better adverts bring fewer mismatched CVs; see our job advert template and LinkedIn headline examples if you are tidying your own profile before you post the role. Employers with several branches can check how customers rate each site in our review management guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is a gap in employment a red flag?

No. Gaps have many causes and can stand in for protected characteristics.

Should I reject CVs with spelling mistakes?

Only if accurate written English is a stated requirement of the job.

What should I do with a suspected false claim?

Ask for an example at interview, and check references for anything that matters.

Next step

Screen five CVs free at hiresieve.braivex.com and see the evidence behind every score.