As more and more Americans look for work in 2012, there are myriad of reasons that many individuals continue to be unemployed.

Some fell victim to company layoffs; a percentage was running their own small businesses that failed to take off, while others were met with the unenviable firing.

The latter group makes for an interesting challenge for human resources when it comes to interviews. That being said, it is important for HR managers to remember that there is a story for each and every individual’s departure from an employer, so be sure not to assume the worst-case scenario.

When a applicant for a position with your business comes in for an interview, it is assumed that you have already gone over their resume. In the event you notice a break in employment, it is certainly valid to question the applicant regarding the missing time.

Among the reasons for breaks in resumes can be:

• Applicant took time off to return to school or raise a child;
• Break was illness related;
• They were laid off or fired from a job and chose not to be employed for a period of time.

Being in HR, your job is to help in locating the most qualified applicant who in turn will be the best match for your company’s opening. In the event you have an applicant who is honest and indicates they were fired from a prior position, do not automatically think the worst.

Why Do Individuals End Up Getting Fired?

Firings take place for a number of reasons; sometimes it isn’t the fault of the employee.

In some instances, it was a personality conflict, perhaps an issue with an employee in their or another department or even a supervisor. While most employers will not admit this, office politics still rear their ugly head at times in offices, so don’t just assume it was the fault of the person who was let go.

In instances where there is a gap in someone’s work history and they are not willing to divulge the details, probe a little more.

In the event they do open up, you then need to decide if the reason for firing was something you can live. Perhaps it was an issue like being late for work or taking an inordinate amount of sick days; this is something that can be corrected.

Oftentimes, you will not even discover that a candidate you’re considering for your company was fired from another job.

Let’s face it, not too many individuals are going to send out alerts to potential employers noting they were canned at another job.

While it is not set in stone, there is an unofficial rule that former employers when contacted will only inform a recruiter that so-and-so worked for them and the dates they were employed.

Did They Go On and On about Getting Fired?

In today’s social media world that we live in, more and more information regarding an individual’s past finds a way onto social sites.

Unless the prospective employee is silly enough to brag about getting fired at a previous work stop, chances are your work as an HR recruiter will be a little more challenging when it comes to putting together all the pieces of the puzzle on a resume.

As an HR recruiter, it is rather obvious that you will lean towards recommending a candidate whose resume is close to spotless as opposed to someone who needs to fill in some gaps.

That being said, short of the candidate with some questions having openly offered a disconcerting reason as to why they were fired, do not automatically turn down someone who has some resume holes or who was fired. Hear them out and make up your own mind if they are a candidate to work for your company.

Some really good employees who didn’t work out well for one employer await their turn with another company.

Will you be the one to give them an opportunity?

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items obtaining small business loans, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.