Navigating Career Gaps: Should Talent or HR Rules Take Priority in Hiring?

Dear Team, I need some suggestions from all of you. One of the candidates completed his graduation (BE) in Computer Science in 2009. After his graduation, he underwent a one-year training program from 2010 to 2011. Following this, he had a one-year career gap from 2011 to 2012. In 2012, he transitioned to a role in HR until last month.

Career Transition Dilemma

He has a great passion for programming, so he pursued a programming course and successfully cleared the technical round interview with us. However, as he moves to the HR round, we are unsure of the next steps. Should we prioritize his talent or adhere to HR rules (considering that IT companies typically do not favor candidates with career gaps)?

Kindly advise on the best approach for him to navigate through this phase.

Thank you.

Consideration of Career Gaps in Hiring

Mostly, big Indian MNCs hesitate to consider candidates with more than a 2-year gap. However, many foreign MNCs and small Indian MNCs focus solely on talent.

Thank you!

I think you didn't get me. I want to say that if you want to start your career in IT, then you can start with small MNCs, which are abundant in Bangalore. They will judge you only by your technical knowledge. I know many people who are working in MNCs (both big and small) without even graduating. Furthermore, I also faced a similar problem at the beginning of my career. My issue was having a one-year gap between my 10th and 12th grades. My marks were good, and I never failed, but due to a no-education gap policy, I was rejected by companies like TCS and Atos Origin at the final stages. However, after around 8 months of struggle, I joined a small IT company. Currently, I have 2.5 years of experience and work with a decent MNC. I am also awaiting an offer from the world's biggest computer hardware/software producer, Hewlett Packard. So, never give up; there is no specific starting point.