that it is their own fault
It’s not so much fault as it is clues....someone who managed to find something productive to do for six months in a given area is likely to be more productive than someone who, in the same six months, in the same geographic area, did not. If your job depends on finding the best applicant, human nature dictates you hire candidate A. It might be a mistake, candidate B might be a super hero just needing an opportunity....but this is like the NFL draft - you have to find little things to separate them out, knowing you will make some mistakes.