Fear is your friend when it’s protecting you from harm. Fear is your foe when it’s keeping you from great opportunities. It takes wisdom to recognize the difference, especially during the hiring process. We witness the struggle regularly in the realm of executive search.
We all fall prey to the “fear of missing out,” FOMO. It’s a legitimate fear that can be hard to balance. If there’s a decision to be made, it means saying no to other, potentially great, opportunities.
This is one of the challenges we help clients and candidates walk through during a hiring process. Both parties face the fact that committing to the opportunity at hand means shutting the door on other opportunities. So how can you make the best decision without knowing what the future holds?
Our Prescription for Overcoming FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
If you haven’t outlined your desires, you may fall victim to the analysis paralysis also known as Fear Of Missing Out. Overcome your FOMO by knowing what you want. If you know what you’re looking for, you’ll know when you’ve found it.
Whether you’re an individual seeking your next career, an organization seeking your next top talent, or an executive search firm seeking the perfect blend of the two, your criteria must be clear.
Our List of Must-Have’s
As an executive search firm with more than 4 decades of experience, we’ve built our success on finding the right candidate to fill an open leadership role. It’s more than finding an available executive. It’s about finding an executive that will prosper in your organization.
We have clear criteria that we look for in every search. We feel so passionate about this that we’ve developed, and meticulously stick to, our 4C Recruiting Process®. We know a resume does not tell the full story. We’re looking for a candidate that fits the Character, Culture, Chemistry and Competency needs of the organization.
When those unique criteria from our clients match with a candidate, we can be confident about the fit. Interestingly, Centennial watches out for the best interest of both the organization and the candidate. It’s thrilling to see the success that comes from both sides when each one knows what they want and those ideals align.
A Candidate’s Struggle with FOMO
Most leaders do not find the time of job transition fun. It’s a necessary means to an end, but we’d all like to keep the process as short as possible. However, we also want to make a wise decision about our next job, so we don’t find ourselves job searching again in a year.
Consider your passions and interests. In another article we recommend 2 great books that can help you with self-reflection. Think about what you’ve liked in other organizations and what you’ve disliked.
Follow the four categories of our 4C Recruiting Process® and think hard about what they look like to you:
Character – what kind of attitude and values are you looking for in an employer?
Culture – this is a big one – what kind of incentives, growth potential, atmosphere, leadership development opportunities are absolutes in your next employer?
Chemistry – what type of personalities really resonate with you?
Competencies – what skills do you possess and really enjoy using?
Write out your criteria and prioritize them. There’s no perfect employer, just like –forgive me – you’re not going to be a perfect employee. Know what is top priority.
Considering your must-haves before an offer is extended is the only way to avoid FOMO. This is especially true if you have more than one offer on the table.
In next week’s article, we’ll take a look at FOMO from an organization’s perspective. There is much at stake when a hiring committee can’t make a decision because they’re paralyzed by fear. They could miss out on amazing talent who is not willing to wait around for the FOMO to lift. There is also the real danger of crippling the organizational employment brand.
We’ve walked along side many candidates and hiring committees to find the right fit for both sides. We come into the process asking lots of questions. A clear description of your ideal is the antidote for overcoming your FOMO.
In Part 2, we address the harm that can come to your organization when you allow fear to stop you from moving forward.