3 Ways The Fear Of Messing Up A Hire Materializes

Why everything is so slow right now, explained.

“Why is everything taking so long?” is the defining question of the current recruiting (and sales!) market. On their hiring front, there’s 3 different drivers of this:

1. The false impression that there’s a dozen other candidates – just as good – ready to take every role. 

We all love options. But too many options creates a paralysis by analysis. But that’s the rub: you don’t actually have as many as you might think.

People who apply to jobs in a hot market are not the same as people who apply to jobs in cooler markets.

The worst case scenario in hot markets (like 2021)? If things go south, you’ll have another job in a week. Whatever.

The worst case scenario in cooler markets (like now)? You gave up something stable, walked into a train wreck, and you’re worse of than you were before.

Or another way of saying it: candidates are more risk averse. Applying to a job is not the same as accepting an offer.

There’s more people fishing for something great. Not something just ok.

2. Adding steps is performative risk mitigation, but doesn’t mean better decisions.

Personality tests are recruiting astrology. Unpaid take home tests turn people off. And setting up a 6th interview with dotted line peers who don’t know why they’re even conducting an interview doesn’t tell you anything useful.

“Do it to make sure,” especially with positions you’ve successfully hired before, is silly, time consuming, and counterproductive.

3. “Make the hire, but don’t f*ck it up” -The Management

FOMU (the fear of messing up) exists when there’s an implied consequence. Sure, actions always have consequences. But mistakes are going to happen to matter what you do.

No one nails every hire. And worrying about mistakes is a mistake in itself.

Full episode of The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 94 “The Fear of Messing Up Hiring” here.

James Hornick

Partner at Hirewell. #3 Ranked Sarcastic Commenter on LinkedIn.