Page 200 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

decision is a big decision. There is an operational risk, a
commercial risk, an economic risk. And when people leave a
company, sta≠ become disa≠ected. It creates a bad environ-
ment. So, the consequences of getting any hiring decision
wrong are significant.

Therefore, as an employer, I want to do everything I can
to avoid making that mistake. I can’t a≠ord not to take up
detailed references. Some employers don’t put the same value

on that as I do, and so they take a greater risk than I do. All
I am trying to do is manage my risk better. Someone who has
worked with the candidate for three years is a far better judge
of character than I can be at that point. They know the person.
I want to benefit from their knowledge.

And by the way, if your instincts tell you that something is
wrong with the company who wants to hire you, act on it. If
something is not right, don’t be afraid to turn the o≠er down.

A woman wrote to me telling me that she had been in an
interview with a company director who would have been her
boss had she taken the job. Halfway through the interview the
director took a call from another sta≠ member, and promptly
started yelling back down the phone, ripping a strip o≠ them.

The interview continued, the job was o≠ered to her – and she
promptly turned it down. There was no way she could report
to somebody who had that kind of attitude towards his sta≠.

Thankfully that is a rare occurrence.

188 get the job you really want