The "Risk Mitigated" Method to Landing a New Job

Among the sizzling topics we see on the news every day is jobs - or sometimes more correctly - the lack of them.

While new opportunities may arise in spite of a bad economy, one problem job seekers often share is that employers are gun-shy - outright afraid to hire on new staff for fears real or imagined.

Maybe they fear that the market may crash tomorrow. Or perhaps they're afraid that if they hire you on, it won't work out because of a bad match for their team. Or, because... Whatever their excuse, they'll be sure to have one.

So... how about working out their angst from a "risk-mitigated" perspective?

Risk Mitigation

Our friends at Ask.com state that risk mitigation is a:

Systematic reduction in the extent of exposure to a risk and/or the likelihood of its occurrence. Also called risk reduction.

So when you ask for a job, how do you counter a "no" or "maybe" with a solution your prospective employer may find easier to swallow? How about a "yes" with conditions - and the chance to stay on later with a more permanent "yes"?

Give risk mitigation a try.

Step 1: Be Prepared Before You Begin

Begin your risk mitigation process long before filling out a job application.

Identify any roadblocks that may get in your way of landing this new job. Learn whatever you can about the company's strengths, and pay special attention to its challenges. By posing yourself as the solution in the work position for which they are hiring, you can greatly increase your chances of getting hired.

If you catch wind of the person (or people) you'll be interviewing with, it certainly doesn't hurt to side with an employer entirely from their own selfish viewpoint. For more information on this, read here.

Next...

Step 2: Ask For The Job

Apply, interview for and ask for the job in the manner you had planned. There are thousands of articles on the Internet and hundreds of conventional forums offering advice on this process. If you're lucky - or better yet - if you are well-qualified for the job, chances are you will be hired and thus don't need to propose a risk mitigation plan.

However, despite the very best presentation you just offered, there will be some employers who may say "no", "maybe", or try brushing you gently off their shoulder.

Don't Leave!

If you feel somehow that you're not going to get the job and still want it, then keep your foot in the door! Don't leave! And you better be prepared to counter an employer's refusal or unspoken cageyness with a risk mitigation proposal!

Stay seated and give yourself an extra chance...

If you do this successfully, it will end up looking like a part of your interview process.

Step 3: Identify Their Angst

Ask your employer prospect what's bothering them? What's on their mind? Maybe during the interview, they didn't get to talk about something that should now be discussed. Ask them what the burning issue is, and offer to discuss it. Offer candid professionalism and discretion if necessary.

Are they not sure about it? Insecurity usually (not always) comes in one of two forms: lack of knowledge or a general feeling that something's wrong. Cover both of these endpoints by asking your interviewer what they're not sure of, or ask how they feel and offer to talk it over.

The goal at this point is to clearly identify what their angst is.

Step 4: Offer Sympathy

Nothing softens up a conversation like a little sympathy. Do some hand-holding if necessary. Maybe they're not cagey, but just have legitimate concerns. Listen carefully to what your would-be employer has to say. Then restate the problem in your own words to show that you understand. At this stage, you get to build a rapport with them.

Next tell them why you think they are justified in being worried or concerned. (Again, read this article on how to look at things entirely from their perspective...)

Next...

Step 5: Offer Some Risk Mitigation

If you don't have a particular solution in mind, then ask open-ended questions like, "How would you like this taken care of?" A gently-stated question like this may open up a whole new discussion. Some bosses may share a pet peeve they absolutely cannot be rid of, but your mix of skills and driving personality may be the perfect fix for their woes - if they only hired you.

If you do have an solution in mind, then state it. Starting this conversation could be as simple as uttering a single sentence like, "Okay, here's my take on how to handle this..."

If you have several ideas in mind, then be certain to preface your discussion by saying you have several possible solutions. This way, when you come to the end of discussion on your first point, your interviewer will be prepared for further words on more possibilities.

Let's discuss several possible solutions.

Forms of Risk Mitigation

If you already have a solution or two ready for your prospective employer, then that's great! Mull them over and see if you can come to an agreement on one - or even several solutions.

If you are absolutely clueless on what risk mitigation solution to offer, then try any of these:

- Free Work Sample - Whether you are working in a service industry or in a trade that produces physical goods, you can always catch someone's attention by offering examples of your handiwork. Let's say you are applying for a job in a woodworking factory. Be sure to bring in some samples of your craft. While you may not need to actually leave it on the boss's desk, by having a look at what you can do, you may allay any concerns they may have had. If you're applying for a job as a consultant, bring in a printout of an innovative business idea that worked well for you in the past. Perhaps your prospective employer may not have used this idea previously, and you could show them how to implement it - if only they hired you to show them!

- Offer To Work Part-time - You can mitigate your prospect's risk by lowering your impact on their labor budget buy offering to work part time. Assuming you work well during the short time you're there, the productivity you bring will more than make up for what they expend in paying you to be there.

- Offer To Work Only For One Week - Another "try-before-you-buy" risk mitigation is to offer working for one week or other short-term period. Going in with this method, they know the most they will have to shell out will be one week's worth of pay. In reality, assuming you do well, they may very well ask you to just stay on indefinitely. Welcome to your new job!

- Volunteer - If the above doesn't work, then perhaps more drastic measures will have to do the trick. Some employers may be open to the idea of trying you on for size - for free! You might or might not be willing to do this, all depending on how badly you want this job. Some employers may shy away from this entirely on the premise you might injure yourself on the job, or that you would sue them for work without compensation.

- Contract / On Call - Perhaps this employer doesn't need the extra help just now. Or maybe they know they'll need you for sure, but only if you work for them as a short-term or on-call contractor. Offer to be there for them where they have surges in productivity, when one too many colleagues call in sick, or if they encounter a problem they've never seen before. You could be their "fix it" consultant.

- Work via Agency - Some employers may be willing to hire you on, but only if their risks are mitigated by hiring you through a familiar channel, such as a work agency they've done business with before. Larger corporations seem to follow this bill, and frequently the only way to get your shoe in the door is through formally approved channels. While walking this path may pay less than working directly for them, be prepared to try this route to get in the door.

- Hire on for Reduced Pay / Limited Responsibility - While this may sound convoluted, perhaps you may engage an employer to hire you on at a significantly reduced pay assuming your work tasks are clearly defined and clearly limited. But beware! Assuming most employers will try their best to squeeze every living drop of blood from a stone, be careful while walking this route. What you shook hands on versus what they have you do may differ like night and day.

- Planned Short-Term / Seasonal - Some employers are subject to surges in seasonal production. An example of this in the products industry would be work in picking fruit. A real-life scenario for the service industry would be in a CPA or tax preparer's office during tax season. If your aim is to work with them for the long-term, start early at talking with them about how to keep you on as a sales associate when the tax season rolls down. Perhaps you could drum in more than enough revenue to support your extended stay there. Welcome to your new job!

Step 5: Set Goals

Once you get your employer prospect to warm up to your solution (or solutions) that reduce the risks that once concerned them, then draw up a way to measure your performance as a low-risk item.

To do this, agree upon easily measurable criteria. For example, in a sales position, agree to rake in a certain amount of revenue during a fixed time period. If you fail to meet the anticipated goal, then have a plan that will either give you enough time to make up for the loss over a later assessment period, or dismiss you if you continue to fall short. In your agreement, be certain to allow for lower performance in the beginning as you are a newcomer.

If you exceed your agreed-upon goals, then keep on going!

Step 6: Agree To The Plan

While this may seem trivial, it's advice based on painfully learned experience: be sure to secure a very clear agreement. Again, agree to measurable performance and have risk mitigation in place in case things don't work out they way you would hope them to.

See what can happen if you walk through the door without this agreement: click here.

Step 7: Execute And Measure Your Risk Mitigation Plan

After starting work, follow through by showing your employer how you are meeting their expectations by comparing your performance against the measurement standards you agreed upon. By doing this, you are reassuring them you have successfully mitigated their risk, and increase your chances of staying on with them on a more permanent basis.

Good luck, and happy risk mitigation!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John Melendez is a freelance writer reporting on careers, lifestyle, technology, the environment, and "green" issues. John Melendez is a writer for hire. To email him, go to

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