Due Diligence: Don’t Take the Job Until You Know What’s Really Cooking

It’s time to celebrate! You got the job offer you wanted at a salary you’re happy with. But did you ask if you get fries with that? In other words: Are you really getting what you bargained for with this job?

It’s often hard to tell, because a job interview (or series of them) is like looking through a peephole. The view is very limited, which makes it hard to identify the possible risks you might be taking. Not a way to make an informed decision about your career, is it.

But you know what is? Due diligence. Let me explain.

Look under the lid!

I’m Greek and my first job was in my uncle’s diner. The best lesson in foodservice I had, though, was when I went to Greece for the first time when I was 29. I remember being seated in a restaurant and realizing there were no menus—not even a handwritten blackboard. Instead, the waiters invited us into the kitchen to show off the day’s catch on ice so we could pick the fish we wanted. Then they opened the pots and let us look and sniff. What aromas. Don’t care for what’s cooking in this pot? Check the others. Most telling was that, with our clear view of the entire kitchen we could see if was spotless.

That’s an example of one kind due diligence when you’re out dining. When the food smells good and the kitchen’s spotless, you can be sure that the chef wants you to know everything!

In business and legal circles, due diligence is the process of gathering and analyzing information before making a decision or entering into an agreement. It's a way to identify risks and make informed decisions. While we can’t insist every dining establishment “show us the galley,” so to speak, we can ask every potential employer to give us the “cook’s tour” before we seriously accept an offer to work there.

I routinely advise job applicants who reach the decision-making point of the interview to remember due diligence. Look under the lid!

Why due diligence is so important

Most applicants minimally research a prospective employer Some go no farther than

reading a job description and asking the manager a few questions in the interview. Usually, they’re so glad to have a job offer that they fall prey to wishful thinking about what’s really on the other side of that peephole! 

For the Operator: But it isn’t just candidates that fail to carefully investigate employers. Companies sometimes don’t check out job candidates very carefully, either. Diligence is often lacking on both sides of the hiring process.

Proper due diligence can be extensive and detailed. It just depends on how deep you want to go. But when you’re considering an employer, I suggest that your minimum research includes interviewing the hiring manager, meeting the team you’ll be working with, and assessing the jobs that are upstream and downstream from the one you want.

Interview the manager

No employer will tell you all you need to know about a job. Usually all you have to go on is the job description, which was likely written by HR. Here are just a few good questions to ask the hiring manager to be diligent.

• “May I ask where you worked before you came here? What convinced you to join up?”

• “What are the three most important tasks in this job?”

• “What makes a new hire successful at this job? What leads to failure?”

• “What will you expect a new hire to accomplish by the end of a month? By the end of six and 12 months?”

The answers can help you decide how to present yourself and whether it’s a risky proposition. (Note: Don’t just memorize these questions! You must be comfortable with what you ask and how you ask it. Listen and experiment!)

For the Operator: Why ask hypothetical questions when you can talk with the candidate about the job? Pick a “live” task or challenge your new hire would face on the job. Describe it as simply as possible. “Explain which of the skills on your resume you would apply and show me what steps you would take to handle this.” While the quality of the answer matters, more important is how effectively the candidate interacts with you—even if they don’t get it all right.

Meet the team

You already know that references can affect whether you get hired. Did you know you can create good recommendations on the fly?

When your interview process gets serious, express your interest on a level few applicants ever do: “If it’s not asking too much, I’d love a ‘cook’s tour’ of the operation and to meet some members of your staff.”

Of course, you’re not asking to tour a cramped galley during a busy time. And, anyway, not all managers will take you around. But when one does, you can be sure they’re proud of their operation (like those Greeks and their fish) and they’re probably impressed that you asked. Better yet is if the manager encourages other employees to chat with you. A thumbs-up from one or two of them after you leave can increase the chances of an offer.

The cook’s tour can also keep you out of a bad scene. By chatting with employees outside the formal interview, they’re likely to reveal the true character of the place. If it’s not good, it could be time to reconsider.

For the Operator: Why settle for an interview when you can see the candidate in action? Conduct part of the interview “on the floor.” Take them around the workstations and introduce them. What questions do they ask, what ideas do they offer—if any? Observe and listen.

Interview upstream and downstream

This interview maneuver tends to work best after they’ve made you an offer but before you’ve accepted it.

Find out who is upstream and downstream from the job and how good they are at their work. This is a powerful interview maneuver I learned in Silicon Valley. But it also applies in foodservice and to any level job, from prep cook to executive chef.

If you’re interviewing for a kitchen manager job, for example, it’s wise to ask to meet the chef and whoever runs the front-of-house. The former is upstream and the front-of-house manager is downstream. How they do their job affects whether customers are happy—and that affects whether there will be revenue to pay your salary.

Upstream and downstream meetings, even if brief, will tell you a lot about how well the place is run. And if you get hired, you’ll already know the people whose work will affect your own success.

For the Operator: Don’t limit interviews to yourself and HR. Introduce the candidate to those upstream and downstream managers and workers. For example, “I want to introduce you to Margo, who manages all staff who have customer contact. You can ask her anything you’d like.” Be there for the meeting. Listen and observe. Is the candidate engaged or uninterested? What you see is what you’ll get.

Do your due diligence

Due diligence means pausing in your excitement to land a job so you can identify risks and make an informed decision. Get to really know the manager. Try to meet and chat with team members because they can be your advocates. Meet managers upstream and downstream from the job and decide whether they will aid or hinder your success.

If the employer doesn’t offer to let you do all or some of these things, it’s up to you to ask. I hope what you find is appetizing and satisfying!

—

Copyright © 2025 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved worldwide in all media. Republication is expressly prohibited.