The question: How to learn about a company's culture before taking a job there. Monday, I posted advice from a reader who recently failed to do so ... a "lesson's learned" letter. Today, you get advice from an authority on the subject, Nick Corcodilos, author of the Ask The Headhunter newsletter. It's called due diligence. Never take a deal without investigating and vetting the company and the people who offer i The question: How to learn about a company’s culture before taking a job there. Monday, I posted advice from a reader who recently failed to do so … a “lesson’s learned” letter. Today, you get advice from an authority on the subject, Nick Corcodilos, author of the Ask The Headhunter newsletter.It’s called due diligence. Never take a deal without investigating and vetting the company and the people who offer it. (A job offer is a business deal, after all.)You could hire a detective or a researcher to do this (the extreme approach), or you could do some research of your own (as you did, though too late), and use some common sense that we all seem to forget in the excitement of getting a job offer. (Don’t feel bad; we all blow it sometimes.)After you receive an offer, turn around and interview the company. Politely insist on meeting your future boss and the team, as well as others that you will interface with on the job. This includes people who will work directly with you; people who work uphill and downhill from your job function; and people in other departments who will influence your ability to succeed at your job. For example, if you work in the information technology department, this might include manufacturing and accounting. Your work will affect both departments, and your fate will be influenced by how they operate. Likewise, the sales department will influence your job because if it isn’t effective, there may be no money to pay you. That’s obvious, but almost no one ever bothers to vet the sales team. Ignore it at your peril. In these meetings you will not only learn about the viability of the company; you will learn about the personalities of the players. Add up the personalities, and you will get the company culture. Company culture is hiding in cubicles, in meetings, and in my favorite place — the loading dock. (Sounds a little strange, eh? Go spend half a day with the shipping and receiving department, and you will learn things even the president of the company doesn’t know.)With regard to the team you’d be on, ask to sit in on a department or team meeting before you accept the offer. Spend half a day shadowing a couple of your future co-workers. Make sure this includes lunch time, where people loosen up and talk. That’s the only way to really get at a company’s culture firsthand. Everything else is public relations — a front. Any company that declines your request for such a visit either has something to hide or doesn’t think long-term. If a company has a legitimate confidentiality issue with letting you spend time on-site before you become an employee, offer to sign a limited non-disclosure. Anything you learn is not for dissemination outside. But it’s fair game with respect to your decision to work there.It’s lunacy to take a job without knowing “the rest of the story”. Sure, some companies might consider your request for follow-up meetings a little unusual, but savvy companies recognize savvy candidates who are willing to invest time to get to know the people and the operation. The added benefit for the new hire is that she creates instant contacts throughout the company that will enhance her success later. Taking a job is a serious step. Everything I’ve described is legitimate due diligence. If you want to take it further, talk to the company’s vendors, customers, lawyers, bankers, and accountants. My buddy Larry Stybel offers a sophisticated approach for doing this that yields crucial information even about about private companies: Scuttlebutt: Getting the truth about private companies. But the extent of your due diligence should depend on the position you’re looking at and on the concerns you have. You can make it complex if necessary, but in most cases I think one in-house visit (after you have an offer in hand) will be enough.Bob’s Last Word:There’s nothing about Nick’s advice I disagree with. I would add this: How you ask is vital. You don’t want to suggest any level of distrust or skepticism – it’s important to start your new relationship out on the right foot. So ask, rather than tell, when it comes to the meetings you want to have, and ask in a way that’s positive regarding the offer. Something like: “Hey, would it be okay if, before we finalize this, I spent a day meeting with some of the key stakeholders, sitting in on a team staff meeting and so on? It would help me get a better feel for the situation, which will help me plan how to get started.”– Bob ——– Technology Industry