10 People Essentials to Get Right Before Due Diligence

Because when investors say “people are your biggest asset,” your DD should prove it.

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When you’re scaling, Due Diligence is inevitable. And while your CFO usually has their numbers polished, packaged, and ready to go, the People side often lags behind.

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That’s a missed opportunity, because if anything should seal the deal, it’s your people. Their clarity, your culture, and the way you run your organisation say more about your future success than any financial model.

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Here are 10 People essentials to get right before DD, in a way that shows professionalism and ambition, without losing the human side that defines your company.

1. Prepare Your Leaders for the DD Spotlight

DD interviews aren’t normal conversations — they’re a performance.
Your leaders need to be crisp, confident, and aligned on what story the company is telling.

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Help them:

- Simplify complex ideas without dumbing the business down

- Give honest answers without oversharing - building rapport while keeping space for tough conversations later

- Run mock sessions. Share feedback. Bring first-timers in early. A well-prepared leadership team sets the tone for the entire DD.

2. Fix the Fundamentals Before Anyone Looks

Investors forgive growing pains, but not sloppiness. Missing contracts, unclear payroll processes, or gaps in local compliance scream risk.

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Get the basics watertight:

- documented processes

- compliance mapped per country

- accurate contract

- gaps; acknowledged with a plan to close them

You don’t need perfection — you need ownership and a roadmap.

3. Show You Handle Issues Transparently

Every company has challenges. What matters is how you deal with them.

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If you’ve had:

- Code of Conduct breaches

- Safety/HSE incidents

- Speak-up cases

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…document what happened, what you learned, and what changed because of it.
Transparency builds trust faster than “we’ve never had an issue.”

4. Have a Simple, Clear People Handbook

No investor will read a 200-page policy tome. They want clarity and consistency.

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Keep your HR Manual concise

- Leave Policies

- Benefits overview

- Performance & Underperformance processes

- Probation

- Disciplenary steps

- Remote/Hybrid guidelines

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If you don't have one, build a lean version now. Plenty of great templates exist, just tailor them to your reality.

5. Tell the Story Behind Your Retention Numbers

Turnover by itself means nothing. Investors want to understand the why.

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Be ready to explain:

- Are you proactively managing out underperformance?

- Are you retaining key talent?

- Do your high performers stay?

- Is your turnover healthy for a fast-growing business?

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And remember: 0% turnover is not the goal.

In start-ups, people grow fast and sometimes they grow beyond you. That’s a sign of success too.

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6. Show You Can Scale Lean, Not Layered

Doubling revenue does not mean doubling headcount. Investors want to see scaling that’s intentional and financially smart.

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Be ready to show:

- your future org design

- critical hires vs. nice-to-haves

- mid-management capacity (often the missing piece)

- onboarding timelines and knowledge ramp-up

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Your story should be: we scale impact, not just bodies.

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7. Demonstrate a Clear, Realistic Recruitment Engine

If you plan to double or quadruple your team, you need more than optimism.

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Show that you understand:

- the talent markets you’re hiring from

- who will recruit (internal vs. external partners)

- a process built for both speed and quality

- how new joiners will onboard without diluting your culture

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Hiring at scale is a competence, prove you know how to do it well.

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8. Have a Coherent Comp & Ben Philosophy

Compensation questions come fast and early. Especially: “What do the founders pay themselves?”

Too high → lack of discipline

Too low → lack of confidence

Have a clear rationale and market data.

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Also be ready to explain:

- your equity approach (who gets it, why, and how)

- how you benchmark

- how benefits align with your talent strategy

- how you reward performance

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A clear philosophy beats a complicated spreadsheet.

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9. Know Your Culture, Beyond Engagement Scores

Culture is the engine behind your performance.

Investors want to know: What makes your people show up? Especially when things get hard?

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Share:

- what your people value

- how you collaborate

- how you make decisions

- how you celebrate wins and learn from failures

- the story behind your engagement data

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Your culture should feel real, lived, and… uniquely yours.

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10. Your Knowledge Is Your Edge. Guard It

Start-ups rarely think about knowledge retention, but investors definitely should.

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Have answers for:

- How do you onboard?

- How do you document processes, decisions, and best practices?

- If a founder leaves, can the business continue without chaos?

- Can new people ramp up quickly when you scale?

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Your ability to retain knowledge is directly tied to your ability to scale sustainably.

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Final Thoughts

Due Diligence isn’t just about proving you’re ready today, it’s about showing you can grow tomorrow.

When your numbers are sharp AND your People foundations are strong, you stand out immediately.

DD becomes not a hurdle… but a spotlight.

Let your people shine. The investors will notice.