To be gobsmacked that an interviewee openly told dh that he had looked at our accounts…

[ChampagneWorries]

On companies house?

Dh did an interview today via zoom and the interviewee openly told him that they had looked at our company accounts on companies house to see if we were a healthy company!

Our dividends are on there and I'm really shocked that he basically admitted to being so nosey.

I know they are public information (which i disagree with) but they do show the company income, how much cash was in the bank and our salary etc.

Dh wants to offer him the job as he had some good qualities, but this has really put me off him.

I know people do look at peoples companies on the companies house, but you don't bloody tell them surely?!

Would you still offer him the job?

@ChampagneWorries

Its the fact he’s told dh that he had looked at them.

Fine to look for your own security but i think it was off to admit it.

I would of thought he would of said that he had looked at our website, reviews etc not bloody financial information!

I hate people knowing our salary and how much is in the business bank etc.

I would never say that to an interviewer.

You are being absurd (are you really an employer, what's with the 'he would of...").

The guy was being honest, that's all. I doubt he was poring over your personal salary details, he just wants to know the company is sound.

@mylovelydd

Presumably the posters saying YABU and it's normal to tell you he looked up your financial information on Companies House don't actually feature on Companies House themselves Presumably they also like their home address being public knowledge and also tell people what they earn too...yeah thought not.

YANU at all Op. It's weird. I even had a potential employee look up on Rightmove our house and they commented that some friend used to live on our road...It might be one thing to look at the financial health of a company pre interview or supplying them but to tell a person to their face that they don't even know, that they know where they live and how much they earn is not normal.

@mylovelydd I run two companies which are limited so details are on Companies House. Neither my salary nor my home address are on there.

@KateTheEighth

Absolutely standard practice

I would also expect an interviewee to search for interviewers on social media

Are you new to this by any chance?

This.

I hope the candidate gets a job with employers who have a basic grasp of business norms.

You're being odd fretting about him seeing the public accounts.

He's being sensible both for checking and saying so at interview. As you can tell from the responses, it shows common sense and initiative.

It's public information and he quite proactively carried out his due diligence- you should be impressed!

You seem to think the job is like a holy grail that he should be begging you for. Has it occurred to you that the right person for the job is a benefit to the company? That they are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them?

I’d be surprised if an applicant didn’t check a prospective employer’s financial health. Really don’t understand your outrage at all. Why do you suppose your accounts are public access?

Sweet Jesus - it’s entirely expected, surely? I was asked in my last interview if I had any comments on the accounts of the company.

YABVU an interview is a two way process, you seem to think you should be the only ones with power and information. It is totally legitimate to look up a company you are considering working for. The fact that you say the candidate "admitted it" is really troubling. He is an adult doing the responsible thing not a naughty child confessing to a misdeed.

As per other comments - i his diligence would make me want to employ him.

Two way process.
I would expect potential employers to look me up and I would do the same.
Nothing wrong with telling your DH he’s done his research.

Of course you are unreasonable.

I would check too, then with your directors' details, I would check what your house looks like on Right Move. I'm nosey like that

Good for him doing some DD on future potential employees - great initiative and research skills!

I wonder if the drip feed is he’s applying for a job as the accountant 🤣

I can understand why that may feel like an invasion of privacy but it’s pretty standard to assess The financial health of a company. If applying for a finance or commercial role I would expect it and be interested to hear their opinion.

I wouldn’t hire someone who hadn’t looked at the most recent set(s) of accounts before interview. That’s pretty basic preparation.

Standard practice ime. It’s public information and shows initiative.

I would check too, then with your directors' details, I would check what your house looks like on Right Move. I'm nosey like that

I have done this before. Also Zoopla to see how much they’d paid for it...

@mylovelydd

Presumably the posters saying YABU and it's normal to tell you he looked up your financial information on Companies House don't actually feature on Companies House themselves Presumably they also like their home address being public knowledge and also tell people what they earn too...yeah thought not.

YANU at all Op. It's weird. I even had a potential employee look up on Rightmove our house and they commented that some friend used to live on our road...It might be one thing to look at the financial health of a company pre interview or supplying them but to tell a person to their face that they don't even know, that they know where they live and how much they earn is not normal.

I'm on Companies House. My address on there is the office address.

If you want to take the considerable upside of being a limited company, then you will also need to accept that the public has a right to this information.

A prospective employee even more so.

It sounds like you’re just unhappy about the level of scrutiny this arrangement places you under.

Why not just operate as a partnership and take the additional costs and risks associated with this set up?

@PandemicAtTheDisco

Your response - if I knew it - would put me off working for your company.

Absolutely.

I can only assume (hope) the OP isn't actually running the company and has nothing to do with HR.

I doubt that the OP will come back. I noticed the poor grammar as well.

I genuinely think you are a bit crackers.
So you don't have a problem with him looking?you have a problem with him being honest and admitting he looked? I call bs. Your embarrassed about your salary and can't play the pretence of whatever you was opting to convey.
I think the candidate sounds totally smart and savvy, you on the other hand a bit.... well not so.
Goodluck with your pursuit of a Tim nice but dim that can also be competent in the role you want to employ him into.

I think he sounds astute and diligent. Why would he give up his present employment to work for a company whose finances were dodgy?
On the other hand, should he happen to be browsing Mumsnet and see this, he might well choose not to work for you as you're batshit.

This is completely and utterly normal (as opposed to your reaction to it) and by telling you he is demonstrating that he has researched your company which is what you are encouraged to do when applying for jobs. So I’m with your husband.

I’m also wondering why you’d prefer them to be private OP. If you have nothing to hide I don’t see the problem.