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?

I'm gobsmacked that you're gobsmacked!

He showed initiative and there was no reason for him not to mention it - he mistakenly thought you'd be impressed with his thoroughness.

I actually think it shows a really sensible and thorough candidate who has a working knowledge. And for so many reasons it is prudent that company records are available for all.

If you don’t want the general public to know then draw a salary rather than dividends and take the tax.

Surely it's a positive thing that he researched the company in advance? He sounds well prepared.

Why wouldn’t you want to employ someone who is diligent, thorough, forward thinking and honest?

He sounds like a smart guy and I have always done the same for job interviews. When I interview people, which I do regularly, I'm disappointed if they don't know my company's financial position!

'Which I don't agree with'.

Sorry, WTF? It's the law. If I were applying for a job with a company, I'd have a look at their accounts too. 1. I would want to know they were in good shape and 2. I would expect the person interviewing me to ask me if I knew anythig about the company.

Of course he is right! Do you expect him to make what is basically a business decision with zero information? Or to hide that he has thought properly about this?

YABVU. I would do this for any company I applied to… I’d hate to leave one job, only to join a company about to go bankrupt. Sounds like you’ve got yourself a sensible candidate

If you don't want him, I'm sure I can find a role for him. He sounds very sensible and diligent.

Id be gobsmacked if they didn't. Who wants to join a failing company?

Perfectly reasonable and sensible behaviour from your interviewee. I'd be commending him for doing due diligence on you.

YABU

I see no problem with him checking you're solvent before he chooses to work for you

Speaking from experience, there's nothing worse than starting a job only to immediately realize you've made a terrible mistake and the place is run by thieving crooks, who habitually set up and dissolve limited companies.

Job interviews aren't just for the employers benefit.

Looking you up personally on Facebook would be nosy. Looking you up on LinkedIn or Companies House is good practice and shows preparation and professionalism. I wish more of the candidates I'd interviewed had done even some cursory research about my company beforehand.

Incidentally, I work for a big corporate abc at entry level we’ll generally ask what someone has researched about us. Doesn’t matter if it’s not detailed - they don’t need to have digested shareholder reports! Even just mentioning a recent newspaper story about us will get them a ✅ for bothering.

Why wouldn't you check?
I think you're being absolutely ridiculous, it's public information!
Do you have financial problems, is that why you're so offended?

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.

Not just due diligence to see if the company was solvent but standard practice when going for an interview to research publically available information. It shows initiative and means they walk into the interview armed with as much information as possible to talk about the company and its business.

Here to echo everything already mentioned. Depending on the level of the role, responsibilities and experience of the candidate etc, I'd either expect that to be a piece of research they would carry out in advance (for an experienced/senior role) or be impressed that an inexperienced, entry level candidate had the initiative to look into the details.

I'm gobsmacked you find it so bizzare to be honest!

Sounds like he's got his head screwed on to me.

I do the same when job hunting. Plus glassdoor, LinkedIn and general Google info. For small companies I also check the directors to see if there's anything dodgy there. Why wouldn't I be interested to know what kind of place I'm going to work for?

Companies House isn’t Facebook.
Not sure I'd see the problem with an applicant looking on Facebook either, for publicly available information.

Aren't you supposed to do your research before a job interview?

Like everyone else has said, he sounds diligent, sensible, honest and thorough. Awesome qualities for a new employee, surely?

Assuming this is for a professional type job not a paper round they sound a very sensible potential employee. I’m not sure I’d have actually brought it up, but I’d have done exactly the same digging. I’d be checking out any public social media type profiles of my potential new manager as well. It’s just basic due diligence and if I was asked I wouldn’t hide it.

If they say they’ve been conducting surveillance of the premises I guess at that point I might be worried!

I think he's been smart. I'd want him to work for me.