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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

989 replies

ChampagneWorries · 24/05/2021 18:40

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?

OP posts:
NEVERENDINGST0RY · 25/05/2021 11:45

We have owned a family business for over 20 years and, if someone expressed concerns about joining us due to our stability, I would activly suggest they check out companies house. However obviously it only gives the picture some companies wish to portray, but I wouldnt have a problem with it. We are a financial company and its a lot of client facing roles. So I do check social media to "be nosy" and get an idea of the candidates after we have done first interviews. I would see this as the same.

BertramLacey · 25/05/2021 11:50

Yet it's fairly standard you say? Which would equate with not that impressive?

It's like common sense @purplefoxglove - not as common as you might hope Wink.

It's standard for good candidates to do that research. Not so standard for weaker candidates.

LittleTiger007 · 25/05/2021 11:51

It shows initiative surely? He needs to know that you are financially stable and that his job is secure for the foreseeable.

purplefoxglove · 25/05/2021 11:54

@BertramLacey

Yet it's fairly standard you say? Which would equate with not that impressive?

It's like common sense @purplefoxglove - not as common as you might hope Wink.

It's standard for good candidates to do that research. Not so standard for weaker candidates.

That is true - but sadly it seems even educated folk with PhDs struggle to read up on firms before they apply.
Ginuwine · 25/05/2021 11:59

@purplefoxglove

The Receptionist/Sales Ledger Clerk at our firm paid to have access to the owner's will as she wanted to know how much money their sons had been left! Shock That's very nosy!

Oh that's a completely different order of wrong and is horrendously intrusive

Applesonthelawn · 25/05/2021 12:03

You are being completely unreasonable. It is very good process to research everything you can about a firm so that you turn up to the interview looking well informed and keen.

Year5Englishhelp · 25/05/2021 12:05

@ChampagneWorries I asked a guy i know who has a limited company (smaller than ours) and he agreed with me

then luckily for you, over 3000 wise mumsnetters set you straight Grin

Pivotthesofa · 25/05/2021 12:08

You’re being ridiculous OP.
It’s not like he’s gone through your private personal accounts.
They’re public for a reason.

I hate this attitude by companies, I think it’s bizarre. The fact you are so appalled by it makes me think you are very naive when it comes to business. I think the fact he told you is fine, it shows he’s thorough and taking the application seriously. What’s the problem?

greatauntfanny · 25/05/2021 12:35

I hope he doesn't take the job. He's in for a nightmare.

greatauntfanny · 25/05/2021 12:37

Also here's another shocker, OP, it's perfectly reasonable and in fact the norm for a high achieving twenty something to have switched roles every two or so years. It's one of the most recommended ways to progress and stretch yourself.

Temp023 · 25/05/2021 12:40

Did this really need 600 responses? She’s got the message, leave the poor woman alone now eh?

WeAreTheHeroes · 25/05/2021 12:41

Why add to them then @Temp023?

Blossomtoes · 25/05/2021 12:42

@greatauntfanny

Also here's another shocker, OP, it's perfectly reasonable and in fact the norm for a high achieving twenty something to have switched roles every two or so years. It's one of the most recommended ways to progress and stretch yourself.
This. A variety of working environments is ideal at the start of a career. Several roles lasting a year or less would be suspect but not moving to gain wider experience/a promotion/more money/better terms and conditions.

I suspect he’ll be snapped up pretty quickly so it won’t be OP’s problem.

Bythemillpond · 25/05/2021 12:46

The Receptionist/Sales Ledger Clerk at our firm paid to have access to the owner's will as she wanted to know how much money their sons had been left

It might be nosey but it is there for everyone to see for a price.
I don’t think people realise how much of their lives are available to view on line.

Fwiw staying 2 years in a job is standard for someone who wants to climb the corporate ladder, it goes with looking on Glassdoor, Linkedn and Companies House for research purposes as well as any SM.

grapewine · 25/05/2021 12:48

@greatauntfanny

Also here's another shocker, OP, it's perfectly reasonable and in fact the norm for a high achieving twenty something to have switched roles every two or so years. It's one of the most recommended ways to progress and stretch yourself.
This. I was surprised at it would be something that seems to count against the candidate for OP.
SnorkMaidensTummy · 25/05/2021 12:49

I've withdrawn and declined an interview before after checking the company on companies house.

GlencoraP · 25/05/2021 12:51

Absolutely always pull the accounts for any job, also pulled the accounts for all the independent schools my children attended. We turned a place down because I didn’t feel confident about their financial position ( I was right they went bust 4 years later) .

SlothMama · 25/05/2021 12:52

It's public information, and personally I would want to know how healthy a companies accounts are before I sign up to work for them tbh

Muchasgracias · 25/05/2021 12:53

@ChampagneWorries

I’am very embarrassed about my salary!!!!! But again this is due to my family and upbringing etc.
Are you in the habit of projecting your issues onto others?

I think you need to do a bit of self reflection and examine why you reacted the way you did and make sure that it doesn’t play out in real life the way you initially expressed yourself on here.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 25/05/2021 12:53

The candidate in question hasn't been at a workplace for more than 2 years at a time (he’s approx late 20s) but we have agreed to give him a shot.

This is really, really, really normal! It's not a negative you've somehow been benevolent and kindly overlooked.

In fact it's often a healthy career path as during your twenties, by spending 18m - 2 years in a variety of roles you can make a genuinely positive impact within each business while also learning from a variety of managers, working with a variety of clients, networking with more people than you would in one job, gaining insight into which type of company cultures are best fit for you, get a broad grounding in and industry rather than specialising too soon... can you see how it makes sense?

There are loads of reasons people have had a variety of rules during their 20s. If you said he only stuck at each job for 6 months that would be different but a series of 18m / 2 year roles indicates someone savvy about their career.

It sounds like you just don't like him for some reason, whether it's the fact he brought up the Companies House information or something else altogether.

LolaSmiles · 25/05/2021 12:55

It sounds like the interviewee has done appropriate research and you are viewing entirely reasonable research through the lens of your personal hangups due to your past.

silverbubbles · 25/05/2021 12:59

YABVU and quite odd.
Most people look at this information when checking out a company they might work for. You need to ask yourself why you feel like you do? What are you hiding or ashamed about?

MagentaZebras · 25/05/2021 13:47

That's basic due diligence before a job interview surely? I'd be very unimpressed interviewing a candidate who hadn't looked at the annual report and accounts beforehand. One of the stakeholders increasingly recognised in law for whom information is specifically required to be disclosed in the report are employees!

HopeHappy · 25/05/2021 13:50

@ChampagneWorries I'm late to the party on this thread and can't quite face the 26 pages of replies, so I'm probably only repeating what others have said.

You have an accountant problem. As a small company you can prepare and submit either micro-entity accounts or accounts that are "abbreviated". I use speech marks because there's not actually such a thing as abbreviated any more.

If you file accounts as a small company, all you have to file is the Balance Sheet and the related Balance Sheet notes. Details that show your company's profits or your personal earnings as directors or shareholders in the form of either salaries or dividends are not a requirement for the publicly available accounts.

If your accountant thinks that they are, I would recommend finding yourself a new accountant as if they're getting this wrong, heaven knows what else they're doing wrong and it could be costing you money.

As for the interviewee themselves, this wouldn't bother me. I'd be glad to see that they'd done their research and were considering all aspects of the business to ensure they'd be happy working there as much as we'd be happy to have them working with us.

WhathappenstoDD · 25/05/2021 14:20

When DD started Nursery in 2015 I looked before sending her at the information on companies house, just to see if the Nursery would still be around in 2 years time (as by that point she'd be 3 and able to go to the school Nursery if needed). I don't see it as a problem, I admitted it to the owner and she laughed and said that she didn't blame me being thorough and certain so it must be quite common.