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?

You sound bizarre OP. I feel for this poor candidate if he accepts the position.

You're being utterly bizarre.

It is standard information about a company that must be published by law. If you don't want anyone seeing that then you're in the wrong business.

I hope your DH is the one who does the running of the company as in all honesty you don't sound that savvy.

But why do you hate it? The company bank account isn’t your personal money. And what is he going to do with the information about staff costs? Be jealous?

I would want this guy to work for me!

He's a pro-active candidate who did his due diligence. Of course you would check the financial status of the company and it's all public information anyway so I don't know why you are complaining. Any of your friends could also check and see your dividends if they are listed. He had a good reason to check the company's status.

I'd look up any company I was going to work with to check they're financially stable. Too many people out there not paying wages on time.

You need to stop taking things so personally. He's looking at your public accounts not rummaging through your bins.

Presumably he didn't say he'd looked you up and was horrified by what he found?

Don't you think its standard and to be expected? Really, what's the big deal - the fact that he stated what should be the bleedin' obvious?

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

To use the word 'admit' implies there was something wrong in what he did.

For a business owner you seem a bit sensitive and naive.

Of course, I googled every employer I've been for interviews with and checked their charities commission info (non profits) it's due diligence

DH always does this. So far he has found out what the founders of one start up had all done time for money laundering (they had a silent director who was on the books but not an active part of the business, which he thought was odd, so did a bit more digging). Another had horrendous debts, no income of any description, and was being propped up by cash injections from the founder’s dad, not the VC funding the founder had pretended they had.

How many of those things do you think he would have been told at interview, if he hadn’t asked? If you were interviewing, are those things you might want to know, before you leave your existing job? It’s just due diligence if you are considering joining a small, potentially unstable company.

Sensible candidate, honest and organised. Excellent qualities.

you’re responding very weirdly to perfectly normal behaviour from a potential employee. I’m sure he’d have second thoughts about going forward with his application if he know how you and your husband reacted to this

Sounds proactive and bright. YABU but hopefully you see that from the poll results.

@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.

If you hate it then why did you incorporate? Oh wait... you did it for the tax benefits. So it’s okay for you to benefit from being a Ltd company when it suits you but not if everyone else knows about it, right?

I think honesty is one of the best attributes an employee can have so I’d definitely hire them.

Why would you not check out the financial position of the company you could be relying on to pay your wages? I’m astonished that you think this is out of the ordinary.

There are lots of messages here, and none of them agree with you, @ChampagneWorries.

I hope this fact will encourage you to reflect on your feelings about this candidate.

I completely disagree entirely. It's been asked of me before, if I have. I nearly always do. And i'd be proud to say I had. Shows initiative and real interest.

I am literally gobsmacked that you've taken it so badly.

It’s the norm I thought to check the company looking to employ you are in a viable long term position.

All of the private sector jobs I have gone, or coached people for, with smaller businesses we have pulled the companies house data.

The other half even gets it eyeballed but their accountant.

I am confused as to who go to an interview and not research the company house records. Frankly, I am shocked at your attitude about it, its very unprofessional and hope he doent agree to work for you sound a nightmare

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

It wasn't. I think it's off that you think it's off. Yabu.

YABVVU.

You expect a potential employee to have no clue about the company's finances.

Or you think he should pussy foot around the company's finances, because it's "rude" to talk about it.

And you're supposed to be a company director!!

You're being utter ridiculous.

...what? This is a business, you’re not the archduchess of MoneyIsBeneathMe. Your attitude is bloody bizarre. It sounds like you want to hire a no hoper who would be half for any scraps thrown his way, so somebody with options who takes their career and job seriously might not be the right match.

Also if you think talking about money is a bit rude, don’t run a business!!!

YABU