Before You Accept a Job Offer: The Complete Checklist

1. Check the company's financial health. Start with the numbers. Is the company making a profit or posting losses? Are net assets positive or negative? Has revenue been growing or declining? A company in financial distress may not be able to honour the salary and benefits it has promised you. Even if it can today, declining finances increase the risk of redundancies, pay freezes, or restructuring in the near future. Look at the most recent filed accounts and, ideally, compare them against the previous year. Read our financial health guide for a deeper dive.

2. Look for red flags. EmployerCheck automatically scans for common warning signs including overdue accounts, negative net assets, active insolvency proceedings, and regulatory enforcement actions. Red flags do not automatically mean the company is a bad employer, but they do highlight areas that deserve further investigation. A single low-severity flag on a fast-growing startup is very different from multiple high-severity flags on an established business. See all red flags explained.

3. Review director stability. Directors are legally responsible for the company. When multiple directors resign in a short period, it can signal internal disagreements, strategic failures, or a deteriorating working environment. Look at average director tenure — healthy companies typically retain directors for four to six years. Also consider whether new appointments suggest growth and fresh perspectives or constant churn. Learn about director turnover.

4. Check their accounts type. The type of accounts a company files tells you a lot about what you can — and cannot — find out about their finances. Companies filing full accounts give you the most transparency, while micro-entity accounts reveal almost nothing beyond a basic balance sheet. If a company qualifies for full accounts but files abbreviated ones, consider why they might prefer to disclose less. Understand account types.

5. Review the gender pay gap data. UK companies with 250 or more employees are required to publish their gender pay gap annually. This data reveals not just the headline gap, but also bonus disparities and how men and women are distributed across pay quartiles. A large gap does not necessarily mean unfair pay, but it does reveal structural issues around progression and representation that may affect your career. Read the GPG guide.

6. Look up accreditations. Voluntary accreditations are a strong signal of employer intent. Living Wage accreditation means the company commits to paying at least the real Living Wage (higher than the government minimum). B Corp certification demonstrates a verified commitment to social and environmental standards. Disability Confident accreditation shows active efforts towards disability inclusion. These are not easy badges to obtain, and employers who pursue them are typically more invested in employee wellbeing.

7. Check for insolvency or winding-up activity. This is non-negotiable. If a company has active insolvency proceedings — whether administration, liquidation, or a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) — your employment could be at serious risk. Even if the company is still trading, insolvency processes can lead to redundancies, pay delays, and loss of benefits. The EmployerCheck report surfaces insolvency status prominently so you will not miss it.

8. Search for enforcement actions. Has the company been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for workplace safety failures? Has the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) taken regulatory action? Has the Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued warnings? Enforcement actions are public record and paint a picture of how seriously the company takes its legal obligations. A single historical action may be forgivable; a pattern of non-compliance is a clear warning sign.

9. Look at the company's age and trajectory. A company that has been trading for 20 years has a very different risk profile from a two-year-old startup. Older companies offer more stability but may be less dynamic. Younger companies offer growth potential but carry higher failure risk — roughly 60% of UK businesses fail within five years. Consider where the company is in its lifecycle and how that aligns with what you are looking for in your career.

10. Cross-reference with employee reviews. Public data from Companies House tells you about the company's structure and finances, but it cannot tell you what it is actually like to work there day to day. Check Glassdoor, Indeed, and Trustpilot for employee reviews. Look for recurring themes rather than individual complaints. If multiple reviewers mention the same issues — poor management, long hours, lack of progression — take those patterns seriously.