Having a code of ethics helps your organization operate in an appropriate manner that is acceptable to both customers and employees. A good ethical framework can guide your organization through difficult times and ensure you maintain a good relationship with all stakeholders including your employees. Ensuring ethical practices in the workplace, such as with personnel policies, can ensure you retain your employees even in tough times.
In that regard, you need to be vigilant when hiring and training employees. Let them know and understand your ethical guidelines as an organization. You need to ensure all employees abide by a strong ethical code because this way, you can quickly and easily achieve all your organizational goals, vision and mission.
Among the many characteristics that employers look for in employees, good ethical values are something that is often given great importance. So what are some of the ethical qualities to look for your employees?
Some of the ethical qualities :
1) Honesty
As a manager, you should always expect employees who are honest. An ethical worker will always value honesty and will be honest at all times and costs. This means that he/she will always be truthful even when the truth seems to be hanging them.
For example, an honest employee will never lie about situations that they are responsible for. Regardless of what it is they have done, they will always come forward and admit that they are responsible for them. An honest employee is someone who is trustworthy and reliable in an organization. Therefore when hiring/training, never relent on this quality.
2) Integrity
Talent and skills are never enough when determining good employees. An exceptional employee is someone who is not just honest but one whom you can actually trust. This is especially true if you are looking for someone to take a crucial position in the organization or one who will be delegated with important financial and confident matters.
An effective way of determining a person’s integrity is by screening and testing a potential employee. Screening is to ensure that the person that you are hiring does not have any criminal records. It would be tough to trust someone who has been involved in cases of fraud in the past.
Testing, on the other hand, helps to establish the ability of an employee to handle situations that demand a high level of integrity.
3) Impartiality
Impartiality is one of the ethical qualities that are often expected of employers especially when dealing with employees, but the truth is, employees are also supposed to portray an impartial behaviour at the work place.
Employees who are given leadership positions particularly in organizations that foster team work should be able to deal with and solve situations amicably without favour or criticism.
4) Fairness
Fairness means dealing with others in a consistent, impartial, objective manner. Employees who have a strong sense of fairness in their dealings with other employees tend to bring out the best regarding the initiative, innovation, and productivity. Workers who know and understand the importance of fairness at the workplace will tend to offer the same when carrying out tasks and when interacting with other employees.
5) Loyalty
Every organization needs employees they can trust and who exhibit loyalty to them.
The employee must never let down his workplace to others. He must not talk bad about his place of work. The confidential matters of the company must not be discussed with unknown and unauthorized people.
6) Dedication
A motivated and determined employee is someone who is not contented with average work. He is the kind of person who always strives to achieve the best results in whatever kind of work he does.
Determining whether a person has this quality is not as easy as looking at them and stating their complexion. When conducting interviews, you should ask potential employees about their goals and how they plan to achieve them. Proceed to ask them about any challenges that they experienced in their former workplace and how they overcame those challenges. Sticking to your beliefs might be the ultimate representation of good ethical qualities.
The answers provided for the above questions will give you an idea of the kind of attitude and zeal that the person has towards work.
7) Responsibility
A responsible employee is a tremendous asset to any organization. An employee must perform the duties and responsibilities of their job to the best of their ability. If you hire someone for a particular position in the organization, it is their obligation to perform to the best of their ability.Good people are a fundamental part of ethical qualities.
In today’s workforce, productivity is the standard that has been established. The productive employees are the ones that managers and supervisors look to promote. A responsible employee should not just be present at work, do their job and then think about what they can get from the organization. Instead, they should always keep in mind how they can help the organization thrive and prosper.
Look for employees who will be reporting to work on time, who will be there when needed and who showcase a high level of responsibility for their work and actions.
8) Accountability
Good ethical qualities like accountability are essential in any performing employee. He/she should always take personal responsibility for their actions and outcomes in every situation. An accountable person doesn’t make excuses for mistakes or failure if you notice this in an interviewee then reconsider your decision about hiring them.
Also, accepting mistakes is to enough to make one accountable. One should be able to take responsibility for their actions and also use them as learning experiences so that they don’t end up making similar mistakes again.
In conclusion,
Good ethical values in employees are essential for any organization aiming for success and high a level of productivity. Remember that employees within your organization will emulate what they see in you; therefore ensure that you also foster good ethics within yourself-lead as an example.
Nevertheless, exceptional employees are not impossible to find. You just have to keep your eyes peeled and your radar open for people who possess the potential of being great employees.
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