hiring and ethical decision making

Ethical decision-making and recruiting are important considerations in ensuring that companies attract and retain a skilled workforce. These elements are intertwined with a company’s code of behavior and code of ethics. A code of ethics assists members of an association in developing a common view of current limits as well as the defined principles of dealing with potential partners and customers. A code of ethics, on the other hand, includes rules that are compliant with the company’s policy. It also explains how the companies expect their staff and customers to behave. To make ethical recruiting choices, several considerations must be weighed. These factors as discussed in the paper include communication, avoiding misleading advertisements, the appropriate job requirements, and giving the candidates a chance to express themselves. Putting such factors into consideration enables the organization to come up with the most suitable candidate for the job leading to a higher level of productivity and success.

Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics

There is a variation between these two terms; code of ethics refers to a document outlining a set of principles which affect decision-making. A code of conduct, on the other hand, is a document issued by a board of directors describing certain behaviors as a condition for the ongoing employment. Therefore, it is evident from the definitions that the two codes operate differently. In addition, ethical standards are broad. They are designed with the intention of enabling employees to make self-judgment concerning the most suitable course of action. Conduct rules require the individual to have some form of judgment on the set regulations. One has to obey or face the consequences (Weiss, 2009). At the same time, the code offers a clear set of expectations concerning the acceptable behaviors as well as the ones that are prohibited.

The two codes have their own significance in an organization. First, having a code of ethics portrays how serious a company is in its operations. Employees will have to work hard to uphold the seriousness of the organization. Secondly, a code of ethics helps in preventing innocent violations of the company’s set standards. There are those individuals who have no idea of what is right or wrong. Such cases mostly occur when an employee is hired from a different country with different ethnicity, beliefs, and practices (Trevino, 2015). However, having a code of ethics enables them to have an idea of what can be unethical to the organization.

Not to mention, code of conduct helps in clarifying issues such as the organization’s values, missions, and principles. It articulates the values desired by the organization upon its employees and leaders as well as defining the set goals and objectives. Written codes of conduct can serve as a benchmark for measuring the organization and individual performance (Trevino, 2015). 

These codes have intentions that are often made clear to everyone affiliated with the organization to ensure smooth operation from all corners. The primary purpose of having a code of ethics is to guide managerial decisions in creating a common framework in which all the organization’s decisions can be made. It also helps the members of the organization to comprehend the existing boundaries as well as the set standards (Schwartz & Schwartz, 2017). 

Further, a code of conduct is aimed at maintaining an acceptable level of conduct by the suppliers, customers, employees among other stakeholders. Codes of conduct provide guidelines that are in line with the company’s policies and the requirements for individuals to adhere to when performing organizations’ activities (Weiss, 2009). 

The factors to consider in making ethical hiring decisions and their importance in the hiring process

Avoiding Misleading Advertisements

Due to the need for highly qualified workers, most organizations tend to place misleading job advertisements. It is always confusing for someone to get a job not worth their expectations. For example, a situation where a vacancy is advertised as the chief editor, then someone ends up getting the job as storekeeper receiving $100 salary. This is a misleading advertisement, and it is indeed unethical. Therefore, it is important to let the candidates have a clear understanding of the job description before going through the application process. It is wrong to take the candidates through a long process of recruitment and give them positions contrary to their expectations (Schwartz & Schwartz, 2017). 

Appropriate Job Requirements

What does the job require? This is among the factors to be considered in making ethical hiring decisions. Every candidate has a right to be considered for the job, and it requires the recruitment personnel to clearly understand the absolute requirements for the position before starting the hiring process. This information should be included in the job description during the advertisement. In this way, the job seekers will be in a position to know if they meet the requirements before applying for the job (Schwartz & Schwartz, 2017). 

Communication

Most organizations fail when it comes to communication. Communication is important, and it is unethical to go silent after taking a number of candidates through a hiring process. Many people are always worried when they do not receive any information concerning a job interview they attended. Organizations should respond to all the applications irrespective of whether the candidate passes or fails the tests (Trevino, 2015). It is appropriate to inform the interviewees that they failed and if possible clarify the reasons for their failure. In the same manner, it is important to communicate to the selected candidates and congratulate them for getting the job opportunity.

An interview is a forum for identifying if the job seekers have the skills and expertise that fulfill the work requirements. As an employer, it is crucial to be aware that the candidate is also eager to obtain more information concerning the organization. It is, therefore, unethical to have the interview focused on one side. The employer should not use the interview to know the candidate while denying the candidate a chance to find out some facts about the company (Weiss, 2009). Therefore, the candidate should be given enough time to respond and ask questions concerning the organization or anything in relation to the job. In this way, the candidate will go home with a clear understanding of the organization he intends to work with.

In conclusion, the significance of ethical decision-making and hiring to an organization cannot be ignored. They affect the performance of workers and the company at large. Therefore, it is essential to consider the factors that influence decision-making and ethical hiring in an organization. The company will hire excellent employees who will quickly adapt to the new job environment and work towards the achieving the goals of the organization as guided by the code of conduct, In fact, code of ethics and code of conduct work hand in hand in presenting the organization to a successful level. Putting all these into consideration brings the company to a higher level of success.

References

Schwartz, M. S., & Schwartz, Mark S. (2017). Business Ethics: An Ethical Decision-making

Approach. Wiley-Blackwell, 1st Ed. 

Trevino, L. K. (2015). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. Place of

Publication not identified: John Wiley.

Weiss, J. W. (2009). Business ethics: A stakeholders and issues management approach. Australia:

South-Western Cengage Learning, 5th Ed.