The foundation of an ethical workplace is clear.Executive officers must set the tone for the rest of the company if these values are to be put into practice.New hires should be educated about the company's policies during orientation.Developing the skills employees need to perform efficiently without cutting corners is one way to provide ongoing ethics training.Discipline violators promptly and consistently, regardless of their rank.
Step 1: Write your company's standards of conduct in writing.
Don't think that all employees have the same sense of right and wrong.An extensive list of workplace standards, from acceptable language to ethical business practices.The employee handbook should contain written standards in common areas.The standards should be specific as possible.Instead of "Be respectful," specify that "Employees should not comment on physical appearance or make unwanted sexual advances of any kind." Consider hiring a team or department that manages the ethics of the entire workplace, like an HR department.
Step 2: Don't let the regulatory codes define the company's ethics.
Legality does not define workplace ethics.Don't limit ethical standards to legal codes, but educate employees about industry specific regulations.Ensure that all employees are aware of the safety standards for the products they work on.Set your standards beyond safety codes.If a product needs to be repaired, terminated or disciplined if they overcharge for services by repairing parts that weren't broken.
Step 3: From the top to the bottom, model ethical behavior.
If the organization's leadership doesn't follow ethical standards, they are useless.The rest of the organization needs executives, board members and department heads to act as role models.A senior manager should face the same consequences as a mailroom clerk if standards are not enforced consistently.Mentalities can lead to a toxic company culture.Your entire sales team will follow your example if the head of sales fudges numbers.The ethics breakdown at the company is more difficult to handle than individual cases.
Step 4: Your company's ethical standards are reflected in the values you hire applicants with.
Specific questions that gauge their values are included when you interview prospective employees.Hire a candidate with strong ethical reasoning over one with questionable ethics, even if they have a strong professional record.Ask industry-specific interview questions such as, "Is it more important to meet a deadline or to ensure a product exceeds safety standards?" or "What would you do if you knew a coworker took bribes?"
Step 5: Training strategies can be created for the company.
Training needs to provide concrete, relevant information instead of vague ideals.The company's ethics officer or human resources department should come up with a list of scenarios that employees might face.At new hire orientations and ethics training sessions, these examples should be presented.Specific examples of sexual harassment, hostile behavior, fraud, and other unethical conduct can be presented.You can look online for newspaper articles.The case studies should be analyzed with employees.Ask them why certain actions were unethical and how violators could have handled the situation differently.
Step 6: Skills are added to reinforce ethical behavior.
Skills that allow employees to perform efficiently without cutting corners should be the focus.It is possible to teach employees how to manage their time, solve problems and ask for help.They should be discouraged from making unethical decisions in order to meet deadlines.
Step 7: New hires should include ethics training.
Orientation and onboarding focus on filling out paperwork and teaching new hires.Verbal instruction on the company's ethical standards should be included in new hire procedures.New hires need to be aware of the process of filing a confidential complaint if they witness or are the victim of wrongdoing.
Step 8: There are ethics training days.
Maintaining your company's ethical culture can be done with annual training days.Conduct standards and ethical business practices should be reviewed.Training sessions can be held in person in order to encourage dialogue, trust, and team problem solving.
Step 9: Sales or profits should be prioritized over ethical decisions.
Setting performance goals that encourage employees to put profit ahead of safety standards is not a good idea.Sales quotas and other profit-centered benchmarks can be used to encourage unethical behavior.In addition to rewarding top sellers, offer monetary bonuses and other awards to employees with high customer satisfaction ratings or excellent safety records.
Step 10: Reward employees who raise concerns.
An employee could raise concerns about a new product's safety or identify a specification mistake.It might cost money to redesign that product.Potential injuries, recalls, lawsuits, and regulatory fines were prevented by that employee.
Step 11: Promote employees based on ethical behavior.
All decisions regarding promotions, raises, and bonuses should include ethical conduct.A toxic company culture could result from failure to do so.You are telling employees that they need to violate codes of conduct in order to succeed if you reward unethical behavior with promotions and compensation.
Step 12: A profit sharing system is needed.
Sharing company profits with workers discourages them from manipulating numbers.10 to 15 percent of pre-tax profits could be used to distribute among employees.The amount of an employee's pay should be based on their overall performance.Performance evaluations should not be based on numbers.Their contribution to work ethic, client relations, and other less tangible criteria should be taken into account.
Step 13: Represent the policies clearly.
Every employee needs to be aware of the consequences of unethical behavior.Inform employees about the company's written ethical standards, at new hire orientations, and ongoing training sessions.Make it clear that any employee caught stealing will be terminated.
Step 14: Employees should be able to report misconduct anonymous.
There is a need for a confidential complaint process.Employees should be able to file a complaint anonymous.An ethics officer or committee should be appointed if you don't have an HR department.Whether an employee is the victim of sexual assault or witnesses unethical business practices, they need to know that they can report wrongdoing without fear of being retaliated against.Make sure that all employees are able to voice their ethical concerns.
Step 15: Discipline violators should be disciplined in a timely manner.
Don't allow complaints to blow over or fall through the cracks.Everyone in the organization has to be held to the same standards.Disciplinary measures and rewarding ethical behavior go hand in hand.It is necessary to enforce the company's ethical standards.