Q: I am a person of fairly high ethical standards. How can I tell if a company has similar standards before I am employed there?

A: First, know your own ethical type. Ethics are a set of values that consistently guides our behaviors, usually in alignment with the majority of society’s definition of correct and positive behavior, within legal parameters and balancing the good of the one with the good of the whole. How do you approach ethical dilemmas? What do you hold as personal core values? What guides your decision making process - the good of the one over the good of the whole (egoism), the greatest good for the greatest number (utilitarianism), to thine own self be true/purity of heart(existentialism), the word of God as you know it (divine command), adherence to a code of conduct (deontology), peer pressure (conformism)? Or perhaps some combination of the above, an eclectic - deep, reflective thinker? Ethical is a relative word as it depends on the values that form the ethic. Gang members can be very ethical by the standards of
their gang, but against the law.

Then when interviewing or researching a company, look to the company mission and/or vision statement. What kinds of values does it reflect? Then find out if the company has a code of ethics - or a professional (trade) code of ethics that it supports. Companies have a corporate culture, just like individuals have an ethical type. It would be preferable if you could find a match. Is it possible to read the employee manual or company policy manual? You could do a search of news articles about the company in the last five years. You may find that they have been involved in legal battles, or commended for their community work. Trade associations are often a good resource of information, especially if you can find a former employee. Take in all stories with the proverbial “grain of salt” to balance exaggeration or personal vegences. Many very large companies have been written up in “top ten best companies” lists. Check through media archives (library, internet) for those stories.

Pay attention to attitudes in general - from the very first point of contact. Watch and listen for incongruencies or attitudes that just don’t fit for you. Don’t write off that sense of being uncomfortable in your concern about getting a job. It’s a warning signal. Pay attention!!!!

Sometimes, however, you just don’t know until you have been there for a while and an ethical dilemma comes to the surface. Listen carefully for how others talk about the situation. Watch carefully to see how management responds - or doesn’t!

And if you are not in alignment with the company ethic, then start looking for a new place to work. That dissonance can wear you down very quickly and damage your sense of self if you sell out to keep a job.

In Cry the Beloved Country, Alan Paton wrote, "I shall no longer ask myself if this is expedient, but only if it is right. I shall do this not because I am noble or unselfish, but because I need for the rest of my journey a star that will not play false to me, a compass that will not lie. I am no longer able to aspire to the highest with one part of myself and to deny it with another."

Hold to your true star, that high ethical standard that you have. It will serve you well in establishing trust with co-workers, employers, subordinates and life in general. And trust is the cornerstone of success.