Ethical standards are vital to any organization’s success; however, it can be extremely challenging to judge a candidate’s ethics during a job interview. Because of this, it is imperative for hiring managers to know the right interview methods to find the top candidates whose attitudes and characteristics align with those of the organization’s mission, values, and vision. Savvy hiring managers and top staffing firms are finding that honing in on more general ethics-based questions, in addition to social norms and current industry issues, are yielding much more interesting as well as informative results.

Perhaps the greatest challenge in conducting an interview to determine a candidate’s stance on workplace ethics is getting the candidate to provide honest answers. In any company, there may be a number of acceptable responses to a given ethical issue; candidates will be hesitant to respond with an answer that may make them appear ethically liberal, even if it is how they truly feel. This is why a behavioral approach is recommended when deciding the kinds of questions to ask a candidate when determining ethical stance.  Consider the following to learn how a candidate responded in past situations and how they are likely to react in the future:

• Describe a time in which your ethics were challenged. Do not trust a candidate who claims they’ve never faced an ethical challenge. Seek out the candidate who avoids misconduct, not one who lies and claims they’ve never done anything wrong or unethical.
• What did you think of the ethics material on our website? This will give you a glance into the value and importance the job seeker places on ethics and corporate values. Ask which value made the biggest impression and ask the candidate to elaborate.
• Whom did you consult when you’ve had ethical issues in the workplace arise in the past? Look for an answer that shows the candidate took action. This can be speaking with a supervisor or co-worker, or researching other company resources.

Very often, candidates will come right out and admit to past ethical mistakes. Knowing how to interview candidates with behavioral questions will empower them to open up about their past experiences while providing the hiring manager with valuable insight. Staffers, Inc. prides itself in screening top candidates’ job ethics and placing them with their best-matched company. If you are looking for the best staffing solution to find top job candidates with strong ethics, contact Staffers today!