Ethics spotlight | Sorry HR, but people are waiting for you to slip up

If you’re going to build trust within your organisation, you have to accept that every move you make is under the microscope. This can be complex for positions like HR; practitioners spend their entire working lives telling people that being unique and fallible is what makes us human.

Yet, as the one setting the standards, there’s no room for error in personal conduct. This is largely due to trust.

The bedrock of a thriving HR strategy is the precondition that your people are bought in. If not, you have a crisis on your hands. Without trust no initiatives will work, no ethics will be followed and stakeholders – even customers – will run a mile.

This isn’t a flippant statement; Accenture research found that 62% of customers are attracted to companies that exhibit ethical values and authenticity, whilst over 80% of candidates would turn down working for a manager that they suspect to be untrustworthy.