Can You Really Interview For Integrity?

“Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffett

Few would argue that integrity is important to the long-term success of any company and it is a virtue that ideally would be present in every employee, especially leaders. Yet very few companies, less than 5% according to research, actively screen for integrity in their interviewing process. Why? The three reasons I hear most often are:

1. “Integrity” is hard to quantify or it’s subjective; therefore, it is hard to measure.
2. People with integrity are increasingly rare.
3. It takes too much time to assess and there is a lot of pressure to “fill the position.”

Given the critical importance of integrity to businesses and our society, I hope the ideas I offer below will serve as the starting point of a discussion on why and how to proactively determine if a candidate has integrity. 

In general, “Integrity” means that what you say and do is based on your values, not situational or for personal gain. It means bearing the consequences of your convictions, even when it is difficult, and regardless of whether anyone will notice. Brian Tracy, one of America's leading authorities on human potential and success writes: In an executive boardroom, I once heard one of the richest men in America make a statement that I never forgot. “It seems to me,” he said, “that integrity isn’t really a value in itself; it is simply the value that guarantees all the other values.”

Values like honesty, responsibility, dedication, respect, and diligence are underpinned by integrity.

Sadly, integrity is becoming uncommon. Amy Anderson sums it up nicely in her excellent article on integrity for Forbes: We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many. Sales people overpromise and under deliver, all in the name of making their quota for the month. Applicants exaggerate in job interviews because they desperately need a job. CEOs overstate their projected earnings because they don’t want the board of directors to replace them. Entrepreneurs overstate their pro forma because they want the highest valuation possible from an investor. Investors understate a company’s value in order to negotiate a lower valuation in a deal. Customer service representatives cover up a mistake they made because they are afraid the client will leave them. Employees call in “sick” because they don’t have any more paid time off when they actually just need to get their Christmas shopping done. The list could go on and on, and in each case the person committing the act of dishonesty told themselves they had a perfectly valid reason why the end result justified their lack of integrity.

One of the challenges in screening for integrity during an interview is that many who lack integrity have learned to become social chameleons; temporarily changing their persona and story to meet other’s expectations. Given the restraints most companies place on the allotted time to interview, it is not too hard to maintain their fa?ade.

Another challenge is that asking direct questions about “integrity” can yield false positives; someone who lacks integrity isn’t averse to lying.

In my experience, identifying integrity in an interview is best accomplished indirectly, by listening for consistent evidence of other values that are supported by integrity. People with integrity will display most of if not all of the following behaviors:

• Highlights the roles of others and downplays their own role in accomplishing a goal. 
• A pattern of long-term volunteering for community or underprivileged. Compassion and selflessness are often found in people of high integrity. 
• Take full ownership of their mistakes and/or shortcomings. No rationalization or excuses. They admit when they are wrong. They do not cast blame on others in an effort to minimize their responsibility. 
• Not afraid of the truth. They welcome new thoughts and perspectives. They are receptive to coaching, mentoring and constructive feedback. 
• Transparent in their business dealings. They exhibit openness with respect to information, finances, and operational transactions. Are good stewards of corporate resources.
• The courage to say “no” when asked to compromise their values, even in the face of easy profits or the threat of losing their job. 
• Keep their commitments. Always.
• They treat and speak of others with respect, even when they have not been treated likewise. 
• They engender trust and do not break confidences. 

It is also important to remember that integrity is a state of mind and is not situational. Past behavior is ALWAYS a strong indicator of future behavior. Even small misrepresentations in the interview or on their resume should be a warning. Someone that compromises their integrity in small situations will eventually find it easy to compromise in larger situations.

What are your thoughts?