Ethical Business: What Tony's Chocolonely and SmartRecruiters Teach Us About Integrity

Last week, Tony's Chocolonely called out Lidl for copying their chocolate bar design without adopting the same ethical sourcing standards. Tony’s signature irregular-shaped blocks represent inequality in the cocoa supply chain - a symbol Lidl imitated, but without the values behind it. Instead of just complaining, Tony’s challenged Lidl to embrace their five sourcing principles or join their Open Chain initiative, setting a positive example of how businesses can push for change.

At HARBOUR ATS , we resonate deeply with Tony’s stance, especially after our own experience with SmartRecruiters. Recently, they used blatant disinformation in an attempt to poach our clients, falsely claiming that our clients would face mandatory upgrades, potential disruptions, and unexpected costs. None of it is true, but much like Tony’s response, we sought to handle it with integrity. We know who we are and what we stand for, and we’re confident in our ability to offer transparency and flexibility, without the need for deceptive tactics.

This is where Gorilla ATS comes in - a way to call out the shortcomings of standard ATS system approaches while highlighting the HARBOUR difference: real customisation that delivers real value, all while being truly values-led. Lip service? Not round here!

And as one of our values is 'fun' then we're always hoping to add a little joy to the mix - which is why we’ve been giving new HR & TA Gorilla ATS subscribers a Tony’s Chocolonely bar of their choice - tying our own commitment to ethical business with a brand we admire.

For us, like Tony's, doing the right thing is always good business. After all, if business isn’t about making things better, then what’s the point?

If you’re ready to escape the gorilla tactics in the ATS market, sign up for Gorilla ATS, choose your favourite Tony’s Chocolonely bar, and if or when you're in the market for an ATS, or just fancy a chat about what's possible, then let us share with you our different way of doing business.