Integrity & Trust
Integrity and trust are flip sides of the same coin. Integrity means doing what you say you’ll do. And that’s how you build trust: by showing integrity at every turn—you damage trust by saying one thing and then doing another. Throughout our lives, we all have the experience of being let down by people and losing trust in them.
“Trust is the by-product of integrity.”
Of course, it’s not always malicious when someone doesn’t do what they initially said they’d do. Sometimes, it’s just because something else changed their plans. In life, as the saying goes, change is the only constant.
Some days that seems to be especially true in my business because my business is a people business. Whenever people are involved, there is inherent unpredictability … and in my work, there are?always?people involved.
Employers – my clients who coordinate the selection process and make hiring decisions – are people. Ergo, sometimes unpredictable. Of course, you can multiply the unpredictability by the number of people involved in those decisions.
And, of course, job seekers are people, too; they make one of the most significant decisions in their lives. I understand that in that situation, things can change.
Sometimes people get cold feet, deciding that now isn’t the right time to leave their current job. Sometimes when things change, it’s a family decision. This is especially common when a job change involves relocation or significant differences in schedules or responsibilities. Sometimes, when someone’s in the running for a job, another job comes along, and the job seeker chooses that one.
In the life of a recruiter, all these things – and more – are just?things that happen. I don’t mind dealing with things that happen when I know about them. It’s a matter of?mutual respect.
The Darkness is Not Our Friend
What bothers me is when I’m kept in the dark because then I don’t have the opportunity to deal with the situation proactively. It puts me in a difficult position with my clients and my candidates and often means I have to scramble; more than I would have otherwise.
What it looks like on my end is a candidate who – without notice – doesn’t show up for an interview. Or who inexplicably stops returning calls and emails. Or who, suddenly and without any reason given, says that they’re not interested anymore.
From the client side, it can be stringing a candidate along while considering another candidate – internal or external – or contemplating closing the job without filling it.
In those moments, I wish I had the opportunity to tell these people that their professional integrity was at risk. To say to them that if they become known as a company or a candidate who can’t be relied upon, it’s likely that recruiters will hesitate to represent them. Employers or candidates will hesitate to include them in their shortlists. All because they’ve damaged trust. It’s a much smaller world than most think.
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Four Recommendations to Maintain Integrity and Build Trust
Here’s my simple four-part request and recommendation. It applies equally in all areas of your life, but certainly in your career and job search.
It does no good when you withhold vital information from others in the hiring process. Interested? Not interested? Say so. Are you concerned about an aspect of your experience, the job, or the company? Tell me, and let’s talk it through. It has to be a?win-win?for both sides.
Based on the honest thoughts you shared above, tell me what I can expect from you. Will I hear from you at a specific time? Are you willing to meet with someone I’ve introduced you to? Will you get me some additional information? Please, let me know.
Has something changed? Are things moving too fast or too slow? Are you – or perhaps someone in your family – having second thoughts? Has another opportunity come along? Whatever the news, you can count on me to react professionally and courteously; just keep me in the loop. The more and more quickly I know something, the better prepared I am to help you promptly.
Whatever you’ve said you’ll do, follow through and do it. When the rubber hits the road, this is how integrity is demonstrated and trust is built.
Integrity is one of my own closely held values and one I take very seriously. Whether you’re an employer, an employee, or a friend or acquaintance, you can always count on me to do what I’ve outlined above. And I trust that I can count on the same from you.
Additional Resources
Lifehack.org:?13 Ways to Demonstrate Integrity in the Workplace
Glassdoor.com:?Understanding Integrity in the Workplace