Listening to Build Integrity: The Key to Transparency in Organisations

Talking about integrity and transparency in an organisation is easy; successfully implementing them is another story. Gaining the commitment of management is essential, but the real challenge lies in winning the credibility and adherence of employees. How do we do this? By truly listening to them.

Beyond Surveys: The Power of Conversation

When we began to structure our Ethics and Compliance Programme, the first step was to get our house in order: understanding the business context, the leadership culture, and the alignment with the values we want to promote. Then, we developed a solid framework with clear policies, control processes, training, and periodic surveys. But we soon realised something fundamental: numbers don’t tell the whole story. The only way to truly measure the impact of an integrity program is through the voice of the people.

And we’re not just talking about surveys. We needed real, face-to-face conversations. This led to the initiative to implement directed interviews and focus groups, spaces where employees could freely express their perceptions, concerns, and experiences.

Identifying the Invisible Gap

After years of measuring results with internal surveys, we found a pattern: although the indicators showed progress, there was a persistent gap that was difficult to capture with traditional methods. Participation in surveys became inconsistent, and voluntary feedback was limited. To close that gap, we decided to reach out to teams, create meaningful dialogue spaces, and design more personalised action plans.

Listening Transforms

Organising individual interviews and focus groups with a representative sample of the organisation allowed us to obtain surprising findings. In a safe environment and with strategically structured questions (from general to specific), we were able to measure the credibility of the programme, the willingness of employees to adhere to it, and the obstacles they faced in their daily lives to act with integrity and transparency.

This not only helped us strengthen trust in the Ethics Line but also opened doors to review operational processes, reinforce communication channels, and empower teams to propose solutions. People didn’t just want to be heard; they wanted to be part of the change.

Challenges and Learnings

The biggest challenge was ensuring the active participation of employees and managing their expectations. The conversations exposed us to a diversity of situations, which forced us to delve into the context of each area and meticulously document each concern. Only then could we transform the findings into concrete actions with real and measurable impact. Results That

Speak

Thanks to this initiative, in a large-scale application within the company:

• We increased trust in reporting cases to the Ethics Line by 40%.
• We improved the consistency of reported cases by 50%.
• We achieved greater relevance within the business by actively participating in improvements that optimized internal management.
• We strengthened cooperation between areas and the visibility of the compliance team. And most importantly: we now know that employees value these listening spaces and request that they be repeated periodically.

Integrity as the Foundation of Our Culture

At Tigo Paraguay , we believe that technology and innovation not only serve to connect people but also to improve lives and strengthen communities. To achieve this, we must persevere in integrity and do things right, always. We will continue to drive initiatives like this because when we listen to our people, we build a stronger and more transparent company.

?? To learn more about us, visit: www.millicom.com | www.tigo.com.py