Five ways to drive ethics at the workplace

TEXT: ET Bureau, Brinda Dasgupta

Workplaces of the future must be built upon a strong sense of ethics, which would govern not just organisational processes but also employee behaviour and interactions, as well as workplace culture.

Here are the suggestions from experts on how senior management can guide a stronger sense of ethics within the organisation.

Walk the Talk

Employees will be more inspired towards ethical behaviour if they see senior leaders championing it.

"It's important for top management to be seen as ambassadors for strong values and ethics. This will ensure employees look up to them as role models and modify their own behaviour accordingly," says Parag Pande, managing director-HR, Accenture India.

Be Fair in Organisational Processes

Leaders play a crucial role in creating and nurturing an ethics-based work culture. "Demonstrate fairness and trust at all times in key organisational processes like appraisals/rewards, manner of dealing with code of conduct violations, as well as content and tone of organisational communication," says Deodutta Kurane, group president-human capital management, Yes Bank.

Organise Workshops

Employee newsletters can be beneficial towards the cause of driving ethics but senior management should go a step further. "Periodic training and workshops focused on the nuances of ethical behaviour, mutual respect and integrity can go a long way in having a meaningful impact," says Pande.

Articulate Norms

There may be a general understanding of acceptable and appropriate behaviour, integrity and trust, accountability, teamwork, mutual respect and commitment among employees. ​

"Organisational leadership should nevertheless codify each one of these aspects in an employee manual or a code of conduct for the purpose of easy reference and formalisation," says Kurane. 

"There can be specific guidelines laid down addressing subjects like prevention of sexual harassment, insider trading, protection of intellectual property and confidentiality," he adds.

Communicate with Teams

"Senior management must consistently and frequently reaffirm the message of workplace ethics in all their communications to teams; these messages need to be backed by actions in congruence with the workplace ethics norms," says Kurane. 

"Encouraging teams to speak up about various issues, welcoming opinion and respecting confidentiality can also be a great way to drive ethics through inspiring trust," says Pande.

Source:-The Economic Times