ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

PROJECT REPORT ON
ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND
SELECTION
SUBMITTED TO: -
SUBMITTED BY:
PROF.SATINDER KUMAR ANUPREET
GREWAL
PROFESSOR (SEMINAR) MBA-

2
nd
(A)
PUNJABI UNIVERSITY PATIALA ROLL NO-2!"


PATIALA
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Abstract
Human resource management deals with manpower planning and development related
activities in an organization. It is that branch of management where ethics really matter, since
it concerns human issues specially those of compensation, development, industrial relations
and health and safety issues. Discussions in ethics in HRD stem from employee relationships
and whether or not there can be a standard for the same. Employee rights and duties and
freedom and discrimination at the workplace are the maor issues discussed . !or e"ample,
right to privacy, right to be paid in accordance with the work #fair compensation$ and right to
privacy are some areas that cannot be compromised upon. Human Resource %anagement is a
business function that is concerned with managing relations between groups of people in their
capacity as employees, employers and managers. Inevitably, this process may raise &uestions
about what the respective responsibilities and rights of each party are in this relationship, and
about what constitutes fair treatment. 'hese
&uestions are ethical in nature. Ethics set social behavior in the track of personal morality.
(usiness ethics is supposed to set the business behavior on the track of fairness, ustice and
e&uity. )orporate *overnance is responsible for setting business behavior on ethical line. 'he
paper focuses on ethics in HR. It also aims to discuss the corporate governance, ethical
standards and the ethical issues in HR.
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INTRODUCTION TO HR
Human resource management deals with manpower planning and development related
activities in an organization. 'he Human Resource Department has evolved from a personnel
administration department to a personnel development department. It ensures the recruitment
of value driven people to ethically critical positions.
Human Resource %anagement is a business function that is concerned with managing
relations between groups of people in their capacity as employees, employers and managers.
Inevitably, this process may raise &uestions about what the respective responsibilities and
rights of each party are in this relationship, and about what constitutes fair treatment. 'hese
&uestions are ethical in nature, and this chapter will focus on debates about the ethical basis
of human resource management. Despite these moral appreciations of human resource
management #HR%$, there is a strong tradition in business that insists that business should
not be concerned with ethics. +s %ilton !riedman, a vociferous proponent of this position,
has put it,- 'he social responsibility of business is to its shareholders. . . . 'he business of
business is business- #./01$. 'he core concern of business 2 proponents of the market
economy argue 2 is in attempting to secure the best possible return on any investment. +ny
dilution of this focus will lead to the corruption of what is a finely balanced system.
(usinesses that seek to be 3ethical- as well as profitable will probably fail economically,
following which the whole community may suffer. Rather, let the invisible hand guide the
market and all will prosper. 4ike some evolutionary force, the best will always survive.
5ealth will trickle down from successful enterprises, and humanity will be best served. +ny
constraint on the freedoms of the market 2 be they motivated by ethical angst or vote6seeking
government policy 2 will ust mess everything up.
(usiness houses, right from the inception of human race, have been regarded as constructive
partners in the communities in which they operate. 'hough they have been instrumental in
creating employment, wealth, products and services, yet the pressure on business to play a
role in social issues involving employees, stakeholders, society, environment, government
etc. is continuously increasing.
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HR ETHICAL ISSUES
Ethical issues abound in HR activities. +reas of ethical misconduct in the personnel function
include employment, remuneration and benefits, labour relations, health and safety, training
and development, and HRI7 #hr ethical issues).
Cash and incentives plans
'his includes base salaries, annual incentive plans, long term incentive plans, e"ecutive
per&uisites, and separation agreements.
Base salaries
'he HR function is often presumed to ustify a higher level of base salaries, or a higher
percentage increase than what competitive practice calls for. In some cases, pressure is
e"erted to re6evaluate the position to a higher grade for the purpose of ustifying a larger than
normal increase.
Annual incentive plan
'he HR manager is often forced to design and administer top6management incentive plans, at
higher raters than what the individuals deserve. + common rationale presented to the HR
e"ecutive for bending the rules is the fear of losing the outstanding e"ecutives, if higher
incentives are not paid.
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Lon!ter" incentive plan
8ust as with annual incentive plan, many HR e"ecutives have the responsibility of designing
and administering the firm-s long term incentive plans, but in consultation with )E9 and an
e"ternal consultant. Ethical issues arise when the HR e"ecutive is put to pressure to favour
top management interests over those of other employees an investors.
E#ecutive per$uisites
E"ecutive per&uisites make the ethical standard of the HR e"ecutive difficult because their
cost is often out of proportion to the value added. !or e"ample a story relates to (angalore 2
based ,losing making public sector undertaking whose )E9 spend :1 lakh to get swimming
pool built at his residence.
%er&or"ance Appraisal
;erformance appraisal lends itself to ethical issues. +ssessment of an individual-s
performance is based on observation and udgment. HR manager are e"pected to observe the
performance in order to udge its effectiveness. Ethics should be the cornerstone of
performance evaluation, and the overall obective of high ethical performance reviews should
to provide an honest assessment of the performance and mutually develops a plan to improve
the rate-s effectiveness.
Race' (ender' Ae' and Disa)ilit*
'he practice of treatment of employees according to their race, ethnic origin, se", or
disability has largely been stopped. + framework of laws and regulations has evolved that has
significantly improved work place behaviour. <o enterprise today dare to publicly state it
denies minorities, woman, and the disable opportunities for employment, remuneration, and
growth prospects different from those given to others. In this environment the role of HR
function is to,
%onitor the principles and norms of the enterprise to ensure that they reflect the values of
the society as e"pressed in its law.
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%onitor the selection, rewards, development and, the appraisal system to ensure that they are
consistent with the principles and norms.
vigorously pursue violations and, when necessary, vigorously work to defend the enterprise
against unfounded allegations.
E"plo*"ent Issue
5hile discrimination and harassment situation receives mort publicity, HR practitioners are
more likely to face ethical dilemmas in the areas of employee hiring. 9ne challenge
commonly encountered is pressure to hire a relative or a friend of a highly placed e"ecutive.
+nother area related to employment is that of faked credentials submitted by a ob applicant.
5hile discovery of this kind of fabrication usually leads to termination of the employment,
the choice becomes difficult when the applicant has a blend of skills set and a proven track
record with his or her previous employers.
%rivac* issues
;rivacy issues to protecting a person-s private life from intrusive and unwarranted actions.
'he employee believes that his or her religious, political, and social believes as well as
personal life style are private matters and should be safe guarded from being snooped or
analysed. E"ceptions are permitted grudgingly only when ob involvement is clearly
involved. !or e"ample, it may not be inappropriate to intrude into an employee-s private
matter if it is suspected that he or she discusses with competitor, through email messages, the
specification of newly developed product not yet launched into the market.
Sa&et* and health
%uch of the industrial work is hazardous. 'his is because of the e"tensive use of high speed
and noisy machinery, production processes re&uiring high temperature, an increasing reliance
on chemical compounds .+ccidents, inuries and illnesses are likely to occur under these
circumstances. 9ver past decade, new categories of accident and illness have emerged,
including the fast growing ob safety problem of office inuries.
Restructurin and La*o&&s
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Restructuring and conse&uent layoffs have become relevant because of poor management, but
incompetence does not become unethical. 'here are ethical implications in the process by
which termination decisions are made and actions taken.
!or e"ample if restructuring re&uires closing a plant, the process by which that plant is
chosen ,how the news will be communicated ,and the time frame for completing the layoffs
are ethically important .If conducted in an atmosphere of fairness and e&uity and with dignity
of the affected individuals in mind, the action is ethical.
Ethical Dile""as
7everal ethical dilemmas comfort an HR manager. 'he ethical dilemmas arise from three
sources6faces to face ethics, policy ethics, and functional area ethics.
+ace to &ace ethics
'hese arise mainly because there is a human element in most business transactions. (usiness
is composed of this human transaction= it should not be surprising that face to face ethical
dilemmas arise often. It is likely that the &uality assurance man overlooks minor defects and
approves a lot delivered by a supplier because of the personal relationship that the two enoy.
Corporate polic* ethics
)ompanies are often faced with ethical dilemmas that affect their operations across all
departments and divisions. 'he conse&uences of employment contraction in labour intensive
basic industries because of the improved methods of production .%odern technology has
replaced older methods of production which has in turn resulted in hundreds being obless.
'he ethical burden of deciding corporate policy matters normally rests upon a company-s HR
management. 'he Hr manager and directors are responsible for making policies and
implementing them too. 'he ethical content of their policies can have enormous impact
throughout the company. It can set an ethical tone and send right signals to all employees as
well as e"ternal stakeholder.
+unctional area Ethics
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!unctional area of a business is likely to comfort ethical issues. +ccounting is a critical
function of any business. +ccounting statements reveals to the manager and owner the
financial soundness of a company. %anagers, investors, regulating agencies, ta" collectors
and trade unions rely on accounting data to make decisions. Honesty, integrity accuracy are
absolute re&uirements of the accounting functions.
+ccount standard ensure a high level of honest an ethical accounting disclosure. Ethical
dilemmas crop up in purchasing departments where strong pressure is to obtain the lowest
possible prizes from suppliers and where too felt similar need it bag lucrative contracts.
(ribes, kickbacks, and discriminating pricing are temptation to both parties.
'here are many definitions for ethics, +ccording to )ompton #:110$, ethics means a system
of moral principles= the rules of conduct recognized= the rightness and wrongness of certain
actions. (ut there is only one clear, consistent guideline for incorporating ethical practices
when presenting, Ethical conduct starts with the ;resenter. In this research, the main aim is to
show that when presenting certain issues to adult learners, an instructor or HR specialists
according )ompton #:110$ are e"pected to,
6%ake ethics a priority=
67et a good e"ample of ethical conduct=
6>eep commitments=
6 (e sensitive to culture, beliefs, and environment of the learners.
6)onsider ethics in decision making.
Ethical issues are rarely simple to adhere to because individuals? ethical sensitivities vary,
program presenters need to evaluate individual cases to ensure protocols are followed=
*oldman #:11@$. It is actually not easy, but it is important. Ethics is a social construction=
there is no real line between right and wrong. 7ocieties, as groups, develop basic ethical
values, which individuals use to determine whether actions between societal members and
others are right or wrong #e.g., ethical or unethical$. 7ocietal institutions, such as religion,
schools, and organizations, help shape individual determinants of ethical behavior. However,
each individual has different ethical practices and principles that are based on underlying
values #4awrence, 5eber and ;ost, :11A$.
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How does an adult educator unpack ethical issues within mentoring conte"ts, especially when
those issues nest in interpersonal relationshipsB + variety of uncomfortable situations may
arise, !irst, ;resenters may be friendly with their learners, but friendships between presenters
and learners are tricky and have the potential to hurt both parties involved.
Human Resources professionals are responsible for several roles in the workplace, including
implementing and managing policies, recruiting and retention, and training and development.
'he HR department is responsible for making sure that organizations conduct business
ethically and that shareholders are treated ethically.
'he HR department must be able to monitor compliance with federal and state laws and
regulations as well as monitor the conduct of the organization. Implementing and managing
policies is ust one piece of the HR and ethics relationship, the HR professional must also
conduct themselves in an ethical manner. 'his paper will e"amine the role that human
resources plays in organizational ethics, and how important HR functions are to
organizationalethics.
In business ethics can define as the ability and willingness to reflect on values of an
organizations decision6making process, and determine how the values of the organization and
the decisions of the organization affect stakeholders.
Human Resources %anagement primary responsibility is to develop practices that will
enhance an organization-s competitive advantage over other organizations in the same
market. Human Resources also have a responsibility to ensure that their organization
conducts business ethically and that shareholders are treated ethically. (usiness decisions,
and policies that are implemented have ethical conse&uences and HR should have input in all
business transactions. Human Resources professionals have many roles concerning ethics in
the workplace, monitoring, observing actions of the organizations members, investigation,
investigating complaints concerning ethical issues, and spokesperson, ethics advocate,
leadingbye"ample.
CEthics is integrally related to the contributions of HR because wherever two people e"ist in a
relationship, ethical issues are presentD
5ikipedia defines ethics as Eelements of professional practice that are part of dispute
resolution or which have some great potential for, bodily harm, urban planning, medicine,
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law, politics and theories of civics 'oday when a person turns on the news all they hear about
is the ethical crises making the headlines. )ompanies have to protect themselves from ethical
issues like embezzlement, fraud, or misuse of company products or services. +n ethics
statement e"plains how a business operates. 'he obective of the ethics statement is to ensure
that the highest standards of ethical behaviour is practiced while conducting business and
ultimately acting in the best interest the company. + large part of a Human Resource
professional?s role is to be strategic business partners.
%ost people are disgusted with the state of ethics in +merica. 'hey are sick of dishonesty
and unethical dealings by both the company and its employees. +n ethical dilemma can be
defined as an undesirable or unpleasant choice relating to a moral principle or practice. 9ne
problem is that ethics is never a business issue or a social issue or a political issue 6 it is
always a personal issue. ;eople say they want integrity, but at the same time, ironically, the
maority of people do not always act with the integrity they e"pected from others. 5hat do
we do in such situationsB Do we do the easy thing or the right thingB !or e"ample, what
should I do when a clerk gives me too much changeB 5hat should I say when a convenient
lie can cover a mistakeB How far should I go in my promises to win a clientB +s human
beings, we seem prone to fail personal ethics tests. %any people believe that embracing
ethics would limit their options, their opportunities, and their very ability to succeed in
business.
8ohn %a"well, in the first chapter of E'here?s <o 7uch 'hing +s E(usinessE Ethics, 'here?s
9nly 9ne Rule !or %aking DecisionsE titled E5hatever Happened to (usiness EthicsBE says
that most people are disgusted with the state of ethics in +merica, and are sick of dishonesty
and unethical dealings by both the company and its employees #:11F$. 9ne of the definitions
of an ethical dilemma states that it is undesirable orGand unpleasant choice relating to a moral
principle or practice. 9ne problem is that ethics is never a business issue or a social issue or a
political issue 6 it is always a personal issue. ;eople say they want integrity, but at the same
time, ironically, the maority of people do not always act with the integrity they e"pected
from others. 'he &uestion is 6 what should be done in such situationsB +nd what is it indeed6
the easy way or the right wayB !or instance, what should I do when a clerk gives me too
much changeB 7hould I lie in case there is a chance to cover a mistakeB Is there a limit in my
promises aiming to win a clientB +s human beings, we seem prone to fail personal ethics
tests.
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Ethical challenges abound in HR%. Each day, in the course of e"ecuting and communicating
HR decisions, managers have the potential to change, shape, redirect, and fundamentally alter
the course of other people?s lives. %anagers make hiring decisions that reward selected
applicants with salaries, benefits, knowledge, and skills, but leave the remaining applicants
bereft of these opportunities and advantages. %anagers make promotion decisions that
reward selected employees with raises, status, and responsibility, leaving other employees
wondering about their future and their potential.
%anagers make firing and lay6off decisions in order to improve corporate performance, all
the while harming the targeted individuals and even undermining the commitment and energy
of the survivors. Even when managers complete performance appraisals and deliver
performance feedback, they may inspire one employee and devastate another. !or each HR
practice, there are winners and there are losers, those who get the ob, or receive a portfolio
of benefits, and those who do not. It is therefore a reality of organizational life that managers
engage in acts that harm people. 'hese tasks have important conse&uences for individuals,
organizations, and society. +lthough individuals might prefer to avoid per forming them
altogether #(azerman, 'enbrunsel, and 5ade6(enzoni .///= !olger and 7karlicki .//@=
'esser and Rosen ./0A$, failure to accomplish these tasks threatens the greater good for
which they are intended.
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9ne of the main reasons behind successful businesses failing, profitably running businesses
suffering from a downfall and some effective corporations seeing a great fall in their profits
and popularity is due to the lack of business ethics. + true understanding of the right and
wrong and the ability to distinguish between them is ethics. Ethics is an important part of life
and running a successful business is no e"ception to this.
(usiness Ethics
5hat is ethicsB Ethics are moral principles that govern a persons or groups behavior.
(usiness Ethics can be defined as written and unwritten codes of principles and values that
govern decisions and actions within a company. (usiness Ethics can also be used to
describe the actions of individuals within an organization, as well as the organization as a
whole.
Ethics is one of the most important things that need to be addressed in running a business.
5hen businesses discuss ethics it usually consists of, avoid breaking any criminal law-s in
one-s work6related activity, avoid actions that may result in civil lawsuits against the
company, and avoid actions that make the company image look bad. 'he failure to
understand business ethics can lead to a business closing down or getting sued. It can also
lead to a bad reputation, inury, or even death.
!or a business to achieve long6term profits, customer relationship is of utmost importance.
+ business must be based on ethics in order to gain a long 2term relationship with the
customer. 5hen a customer trusts a company they will continue to do business with them,
as well as tell family and friends about the service.
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
INTRODUCTION
Ethics are the principles or standards that guide day6to6day business activities in accordance
with established corporate values. Ethical business conduct offers a wide range of
organizational integrity, involving strategy, business goals, policies and activities. +mong
ethical values are trust, respect, honesty, responsibility and the overall pursuit of perfection.
RECRUITMENT, refers to the processes followed by organisations when they wish to
attract applicants for vacant or new positions.
SELECTION, follows the recruiting process with the appointment of the most suited
applicant to the position.
Ethics in the field of hiring, staffing and recruitment is based on a combination of things
and depends on who is actually involved in the hiring process. )ertainly the ob searcher,
hiring manager and recruiter are ust three possible people involved in a hiring decision.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Recruitment refers to the process of finding possible candidates for a ob or function,
undertaken by recruiters. It may be undertaken by an employment agency or a member of
staff at the business or organization looking for recruits. +dvertising is commonly part of the
recruiting process, and can occur through several means, through newspapers, using
newspaper dedicated to ob advertisement, through professional publication, using
advertisements placed in windows, through a ob centre, through campus interviews etc.
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Recruitment is understood as the process of searching for and obtaining applicants for obs
from among whom the right people can be selected. Recruitment is the process of locating H
attracting &ualified candidates for 8ob vacancies within an organization. It is the two way
process= it satisfies the organization strategic re&uirement It helps candidates to assess the
ob, the organization and whether they meet the position re&uirement.
SELECTION! is the process of carefully screening the candidates to choose the most
suitable persons for the ob vacancies to be filled. Inder it the &ualifications, e"perience and
background of applicants are evaluated in the light of ob re&uirements. It is the process of
dividing the candidates into two categories, namely #a$ those who are to be employed, and #b$
those who are to be reected. It is called a negative process because unsuitable candidates are
eliminated or reected in order to identify the suitable candidates. 'he number of candidates
reected is much more than those actually selected. %oreover, tests, interviews and other
techni&ues of selection are more reliable for reection of unsatisfactory candidates than for
identifying the ideal candidates. 7election is always done after recruitment. 'he basic purpose
of selection is to choose the right type of candidates to fill various positions in the
organisation.
7election is a multistep process. It involves a series of steps by which candidates are screened
to identify the most suitable persons for the ob. 7election is a difficult process as it involves
discretion and udgement. 'he selectors have to find out the best possible fit between the ob
and the candidate. 'he candidates who meet the ob re&uirements in the most satisfactory
manner are finally selected.
IM%ORTANCE O+ SELECTION!
7election is an important function of personnel management. Errors committed at the time of
selection may prove very costly. If the selection process is faulty, unsuitable candidates are
appointed. +s a result, the efficiency of the organisation goes down. 7uch persons shirk work
and absent themselves from work &uite fre&uently. 'hey may ultimately leave their obs. 'his
leads to waste of time and money spent on their selection and training. ;roper selection and
placement of personnel are essential for building up a suitable work6force. It helps to improve
the efficiency of operations and the morale of employees. 'he rates of labour turnover and
absenteeism can be kept low through proper selection of employees. 7election of the right
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person for each ob helps to improve the &uantity and &uality of performance. It also assists in
minimising wastage and cost of resources. ;roper selection helps in building up a competent
and satisfied work force.
5hen right type of candidates is selected for all obs, work efficiency and ob satisfaction
will be high. Rates of labour turnover and absenteeism will be low. 9nce wrong persons are
selected and made permanent in their obs it is very difficult to terminate them. 7uch persons
become a great liability to the enterprise. 'he performance of a manager depends partly on
his subordinates. Employees without necessary skills and attitudes will do a poor ob. 'he
performance of management and the company will suffer. ;roper selection is also important
because costs of recruitment and selection are high.
Recruitment and selection process held an important role for building a strong sales force
performance. 'his process re&uires the company to invest through human capital as an
important resource. 'he obective of this process is searching for &ualified candidates to fulfil
the right positions and hopes that they can make long6run returns for the company. Even
though there is no right or wrong way how the company chooses the right candidates for
certain positions, every single step in recruiting and selecting candidates should be taken
carefully in order to get the right person in the right position.
'here are few problems associated with inade&uate implementation of recruitment and
selection process such as ,
.. Inade&uate sales coverage and lack of customer follow6up
:. Increased training costs to overcome deficiencies
F. %ore supervisory problems
J. Higher turnover rates
A. Difficulty in establishing enduring relationships with customers
K. 7uboptimal total sales force performance
'he company that acknowledge these problems, tries to minimise it and set their own
approach, therefore the process of recruiting and selecting people would differ from one to
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another company. It depends on type of industry, the size of the company, company-s
activities, and the needs of the company such as the goals of the company which will be
achieved in a certain period of time, short term or long term profits and the sustainable
growth of the company.
In its process, clear defined of ob &ualifications and ob descriptions will help the company
to ac&uire the right person in the right position. 'his will make the recruiter-s ob easier to
find the most suitable person for the company because it limits and narrow down the number
of applicant based on certain re&uirement of the company.
'oday, in every organisation personnel planning as an activity is necessary. It is an important
part of an organisation. Human Resource ;lanning is a vital ingredient for the success of the
organisation in the long run. 'here are certain ways that are to be followed by every
organisation, which ensures that it has right number and kind of people, at the right place and
right time, so that organisation can achieve its planned obective.
'he obectives of Human Resource Department are Human Resource ;lanning,
Recruitment and 7election, 'raining and Development, )areer planning, 'ransfer and
;romotion, Risk %anagement, ;erformance +ppraisal and so on. Each obective needs
special attention and proper planning and implementation.
!or every organisation it is important to have a right person on a right ob. Recruitment
and 7election plays a vital role in this situation. 7hortage of skills and the use of new
technology are putting considerable pressure on how employers go about Recruiting and
7electing staff. It is recommended to carry out a strategic analysis of Recruitment and
7electionprocedure.
5ith reference to this conte"t, this paper is been prepared to put a light on Recruitment and
7election process. 'his paper includes %eaning and Definition of Recruitment and 7election,
<eed and ;urpose of Recruitment, Evaluation of Recruitment ;rocess, Recruitment 'ips.
7ources of recruitment through which an 9rganization gets suitable application. 7cientific
Recruitment and 7election, which an 9rganization should follow for,right manpower. 8ob
+nalysis, which gives an idea about the re&uirement of the ob. <e"t is 7election process,
which includes steps of 7election, 'ypes of 'est, 'ypes of Interview, )ommon Interview
;roblems and their 7olutions. +pproaches to 7election, 7cientific 7election ;olicy, 7election
in India and problems.
Recruitment and 7election are simultaneous process and are incomplete without each other.
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ETHICAL ISSUES IN RECRUITIN(
L 9rganisations comprise employees who need respect as people.
L 7treamlining has lead to downsizing or right6sizing of organisations. 'hose
employees who are left behind often mistrust management and feel insecure about
their own obs.
L 8ob insecurity can result in stress for the employee which increases the likelihood of
mistakes being made or accidents occurring
L +s organisations become more comple" with fewer employees, legislative
re&uirements become crucial to maintain the psychological well6being of employees.
L 4egislative re&uirements include, EE9 legislation, +ffirmative +ction legislation,
5orker-s )ompensation +cts and Regulations and so on.
L Discriminatory recruitment practices may inhibit the success of women or people
from minority backgrounds, but also older applicants.
CODE O+ ETHICS +OR EM%LO-ERS!
'reat all obseekers e&ually
<o discrimination based on race, origin, religious or political views, gender, age or
se"ual orientation Do not re&uest 8obseekers to include their photos in the resume
Rely only on relevant and ob6related information when making hiring decisions
CODE O+ ETHICS +OR .OBSEE/ERS!
Ensure Resume accuracy
+ccept and e"pect employment history verification
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+ssume personal responsibility for publishing resume, pictures and other.
DISCRIMINATION IN EM%LO-EMENT ON THE BASIS O+
UTILIT-' RI(HTS' AND .USTICE!
'he arguments mustered against discrimination generally fall into three groups namely
utilitarian, rights, ustice.
UTILIT- , 'he standard utilitarian argument against racial and se"ual
discrimination is based on the idea that a society-s productivity will be optimized to
the e"tent that obs are awarded on the basis of competency. Different obs, the
argument goes, re&uire different skills and personality traits if they are to be carried
out in as productive manner as possible. !urthermore, different people have different
skills and personality traits. )onse&uently, to ensure that obs are ma"imally
productive, they must be assigned o those individuals whose skills and personality
traits &ualify them as the most competent for the ob.
Insofar as obs are assigned to individuals on basis of other criteria unrelated to
competency, productivity must necessarily decline. Discriminating among ob
applicants on the basis of race, se", religion, or other characteristics unrelated to ob
performance is necessarily inefficient and, therefore , contrary to utilitarian principles.
RI(HTS, <on utilitarian arguments against racial and se"ual discrimination may
take the approach that discrimination is wrong because it violates a person-s basic
moral rights. >antian theory for e"ample, holds that human beings should be treated
as ends and never as means. +t a minimum, this principle means that each individual
has moral right to be treated as a free person e&ual to any other person and that all
individuals have a correlative moral duty to treat each individual as a free and e&ual
person.
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Discriminatory practices violate the principle in two ways. !irst, discrimination is
based on the belief that one group is inferior to the other groups, that blacks, for
e"ample, are less competent or worthy of respect than men. Racial and se"ual
discrimination, for instance, may be based on stereotypes that see minorities as Clazy
or CshitlessD and see women as CemotionalD and CweekD such degrading stereotypes
undermine the self esteem of those groups against whom stereotypes are directed and
thereby violate their right to be treated as e&uals. 7econd discrimination places the
member of group that are discriminated against in lower social and economic
position, women and minorities have fewer ob opportunities and are given lower
salaries. +gain, the right to be treated as a free ob and e&ual person is violated.
.USTICE , + second group of non utilitarian arguments against discrimination
view it is as a violation of the principle of ustice. C7ocial and economic ine&ualities
are to be arranged so that they are attached to offices and positions open to all under
conditions of fair e&uality of opportunity.
DISCRIMINATOR- %RACTICES!
Regardless of the problem inherent in some of the arguments against discrimination, it is
clear that there are strong reasons for holding that discrimination is wrong. It is conse&uently
understandable that the law has gradually been changed to conform to these moral
re&uirements and that there has been a growing recognition of the various ways in which
discrimination in employment occurs. +mong the practices now widely recognized as
discriminatory are the following.
RECRUITMENT %RACTICES
!irms that rely solely on the word6of6mouth referrals of present employes to recruit new
workers tend to recruit only from those racial and se"ual groups that are already represented
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
in their labour force. 5hen a firm-s labour force is composed of only white males, this
recruitment policy will tend to discriminate against minorities and women. +lso, when
desirable ob positions are only advertised in media that are not used by minorities or women
or are classified as for men only, recruitment will also tend to be discriminatory.M
SCREENIN( %RACTICE
8ob &ualification are discriminatory when they are not relevant to the ob to be performed.
+ptitude or intelligence tests used to screen applicants become discriminatory when they
serve to dis&ualify members from minority culture who are unfamiliar with the language,
concepts, and social situations used in the tests but who are in fact fully &ualified for the ob.
8ob interviews are discriminatory if the interviewer routinely dis&ualifies women and
minorities by relying on se"ual or racial stereotypes. 'hese stereotypes may include
assumptions about the sort of occupations CproperD for women, the sort of work and time
burdens that may fittingly be Cimposed- on women, the ability of women or minority person
to maintain CcommitmentD to ob, the propriety of putting women in CmaleD environments,
the assumed effects women or minorities would have on employee morale or on customers,
and the e"tent to which women or minorities are assumed to have personality and aptitude
traits that make them unsuitable for a ob. 7uch generalizations about women or minorities
are not only discriminatory, they are also false.
%ROMOTION %RACTICES
;romotion, ob progression, and transfer practice are discriminatory when employers place
white males on ob tracks separate from those open to women and minorities. 7eniority
systems will be discriminatory if past discrimination has eliminated minorities and women
from the higher, more senior positions on the advancement ladder. 'o rectify the situation,
individuals who have specifically suffered from discrimination in seniority system should be
given their rightful place in the seniority system and provide with whatever training is
necessary for visors, promotion policy will be discriminatory to the e"tent that supervisory
rely on racial or se"ual stereotypes.
CONDITIONS O+ EM%LO-MENT
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
5ages and salaries are discriminatory to the e"tent that e&ual wages and salaries are not
given to people who are doing essentially the same work. If past discrimination or present
cultural traditions result in some ob classification being disproportionately filled with
women or minorities steps should be taken to make their compensation and benefits
comparable to those of other classification.
DISCHAR(E
!iring an employee on the basis of race or se" is a clear form of discrimination. 4ess balatant
but still discriminatory are layoff policies that rely on a seniority system, in which women
and minorities have the lowest seniority because of past discriminations.
SE0UAL HARASSMENT
5omen are victims of a particularly troublesome kind of discrimination that is both overt and
coercive, 'hey are subected to se"ual harassment. +lthough males are also fre&uent victims.
!or all acknowledge fre&uency, se"ual harassment still remains difficult to define and to
police and prevent.in ./0@, the E&ual Employment opportunity commission published a set
of CguidelinesD defining se"ual harassment and setting out what, in its view, was prohibited
by the law.in their current form, the guidelines state,
Inwelcome se"ual advances, re&uests for se"ual favours and other verbal or physical
contacts os se"ual nature constitute se"ual harassment #.$ when submission to such
individuals made either e"plicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual
employment,#submission to or reection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis
for employment decision affecting such individual, #F$ such conduct has the purpose or effect
of unreasonably interfering with an individual-s work performance or creating an
intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
Ho1 can 1e pro"ote ethical practices
How can we promote ethical practices within our field and reduce the negative stigma
attached to the ?headhunter?B +s there is no policing agency that oversees recruiting practices,
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
ethics must be self6enforced. Ethical behavior begins with the definition of roles and
responsibilities when interacting with candidates, clients, and other recruiters. 9ne of the
ways in which recruiters can foster an ethical relationship from the outstart is by creating a
mission statement or ethical code that emphasizes key values and guiding ethical practices.
Ensuring that agreements are in writing can resolve complicated issues more &uickly, both
protecting your interests and allowing you to be upfront in relationships.
+dditionally, it is important to e"amine what is occurring around you. Detecting and
effectively handling unethical behavior is central to maintaining upstanding business
practices. +lthough the bulk of this article places ethical responsibility on the recruiter, it is
important to remember that commitments are made from all sides when entering into the
hiring process.
)andidates must also grapple with ethical issues, being honest throughout the process, from
interviewing, to selection, to accepting an offer. %isinforming a recruiter to obtain an
interview or cinch the ob can place recruiters in compromising positions with clients. (oth
parties have a responsibility to maintain ethical standards.
'he benefits of ethical practices during each step of the hiring process are numerous.
Recruiters often build their client bases through referrals. (oth clients and candidates will
refer business to reliable, high6&uality recruiters. Ipon placement, candidates have no loyalty
to recruiters and poor practices may &uickly become public knowledge. +s in other
industries, we all have a responsibility to uphold the reputation of our profession. 9ur daily
business practices reveal a professional standard against which we all are measured. 5e
should use this daily opportunity to reflect a positive image.
+ brief review of why the selection decision is so difficult and hence why so many defensive
mechanisms are used, will both throw light on the subect and raise the ethical dimension
again. !irstly, the inherent difficulties in the selection decision. *iven that human beings are
comple" entities, and that all the mental activity that sits behind overt behaviour is invisible
to the observer, finding an obective way of define the capability available in the candidate is
a challenge from the start. *iven that organisations are ust groups of #comple"$ human
beings transacting together in a common cause 2 well, at least that-s the theoryN 2 then there
is a large e"tension to the level of comple"ity involved, and the ob of obectively defining
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
what is needed for success in a ob is possibly even more challenging than defining what is
available in candidates.
'hose two difficulties add up to a serious challenge for the knowledge and skills of the
person making the selection decision 6 this is the third challenge. 'here is, however, an
assumption in all of this that needs airing. It is about the obectives to be achieved through the
selection decision. If they are about fit with the culture and style of the business, that would
lead in a particular direction. If they are about fit with the rest of the management team, the
Direction would be different. If they are abut the new manager being able to proect the right
image of the company, that would lead to yet another different direction.
If the desire is for someone who will be a good team worker, and a safe pair of hands, the
direction would be different again. If the key is e"perience of the industry, and especially if
3good contacts- are the order of the day, then the direction shifts once more.
If thesis for someone who will be a good team worker, and a safe pair of hands, the direction
would be different again. If the key is e"perience of the industry, and especially if 3good
contacts- are the order of the day, then the direction shifts once more.
If these are the obectives, then there are a lot of tools and techni&ues out there, to assist with
the decision. 'hey range from the standard selection interview, through aptitude tests, critical
reasoning tests, psychometric inventories, emotional intelligence inventories and even
graphology, all the way through to ?motivation in action? profiles.
'he problem is that all of these tools and techni&ues only make sense if the obectives are as
suggested above. If, however, the obectives are rather more prosaic and useful, then the tools
and techni&ues noted above make no sense whatsoever. If there are selection obectives that
are grounded in reality, they will be all about whether or not the new manager will be able to
perform ade&uately in the ob 2 the performance obective.
5ill this person deliver the business results that are neededB (oth in output terms and in
terms of the resources consumed on the wayB Implicit in all this is the need to motivate and
carry people through the achievement of the business obectives, coping with comple"ity and
a rapidly changing environment along the way, as that is what managing is all about.
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
'he 3performance obective- reduces the focus of the selection decision down to skills and
only skills. +s there is no evidence of a causal relationship between personality, hand writing,
e"perience, aptitudes or any other characteristic assessed by the various 3state6of6the6art-
inventories out there, on the one hand, and the performance delivered by the assessed
manager, on the other, there is only one possible ustification left for using them. 'hat is the
defence mechanism noted above.
'hat raises the ethical dimension again. Is it ethical to rely on varieties of the standard
selection interview and defensive assessments, and ignore the skills issue that is central to
achieving re&uired business resultsB If the skills issue is ignored, then the manager making
the selection decision is playing Russian roulette with the candidate, and leaving that person
to suffer the conse&uences if the selection decision is wrong. Even worse, is when managers
making poor selection decisions punish the new manager twice.
!irst, is the transformation from success into failure= second is when the 3failing manager- is
fired by the very same manager who created the problem in the first place 2 by the poor
selection decision.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS, DECISION!MA/IN( AND EM%LO-MENT
Recruitment and selection is an area of decision6making that re&uires thorough attention,
accompanied by best practice guidelines to ensure that risks of corruption and unfair practices
are minimised. !ortunately, recruitment and selection decision6makers have a wide range of
material to guide their decision6making. 5ithin the 7outh +frican conte"t we have the
following material available to guide our decision6making in recruitment and selection.
+RAME2OR/ O+ LE(ISLATION AND /E- SET O+ 3ALUES CONCERNED
2ITH EM%LO-EMENT
+RAME2OR/ O+ LE(ISLATION!
'he following legislation applies to various stages in the recruitment, selection and placement
processes,
4abour Relations +ct KK of .//A
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
(asic )onditions of Employment +ct 0A of .//0 #updated$
Employment E&uity +ct
7kills Development +ct /0 of .//@ #updated$ and 7+O+
9ccupational Health and 7afety +ct
Inemployment Insurance !und +ct
;ensions !und +ct
Receiver of Revenue
7moking and 9ther 5orkplace 4egislation
%edical 7chemes +ct and Regulations
)odes of *ood ;ractice
;ublic Holidays +ct FA of .//J,amended by J@ of .//A;romotion of +ccess to
Information +ct
;romotion of E&uality and ;revention of Infair Discrimination +ct
;rotected Disclosures +ct Electronic )ommunications +cts
Insolvency +ct
<ational )redit +ct FJ of :11A
7outh +frican )onstitution and (ill of Rights
COM%AN- %OLIC-!
)ompany policy refers to guidelines, circulars, memoranda, policies and procedures
published by the relevant organisation and should be freely available on the Intranet of the
organisation.
BEST %RACTICE (UIDELINES IN RECRUITMENT AND
SELECTION!!
(est practice can be viewed as a well defined procedure, techni&ue, method, process, activity,
incentive or reward that is known to produce near optimum results. It is usually regarded as
more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other techni&ue, method, process,
etc. 5hen applied to a particular condition or circumstance. It also focuses on delivering the
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
best results with the least amount of effort, by applying procedures that have proven
themselves over time.
+ specific best practice guideline is generally applicable to a specific condition or
circumstance and can be modified for similar circumstances. (est ;ractice can transform or
mature as the industry discovers new developments.
Human is the most important resource to an organization. Issues associated with
human resources occur as a result of employees working together. 'hese issues are by
far the largest category of ethical dilemmas in business.
Recruitment or hiring process is the first step in selecting human resource into
an organization, and will significantly influence the successful performance of the
organization.
Ethics plays a very important role during the recruitment of new employees. 4aw
and regulations dictate that we have to be ethical in hiring. However, ethical hiring
practice goes beyond them as well.
It has been widely reported by many researchers that ethical hiring practices actually
result in better employees being recruited.
It is therefore important that sound ethical rules are followed when hiring a new
employee.
ETHICAL RULES TO BE +OLLO2ED B- AN OR(ANISATION
2HILE RECRUITIN( 4
It is o& vital i"portance that candidates are to )e selected )ased on "erits5
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Applicants are to )e hired )ased purel* on "erits such as 6no1lede' s6ills' and
a)ilit* in accordance to the needs o& the orani7ation5
I& a co"pan* provides an* special considerations' &or e#a"ple a&&ir"ative action'
1here certain roups are iven special considerations' these considerations
should )e 1ell stated in the co"pan*8s polic* state"ent5
In an* case' an* pre&erential treat"ent should )e one that is leall* allo1ed5
2hile pre&erential treat"ents to certain speci&ic roup "a* )e allo1ed' there
should )e no discri"ination to people &ro" an* other roup due to race' reliion'
ender' "arital or even prenanc* status5
Consistenc* and o)9ectivit* durin the recruit"ent process are ver* i"portant5
Criteria' includin an* chanes in the criteria' used &or evaluatin candidates
should )e stated and e#plained to order to avoid unnecessar* clai" o& )iasness in
the recruit"ent process5
O)9ective evaluation results in the )est e"plo*ees )ein recruited 1hile
consistenc* ensures hih "orale a"on e"plo*ees5
2hen 1e recruit ne1 e"plo*ees' 1e should tell the applicants a)out the true
state o& the orani7ation5
2e should not "islead the applicants5 In particular' the applicants should
)e told all pertinent in&or"ation' includin those in&or"ation that are not
pu)licl* 6no1n )ut that 1ill "ateriall* a&&ect the ne1 e"plo*ee8s &uture
e"plo*"ent prospect 1ith the orani7ation5
E0AM%LE!!5e can learn from the case involving ;hil %c)onkey. ;hil %c)onkey was
recruited but he was not aware that the company was in the process of being taken over
by another entity. 9ne year after oining the company he lost his ob with he new
company. He sued the company for with6holding important information from me during
the recruitment process. He won the case and was awarded P.1 million.
2e should never place "isleadin 9o) advertise"ent in order to et applications
i& 1e are o&&erin a 9o) contract di&&erent &ro" 1hat 1e advertised &or5
+or instance' i& 1e 1ant to enae independent contractors instead o& nor"al
salaried e"plo*"ent5
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
The reason 1h* 1e choose to enae independent contractors is that 1e do not
have to )e )urdened 1ith hih salar* cost &or e"plo*ees that are not co"petent'
)ut 1e are 1illin to co"pensate e"plo*ees accordin to per&or"ance5
2e should al1a*s state clearl* our ter"s o& e"plo*"ent5 In an* case' 1e do not
1ant to )e accused o& an* 9o) sca"5
2e have to )e e#tra care&ul 1hen 1e are recruitin e"plo*ees &ro"
orani7ations that have
"aterial dealin 1ith us include our suppliers' custo"ers and co"petitors5 I& 1e
are not care&ul ethical issues ver* da"ain to us can arise5
2hen 1e e"plo* so"e)od* &ro" our suppliers' the suppliers "a* &eel that 1e
have unethicall* poached their ood e"plo*ee5 A&ter all' it is throuh the
1or6in relationship 1e have 1ith the suppliers that 1e can to 6no1 the $ualit*
o& this e"plo*ee5
2hen 1e e"plo* so"e)od* &ro" our custo"ers 1e can )e accused o& returnin
&avor to that person5 This rule applies especiall* 1hen e"plo*in a &or"er senior
overn"ent e"plo*ee that has an in&luence on the a1ards o& contracts to an
orani7ation li6e *ours5
Also' )e care&ul not to e"plo* &or"er overn"ent e"plo*ees &or the purpose o&
lo))*in &or contracts &ro" their previous overn"ent depart"ents5 At least'
do not do so 1ithin the &irst t1o *ears o& the e"plo*ee leavin the overn"ent
service5
It is also not ver* 1ise to e"plo* so"e)od* &ro" our co"petitors )ecause 1e can
)e accused o& stealin trade secrets &ro" our co"petitors5 I& that e"plo*ee can
pass on his previous e"plo*er8s secrets unethicall*' 1hat is there to sop hi" &ro"
passin *our trade secrets to others:
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
/E- SET O+ 3ALUES
+ccording the Independent Commission against Corruption following are viewed as key
values that apply to Recruitment and 7election,
I"partialit*, all stages of the recruitment process should be impartial and 9bective
in its e"ecution
Accounta)ilit*, all stakeholders in the recruitment process should be accountable for
all their decisions and ensure proper record keeping to support such decisions
Co"petition, the pool of potential candidates must be ma"imised to the e"tent that it
is practicable and appropriate
Openness, factors impacting on recruitment and selection must be clear to all
stakeholders involved, and the decision6making processes should be transparent,
whil maintaining confidentiality with regards to the candidate
Interit*, recruitment and selection practices must be carried out in accordance with
relevant guidelines, codes or rules.
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
CASE STUDIES
'he following case studies illustrate some of the key values in the conte"t of various common
areas of complaint in recruitment and selection,
CASE STUD- ;, MA0IMISIN( THE +IELD
8oe has been acting as the I' manager for .@ months when it was decided to advertise the ob.
His Director prepared the advertisement without specifying any recruitment for &ualifications
or e"tensive e"perience in information technology, which had previously been part of the
selection criteria. 'he Director decided to advertise the ob internally. 8oe was the sole
applicant and was appointed to the position permanently without an interview.
REMAR/S,
Receiving one application does not mean that is necessarily the best person for the ob
2 but could indicate that the ob has not been advertised widely enough to ma"imise
the potential field of applicants.
;erceptions of favouritism may result if the ob that re&uires technical skill, tertiary
&ualifications or industry knowledge is advertised without re&uiring such
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
competencies. It may appear that the Director deliberately removed such selection
criteria that appeared previously, but may have precluded 8oe from getting the ob.
2HAT CAN BE DONE INSTEAD:
+cknowledge the importance of ma"imising the pool of applicants
7pecifying the &ualities sought from applicants, in addition to specific knowledge
re&uired,may broaden the field 2 e.g. instead of having knowledge of a specific act,
the candidate can show heGshe has the ability to interpret legislation.
Ensure that potential candidates are not discouraged from applying for a ob for
reasons other than the content of the ob advertisement= for e"ample, advertisements
placed in ournals to which few people have access or managers making statements
regarding the competitiveness or lack of competitiveness of applicants.
CASE STUD- <, %UTTIN( IT ALL ON %A%ER
= 2225ICAC5NS25(O35AU' <>>< ?
+ large 7tate *overnment department #International$ advertised to fill the position of
Director,)orporate 7ervices, reclassified in a recent evaluation of its 7enior E"ecutive
7ervice structure.'hree short6listed applicants were interviewed and the selection panel
offered 8ohn the ob.7hortly afterwards, the I)+) received a complaint alleging that 8ohn
knew he had been appointed to the position before the interviews were held and got the ob
because he had worked for the department before. 'he I)+) asked the department to report
on the matter.'he department wanted to prove the recruitment process was above board so its
Internal +uditor reviewed the files. He was surprised that the cull checklist did not show how
applicants met the selection criteria and that there were no notes from the interviews. He also
found that the selection panel report contained only the recommended applicant-s name and
the convenor-s signature #no date or title of the position, no recommended salary, no reasons
for recommendations and no eligibility list$.
'he selection panel claimed that 8ohn was not appointed to the position before the interview
and was clearly the best person for the ob. However, the +uditor found no evidence to
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
support this claim, making it difficult to assess the matter. )onse&uently, the department
could not satisfy the I)+) that the recruitment process was fair.
REMAR/S,
(etter record keeping would have supported the department-s claim that the process
had been all above board.
'he way staff is recruited sets the standard for induction and the culture of the
organisation.
2HAT CAN BE DONE INSTEAD:
7ound record keeping includes a selection report that includes the following,
7pecific assessment methods utilised
Reasons for the candidates- unsuitability and reasons for selectingG de6selecting prior
to the interview.
*eneral notes or comments on each applicant interviewed, with reference to each
selection criterion.
Establish the reasons for the successful applicant being chosen over the rest of the
pool of candidates.
Include names of referees who were contacted and include notes taken from referee
checks
<otes made by each member of the selection panel should be retained on the
recruitment, together with the selection report.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS, A MODEL O+ ETHICS +OR
THE EM%LO-MENT %ROCESS
Ethical Model, Recruit"ent @ Selection
Qan der 5esthuizen #in (rand, :11@, p.:1@$ states that there is an increase in appreciation for
ethics management and the positive economic impact it has on the performance of
organisations.
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
%HASE ;,
During phase one, a 9o) anal*sis is conducted to compile a ob description and ob
specification. 'he advertise"ent is then compiled based on criteria specified in the ob
description. It is essential that the method of advertising does not lead to discrimination or
e"clusion of applicants. 5hen considering initial applicants' they should be compared to the
minimum criteria in the advertisement. Eliminations are then done according to the
guidelines in the company recruitment and selection policy and procedures.
haseo) Anal*sisCo"pile
%HASE <,
During phase two, applications are ac6no1leded by sending out a letter to all the
applicants. Applications are screened based on criteria from the advertisement making use
of the same decision criteria for all the applications. 'hereafter, a reret letter is sent to
applicants that did not pass the initial screening.
%HASE A,
;hase three includes conducting intervie1s of all applicants that meet the criteria. 'he
interview should be asked the same &uestions of all applicants and should e"clude anything
discriminatory. 'he assess"ents are then conducted by using instruments that are valid and
reliable. +inal assess"ent scores and information from the interview are integrated for the
applicants. <e"t, &inal intervie1s are conducted with short6listed applicants and an offer is
made to the successful applicant. It is essential that all docu"entation relating to the
recruitment and selection process is completed accurately.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS, THE USE O+ %S-CHOMETRIC ASSESSMENTS
'he Health ;rofessions )ouncil of 7outh +frica regulates the health professions in the
Republic of 7outh +frica with regard to registration, education and training, professional
conduct and ethical behaviour. (elow are some ethical considerations pertaining to
psychometric assessments from their ethical guidelines document, !orm /J.
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
5hen making use of psychometric assessments, it is important that they are seen to be
one part of the selection process and are not solely relied on to make decisions
regarding the employment of an individual.
'he psychometric assessments should predict success in the work situation as
accurately as possible. 'hus it is critical that the professional conducting the
assessments has knowledge and understanding of the psychological instruments with
which they work.
'he psychometric assessments should be reliable and valid, and free from bias or
discrimination against any group of people. +ccording to the Employment E&uity +ct
<o. AA of .//@, psychometric testing and other similar assessments of an employee
are prohibited unless the test or assessment being used, #a$ has been scientifically
shown to be valid and reliable= #b$ can be applied fairly to employees= and #c$ is not
biased against any employee or group.
'he assessment process should be standardised and consistent to ensure that each
candidate being assessed go through e"actly the same process.
'he professional conducting the assessments should do so within the conte"t of a
professional relationship that is transparent.
Informed consent must be obtained from the individual undertaking the assessment,
informing them of the purpose of the assessments and how the results will be used.
'he confidentiality in terms of who will see the results should be clearly e"plained to
the candidate.
It is the responsibility of the professional to take the necessary steps to ensure that the
results of the assessment are not misused by others in any way. 'his would include
refraining from releasing the raw test results to any persons other than a &ualified
professional.
It is essential that the individual or client organisation to whom the results are
released, understands the ethical implications of how they should make use of the
results.
'he interpretation of results should include additional information that has any
bearing on the overall results pertaining to selection such as situational factors.
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
5hen communicating the results of the assessment to the client, the professional
should ensure that this is done in such a manner that the individual receiving the
results fully understands those results.
(usiness ethics e"ist to ensure that professionals will consider the interests of the
company above those of personal gain. In today-s scandalous business climate, there are
many concerns regarding ethical behavior. (usiness ;rofessor, 4inda 'revino, suggests that
strong leadership and management practices influence people much more than formal
training programs. 'he challenge facing HR departments is to find and develop individuals
who will be ethical leaders and mentors. 'his case study will e"amine the roles of senior
managers and the usefulness of mentoring to foster an ethical environment.
%entors do whatever is necessary to help their protRgRs careers. 'hey offer education and
counseling, but their biggest and most important ob is to be a role model. %anagement
behavior has the most impact on ethical standards in the workplace. 7enior E"ecutive
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
managers are responsible for creating an environment where people can see others being
treated fairly. 'hese managers must respond positively and in a timely matter to any ethical
concerns brought to them by employees. 'hey should also foster the positive environment
by rewarding people for acting ethically. 5hen workers feel that they are being treated
fairly and that their concerns are being heard, it will reinforce ethical behaviour in
themselves. In summary, senior managers need to be good mentors. 'hey should set a good
e"ample= be open and fair with everyone alike= and reward ethical behaviour. 'hese actions
will have the most success in fostering ethical employees.
Conclusion
Recruitment and selection form a vital function any business organization, since human
resource is treated as an asset of an organization, ethical issues governing recruitment and
selection has to be taken into cognizance while recruiting and selecting an employee for a
proposed ob.
8ob discrimination is the maor problem prevailing in many organization toady. 8ob
discrimination is the wrongful acts of distinguishing illicitly among people not on the basis of
individual merit, but on the basis of preudice or morally reprehensible attitude. 8ob
discrimination generally fall into three groups viz, utility, rights, ustice.
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ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Regardless of the problem inherent in some of the arguments against discrimination, it is
clear that there are strong reasons for holding that discrimination is wrong. It is conse&uently
understandable that the law has gradually been changed to conform to these moral
re&uirements and that there has been a growing recognition of the various ways in which
discrimination in employment occurs.
Discriminatory practices like se"ual harassment is another maor problem in many
organization, effective maors have been taken to tackle this issue but still the problem
prevails in many organization, effective measures have to be taken to get rid of these issue.
7o ethics in recruitment and selection has to be practicised in order to avoid ob
discrimination.
+osterin the perception o& &airness in the processes o& recruit"ent and hirin o&
people!
+or"al procedures
Interpersonal treat"ent
%rovidin e#planation
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