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Career Center’s Ten Tips for Job Search Success lists strong ethics as the num- ber one most desirable characteristic, advising candidates to “be honest with employers. This includes your online pro- file, résumé, and cover let- ter. Honesty is integral during the interviewing and job offer process.”

IDENTIFYING INTEGRITY IN A CANDIDATE

As in past years, JPI hiring managers say the conversa- tional interview format still ranks as the most common method for assess ing can- didates, with 73% reporting that they use the method. Thus, inter view skills that demonstrate honesty and integrity are critical to an applicant’s success. Hon-

tant trait for applicants at all experience levels. Re- spondents suggested they were most concerned with honesty, having received falsified résumés or having been lied to about a candi- date’s background in the past. A strong work ethic, self-motivation, and ac- countability follow integrity in importance for entry or mid-level positions. For senior-level posi-

tions, the characteristic of accountability ranked high, while abilities to make de- cisions and solve problems were next in importance. Hiring managers didn’t as- sign as much importance to higher-order traits of strategic perspective, busi- ness acumen, and global competence as prior-year respondents did. DePaul University

The report concludes that “hiring managers are able to find valuable skills and traits more easily than in prior years.”

INTEGRITY IS MOST IMPORTANT

This year’s JPI report shows that character traits rank higher than job skills. Pre- vious years’ surveys indi- cated that it was essential for all candidates to have integrity, but in 2015, in- tegrity was the most impor-

ETHICS

HIRING ETHICAL EMPLOYEES Hiring managers are increasingly prioritizing ethics-related character traits, such as integrity and accounta- bility, when evaluating job candidates. BY CURTIS C. VERSCHOOR, CMA, CPA

FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, the Ca-reer Advisory Board ofDeVry University has stud-ied the gaps between traitsand skills that employersare looking for in job candi-dates and the actual charac-teristics possessed by the applicants they meet. The 2015 Job Prepared- ness Indicator (JPI) surveyed 503 full-time hir- ing managers who screen and hire applicants with at least a college education.

esty in portraying a specific desirable outcome that re- sulted from a team effort is a better approach than list- ing achievements on a ré- sumé to emphasize single-handed accomplish- ments. For example, the statement, “Working to- gether with IT, my depart- ment was able to speed monthly closing time by three days” is preferable to “I was able to shorten monthly closing by three days.” Pre-employment tests

are used by 37% of JPI re- spondents and are available for a number of attributes, including integrity. The provider of one of the in- tegrity tests notes they are used “to evaluate an appli- cant’s honesty and trust- worthiness including attitudes towards risky workplace behavior, theft, lying and unethical behav- ior. Questions are designed to examine the applicant’s attitude and approach to- wards misuse of company resources, e-mail and Inter- net abuse, use of drugs and alcohol, trust with confi- dential information and personal responsibility.” Dependability is an-

other key element of em- ployee integrity that must be discussed in a successful interview. Management accounting and finance ap- plicants should be pre- pared to present a strong work ethic, including timely arrival at work, reg- ular attendance, disincli- nation to overuse sick days, and a desire to follow com- pany personnel policies.

ETHICAL CLIMATE

A key component of suc- cessful recruiting is assuring that a new hire fits into the ethical climate of the organ-

ization. Candidates for management accounting and financial management positions should prepare for an interview, whether by telephone or in person, by researching as much as pos- sible about the industry and the organization’s place in it, especially ethical practices and reputation. This work should be done well in ad- vance of an interview and followed up by questioning during the interview. A par- ticular area for discussion could be the company’s po- sition on sustainability and any related experience the candidate may have. It’s especially important

for candidates in finance positions to inquire about the organization’s code of conduct as well as the na- ture and frequency of ethics training provided. “Em- ployers want you to show that you’ve done your re- search and prepared for not only an interview, but also for a career in their com- pany and industry,” said Madeline Slutsky, Chair of the Advisory Board. “In today’s job market, candi- dates must differentiate their expertise to stand out from the competition.” Job seekers should be

aware that hiring managers have natural skepticism, so they should develop the ability to authentically share instances from previ- ous work experience in which they acted ethically. For example, applicants could relate how they dis- cussed and successfully re- solved a question of how much revenue could be booked in a current period when the sales organiza- tion was pushing hard to meet its goal. Open communication

between employees and employers, a key compo-

nent of a strong ethical cli- mate, can occur only when there’s an atmosphere of trust in the workplace. Em- ployees who can speak up honestly about workplace issues facilitate greater overall worker productivity. Employers who trust em- ployees with details of com- pany policies and explain the reasons for changes made in the workplace lead to greater employee satis- faction, lower turnover, and higher productivity. Hiring managers who can articu- late the benefits of their or- ganization’s strong ethical culture have greater success in obtaining long-term ca- reer employees. Individuals with the

CMA credential should rank high in integrity as job candidates, considering their requirement to annu- ally comply with the IMA Statement of Ethical Profes- sional Practice and to main- tain high professional competency in ethics and integrity through continu- ing ethics education. Hiring managers should be able to rely on the strong ethical quality expected of all IMA members.SF

Curtis C. Verschoor, CMA, CPA, is the Emeritus Ledger & Quill Research Professor, School of Accountancy and MIS, and an hon- orary Senior Wicklander Research Fellow in the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, both at DePaul University, Chicago. He also is a Research Scholar in the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University, Waltham, Mass., and chair-emeritus of IMA’s Ethics Committee. Trust Across America- Trust Around the World awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 as a top thought leader in trustworthy business. His e-mail address is curtisverschoor@ sbcglobal.net.

18 / STRATEGIC FINANCE / July 2016

ETHICS

IMA ETHICS HELPLINE For clarification of how the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice ap- plies to your ethical dilemma, contact the IMA Ethics Helpline.

In the U.S. or Canada, dial (800) 245-1383. In other countries, dial the AT&T USA Direct Access Number from www. usa.att.com/traveler/ index.jsp, then the above number.

The IMA Helpline is designed to provide clarification of provisions in the Statement of Ethical Professional Practice, which contains suggestions on how to resolve ethical conflicts. The helpline cannot be considered a hotline to report specific suspected ethical violations.

SF ADVICE

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